- Friday, 7 December 2018
9:00 am - 4:00 pm - Mercure Hotel
Embedding empathy in healthcare education and practice
Few healthcare interventions have as much impact on a person’s physical and emotional well-being as empathy. Yet, so often healthcare programs only pay lip service to teaching and assessing empathy. This symposium aims to start a conversation (or perhaps even a ‘movement’) that leads to empathy becoming integral to every healthcare curriculum.
This symposium will:
- bring together healthcare educators, clinicians and researchers committed to better understanding the power of empathy to transform education and practice
- explore the relationship between empathy and patient outcomes
- promote practical strategies for enhancing and evaluating empathy
- create opportunities to network and share new approaches to nurture empathic healthcare professionals.
The symposium will showcase the Virtual Empathy Museum (VEM), an innovative digital resource funded by an Australian Technology Network of Universities grant. The VEM includes evidenced-based teaching materials such as simulations, digital stories and other resources designed to enhance healthcare students’ empathy skills and enable them to make a positive impact on patient care. The project is being led by Professor Tracy Levett-Jones, with team members from the University of Technology Sydney and Curtin University.
Plenary Speakers
Learn from thought leaders as they share their empathy research and teaching experiences.
BEN BRAVERY
‘What I’ve learned about empathy as a cancer patient and a medical student’.
Ben is a medical student and former science communicator who challenges healthcare professionals to connect more empathically with patients.
PROFESSOR JILL BENNETT
‘Simulating subjectivity and using immersive experience visualisation to cultivate empathy’
Jill is an ARC Laureate Fellow at the University of NSW. Her Laureate Experience and Empathy Lab focuses on experience visualisation and exploring techniques for the cultivation of empathy and reduction of stigma. Jill’s work explores experiences of ageing, dementia and mental health.
PROFESSOR MARGARET MCALLISTER
‘Using memoirs and other forms of art and literature to elicit empathic responses’.
Margaret is Professor of Nursing at CQUniversity and the director of the multi-disciplinary ‘Narratives of Health and Wellbeing’ research group. She is widely published and has written books such as Stories in Mental Health, The Resilient Nurse, and Solution Focused Nursing.
EMPATHY WORKSHOPS
Date: Thursday December 6 2018
Venue: UTS Building 10, Level 6, Room 10.6.401
Nathan Wiltshire (9.30am – 12.00pm)
Fostering empathic communication interactions
Samantha Jakimowicz (1.00pm – 3.30pm)
Facilitating compassionate leadership in healthcare and higher education
COST
Symposium: $125 per person ($100 full time students)
Workshops: $40 per person
Note: Mercure guests will receive a 10% discount on accommodation by calling the hotel on 02 9217 6797 and quoting the name of the conference. Discounted parking of $35 on the day of the symposium is also available.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further information: theempathyinitiative.org/virtual-empathy-museum
Inquiries: virtual.empathy.museum@uts.edu.au