Palliative care competency framework

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis-specific palliative care competencies

The inclusion of competencies specific to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in this framework reflects Canada’s commitment to reconciliation and the critical importance of cultural safety for the provision of high-quality palliative care.

The Canadian Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Competency Framework leverages the work that Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec have done to establish their own palliative care competency frameworks. Engagement with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in the development of these provincial frameworks was limited, however, with support and guidance from the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Advisors to the Partnership, the existing competencies have been re-written to be broadly inclusive of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, and culturally safe care.

While the inclusion of these re-written competencies is a positive step, we recognize that broader engagement with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples was needed to better understand the care competencies required across disciplines to ensure high-quality palliative care for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

As such, the Partnership has engaged with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Elders, Knowledge Carriers, community health professionals, researchers and leaders in palliative care and end-of-life care to produce the comprehensive foundational resource, Beginning the journey into the spirit world: First Nations, Inuit and Métis approaches to palliative and end-of-life care in Canada, in collaboration with an Indigenous management consulting company (Turtle Island Consulting Services Inc.). This resource and the accompanying infographics summarize factors contributing to First Nations, Inuit and Métis palliative and end-of-life care experiences and best and promising practices in palliative and end-of-life care for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.

This engagement will also build understanding around the challenges and barriers faced by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis relative to palliative care. As stewards of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control, the Partnership will continue to leverage partnerships and relationships with home, palliative, and cancer care organizations to explore opportunities to build on the strengths of promising practices in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and to work together to reduce the challenges and barriers that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis may experience relative to palliative care.