Afternoon at the Museum: Connection and Meaning at the Frist Art Museum (P07)

Outcomes 1. “See deeply” when examining a piece of art and describe how similar strategies could be used in hospice and palliative care clinical settings 2. Gain insight into an aspect of meaning from the participant's clinical work through a work of art in the museum 3. Describe how to use museum teaching strategies with hospice and palliative care trainees, palliative care learners in other disciplines, and practicing clinicians in the participant's home setting The practice of hospice and palliative care provides the privilege of presence with patients, families, and colleagues at some of life's most important moments. These moments require close observation, and we often need to connect these observations to infer the deeper meaning for those involved. Within our daily practice and growing clinical demands, nurturing observational skills and reflective capacities in ourselves and our trainees can be a challenge. However, these approaches can be sustaining and restoring. One strategy that holds potential to address these needs for close observation and reflection is art museum teaching. Art museum teaching encompasses a variety of strategies in which medical and museum educators use art to impart lessons that are otherwise difficult to convey. This teaching has been studied with many types of learners, including medical students, residents, and faculty as well as nurses and interprofessional groups. Outcomes include improved observational skills, pattern recognition, emotional recognition, empathy, identification of narrative, awareness of multiple perspectives, tolerance of ambiguity, and positive views toward communication skills. Although these skills are all central to hospice and palliative care, we are aware of only one published report where similar museum teaching strategies were used to highlight bias and differing perspectives about decision making for patients in pain. This session at the Frist Art Museum will focus on faculty experiences using these methods to teach hospice and palliative care trainees and interdisciplinary faculty. First, it will allow attendees to experience museum teaching in order to improve their own observational skills and connect to the meaning in their practice and community of colleagues in a hierarchy-free setting. Second, attendees will learn how they can intentionally use these methods and collaborate with other educators to lead similar sessions for learners and colleagues in their home settings.