• Meg McCallum, Janet Carver, David Dupere, Sharon Ganong, J David Henderson, Ann McKim, Lisa McNeil-Campbell, Holly Richardson, Judy Simpson, Cheryl Tschupruk, and Heather Jewers.
• 1 Education, Practice Support & Special Projects, Nova Scotia Cancer Care Program, Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada .
• J Palliat Med. 2018 Jul 1; 21 (7): 947-955.

Background And ObjectivesIn 2014, Nova Scotia released a provincial palliative care strategy and implementation working groups were established. The Capacity Building and Practice Change Working Group, comprised of health professionals, public advisors, academics, educators, and a volunteer supervisor, was asked to select palliative care education programs for health professionals and volunteers. The first step in achieving this mandate was to establish competencies for health professionals and volunteers caring for patients with life-limiting illness and their families and those specializing in palliative care.MethodsIn 2015, a literature search for palliative care competencies and an environmental scan of related education programs were conducted. The Irish Palliative Care Competence Framework serves as the foundation of the Nova Scotia Palliative Care Competency Framework. Additional disciplines and competencies were added and any competencies not specific to palliative care were removed. To highlight interprofessional practice, the framework illustrates shared and discipline-specific competencies. Stakeholders were asked to validate the framework and map the competencies to educational programs. Numerous rounds of review refined the framework.ResultsThe framework includes competencies for 22 disciplines, 9 nursing specialties, and 4 physician specialties.ConclusionsThe framework, released in 2017, and the selection and implementation of education programs were a significant undertaking. The framework will support the implementation of the Nova Scotia Integrated Palliative Care Strategy, enhance the interprofessional nature of palliative care, and guide the further implementation of education programs. Other jurisdictions have expressed considerable interest in the framework.

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