Abstract
Introduction
As educators of palliative medicine content, we are often asked to teach about topics with which learners may be unfamiliar or even uncomfortable. Breaking bad news, discussing prognosis, or even the medical management of an imminently dying patient may be topics to which learners have given little thought. Our role as educators is not only to help learners discover the content, but to help them discover and reflect on their own attitudes and emotions about these often-weighty topics. The most effective way to engage learners in the promotion of this type of self-awareness is through the use of small group learning; therefore, being an expert facilitator of this modality is critical for all educators in palliative medicine.
In addition to having the standard skills of effective educators, those facilitating small groups must develop the ability to quickly promote “safety.” This ability requires the educator to construct an environment where participation is valued, participants feel comfortable taking risks in their learning, and all—including the facilitator—are open to feedback. With a safe environment, the learners can take center stage in the process and guide their own discovery.
The well-run small group may appear effortless, but, as the authors state, is quite complicated. It requires the facilitator to attend to the individual learner, the group dynamics, the content, the time, and him- or herself simultaneously. This model promotes self-reflection and deep learning in the small group setting. It will be useful to both the novice and more-experienced educator.