Training Latino Community Leaders about Palliative Care

To address limited awareness of palliative care and advance care planning in Latino communities, a nurse-led intervention using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach was developed in North Carolina. The project trained trusted Latino community leaders as Palliative Care Lay Advisors (PCLAs) to provide culturally and linguistically responsive education and support within their communities.

Fifteen bilingual Latino community leaders participated in a 10-hour training led by palliative care nurse specialists, covering palliative care, advance care planning, communication, and home-based symptom management. Latino community leaders also contributed to the intervention’s design and implementation to ensure materials and outreach reflected community priorities and cultural values. A booster session was provided six months later to reinforce knowledge and support continued community engagement.