Poster can be found in location 28.

Background: Developing a reflective practice allows one to explore emotions, experiences, actions, and responses so that individuals can identify personal and professional strengths and identify their professional development needs (Gravier, Burney & Radermacher, 2019). A scan of the literature reveals that reflection is encouraged amongst many health care professionals including psychologists and medical practitioners working with clients receiving palliative or EoL care, citing significant improvements to patient centred care. However, findings specific to health care assistants and their development of reflective practice was limited to identifying what it is, why it is important or a vague statement of how to become a reflective care provider. Yet, healthcare assistants working in long-term care settings are often the ones who work with clients who are dying. To effectively provide person centred care and meet the physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs of dying people, one must first identify personal values and beliefs about death and dying (Murray, 2020). Objective: The objective of this study is to explore if reflective writing about death and dying adequately prepares health care assistant students working in long-term care settings to provide holistic patient centered care. Methodology: The study will provide guided opportunities for health care assistant students in one cohort at a Canadian college to reflect on personal values, beliefs and experiences about death and dying prior to initiating a clinical experience with clients who may be receiving end-of-life care. Upon completion of the clinical experience, students will be interviewed using a Likert-type scale to assess the impact, if any, reflective writing had on them providing patient centered care. Results: Results of the study will help inform the development of person-centred curriculum on death and dying and supplement an already established EoL simulation in the health care assistant program at the college. Key words: person-centred care, palliative care, reflective writing, long-term care, health care assistant