Palliative Care APRN Basics

Module 1: Moving into APRN Palliative Nursing Practice
This module provides an overview of professional practice for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) as well as guidelines, principles, and processes related to the practice of hospice and palliative care. This module also includes easy-to-understand resources to support growth and leadership in your early-career role as an APRN practicing in hospice and palliative care.

2.0 NCPD hours

Module 2: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
This module reviews the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in hospice and palliative care. It includes an exploration of social determinants of health and ways that you, as an advanced practice registered nurse, can advocate for equitable care for your patients and families.

1.0 NCPD hour

Module 3: Communication in Palliative Care and Hospice
This communication module provides techniques you can use for patient and family meetings as well as discussions with patients, family members, and your referral base. It also offers multiple opportunities to engage in exercises which hone your skills to de-escalate emotionally charged situations, provide education on palliative care and hospice, and conduct family meetings.

1.25 NCPD hours

Module 4: Symptom Management
In addition to managing pain, as a hospice and palliative care advanced practice registered nurse, you are expected to manage other symptoms common in patients receiving hospice and palliative care. Through case studies, this module gives you the opportunity to apply strategies to effectively relieve dyspnea, nausea/vomiting, delirium, anxiety, and depression. (To learn about managing pain symptoms, refer to the Palliative Care Pain Management Basics modules.)

1.25 NCPD hours
1.25 Category 1 Pharm Credit

Module 5: Social, Psychological, Cultural, Spiritual, and Existential Care
This module focuses on the social, psychological, cultural, spiritual, and existential factors in hospice and palliative care. Case studies illustrate how you, the advanced practice registered nurse, working with other team members, can provide medically appropriate care that is congruent with patients’ and families’ values and preferences.

1.5 NCPD hours

Module 6: Professionalism and Personal Well-being
This module includes education on professionalism, leadership, and personal well-being. Through an interactive format, you learn about consultation etiquette, guidelines for determining how you work together with other providers, the advanced practice registered nurse’s leadership role, strategies for managing work-life balance, and how to best deal with the psychological challenges you may face in working with the seriously ill.

1.5 NCPD hours

Module 7: Ethics
This module provides an overview of ethical considerations in hospice and palliative care. It explores common ethical dilemmas and how to best apply core ethical principles to the medical decision-making process.

1.0 NCPD hour

Module 8: Caring at Life’s End
This module focuses on care provided to patients and their families near the end of life (EOL). The module covers your role as an advanced practice registered nurse, assessing common EOL symptoms, and developing an appropriate plan of care. Through case studies, you learn how care team members work together in a variety of care settings to accomplish best practices in EOL care.

2.0 NCPD hours
1.0 Category 1 Pharm credit