Palliative Care Concepts

Catalog description

The focus of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high quality, specialist-level palliative care to patients and families as they experience life limiting illness. The students will gain and understanding of the history and pracitce of palliative care in the United States and other world countries. This course will address advanced communication skills critical in end of life care. Symptom management including physical, psychological, social and spiritual distress will be examined, and strategies to manage these issues will be assessed. An understanding of the role of the advanced practice nurse in palliative care will provide students with the abilty to function as a critical member of the interdisciplinary team. In addition students will conduct an analysis of policy factors relevant to palliative care and its future directions.