Training in communication, pain and symptom management, and caregiver support enables critical care nurses to align care with patient and family priorities for care and relieve physical and psychological suffering. Use this toolkit for skills training and clinical tools to support the care of patients with serious illness, and their families.

What’s in the Toolkit

Communicating about what matters most to patients and families (including goals of care, advance care planning, and understanding prognosis), assessing for pain, and partnering with palliative care when needed.

Introduction to Palliative Care for Health Professionals

An introduction to palliative care, how it is delivered, its impact on quality of life, and the growing population of patients who need it.

Course 1: Comprehensive Pain Assessment

Conducting a comprehensive pain assessment to guide safe and effective treatment.

Advance Care Planning Conversations

How to initiate and conduct conversations about advance care planning.

Clarifying Goals of Care

Strategies for eliciting patient goals and preferences to inform treatment decisions.

Conducting a Family Meeting

Communication techniques for an effective family meeting.

Delivering Serious News

Communicating serious clinical news to patients and families.

Discussing Prognosis

How to discuss patient prognosis in a manner that is sensitive, clear, and supportive.

The Human Connection of Palliative Care: 10 Steps for What to Say and Do

Ten important steps for improving communication between clinicians and patients/families. NOTE: This video does not provide CE credits.

Supporting patients—and their families—as disease progresses.

Supporting the Family Caregiver: The Burden of Serious Illness

Assessing and supporting caregivers of people with serious illness.

Assessing and managing pain, dyspnea, nausea and vomiting, constipation, anxiety, and depression.

Course 12: Special Populations And Patient-Controlled Analgesia

Safe opioid prescribing in older adults, cognitively impaired patients, children, and the imminently dying, including patient-controlled analgesia.

Symptom Management

Training curriculum and clinical tools for assessing and managing five common symptoms in patients living with serious illness.

Partnering to support the needs of patients with serious illness—and their families—in the ICU.

Integrating Palliative Care Practices in the ICU

Integrating palliative care practices in the ICU through training and collaboration.

Get the latest updates in your inbox!