Palliative Care Registered Nurse Onboarding Curriculum

Defining palliative care, which patients need it, how it is delivered, and how palliative care differs from hospice.

Communicating serious clinical news to patients and families.

Communication techniques for an effective family meeting.

How to initiate and conduct conversations about advance care planning.

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

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

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

Patient and family factors that influence prescribing decisions for patients with serious illness.

Integrating routine risk assessment for substance use disorder when considering or using opioid therapy.

Ongoing evaluation of opioid benefits, risks, and side effects for the patient with serious illness.

Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of serious illness, and can cause dangerous complications. Take this online course to learn practical skills to identify, manage, and reduce these symptoms.

Take this online course to learn how to manage dyspnea, including the physical causes of shortness of breath and the emotional impact on the patient.

Constipation occurs in at least 70% of patients living with a serious illness and often goes unrecognized. Take this online course to learn critical skills to identify and manage the impact of constipation.

Take this online course to learn evidence-based strategies to identify and treat anxiety in patients with a serious illness.

This online course teaches how to accurately identify and treat depression in patients living with a serious illness.

Online course for assessing and addressing sources of suffering for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and their caregivers.

Online course for identifying and addressing the sources of suffering for patients and families living with dementia.

Online course with interventions to reduce suffering along the disease trajectory for people living with congestive heart failure (CHF), and their families.

Assessing and supporting caregivers of people with serious illness.

Guidance for all clinicians on improving communication and ensuring smooth transitions of care for patients living with serious illness.

This course provides context and best practices for identifying older adults at risk for poor outcomes, including falls, delirium, and caregiving challenges.