Course 12: Special Populations And Patient-Controlled Analgesia
What You’ll Learn
- Utilize best practices when prescribing opioids for special patient populations
- Manage pain in imminently dying patients, older adults, cognitively impaired patients, and children
- Recognize indications for starting patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)
What You’ll Earn
Only CAPC members who are logged in can earn the following free Continuing Education Credits:
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
- Nursing: 1.00 CNE, 1.00 Pharmacotherapy
- Social Work: 1.00 CE (NYSED)
To take this course, log in. Or, check here to see if your organization is a member.
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Tools & Resources
Case examples used in the CAPC curriculum to illustrate pain management techniques.
Course citations. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2015.
Depicts the relative potencies of commonly prescribed opioids compared to oral morphine.
List of available opioid strengths and formulations.
Opioid pocket reference for providers including safe starting doses, equianalgesic chart, and standard dosing strengths.
Sample protocol for managing constipation. Organizations can create similar protocols in collaboration with referring clinicians and pharmacists. Lee Health, 2013.
Key terms related to pain and pain management. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2015.
When to use - and when to avoid - 6 classes of analgesics including acetaminophen, NSAIDs, opioids, antiepileptics, antidepressants, and corticosteroids.
Training from Education in Palliative and End-Of-Life Care (EPEC) in pediatric pain and symptom management.
Use of rectal medications for patients living with serious illness.
Course Directors
Course Faculty
Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN. Consultant, Center to Advance Palliative Care.
Jaime Goldberg, MSW, LCSW, ACHP-SW. PhD student, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work.
Philip Higgins, PhD, LICSW. President, Lighthouse Counseling of Salem, Inc.
Lynn Hill Spragens, MBA. Partner, Spragens & Gualtieri-Reed.
Jay R. Horton, PhD, ACHPN, FNP-BC, MPH, CENP. Director of Nursing Safety, Quality, and Performance Improvement Mount Sinai Hospital. Assistant Professor Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Khadidjatou Kane, MD. Oncology Hospitalist, Assistant Professor of Hospital Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Lolita Melhado, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC. Family Nurse Practitioner/Palliative Care, Gulf Coast Medical Center - Lee Memorial Health System.
Bridget Montana, MSN, APRN, FPCN, MBA. Hope HealthCare Services, Chief Operating Officer.
Colleen Mulkerin, MSW, LCSW. Director Palliative Care Consult Service, Hartford Hospital.
Drew Rosielle, MD, FAAHPM. Palliative Care, Fairview Health Services, University of Minnesota Medical School.
David Weissman, MD. President, Palliative Care Education, LLC.
Peer Reviewers
Sherika S. Newman, DO. Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Family Medicine Piedmont Healthcare.*
Karl Bezak, MD. Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, University of Pittsburg (UPMC).*
Sivan Ben-Moshe, MD. Fellow, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Sachin Kale, MD. Fellow, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Katie Wang, MD. Fellow, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
*indicates ABIM Peer Reviewer
Contact information: For answers to frequently asked questions about CAPC courses, read the Online Course FAQ. For technical questions about course activity, email [email protected]. For questions about continuing education credits, contact 201-957-0077.

Provided by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.