Introduction
When individuals and or family members are facing life threatening or debilitating illnesses, they may not be aware of the benefits of palliative or end of life care. The World Health Organization (WHO) writes that the nursing workforce should be trained in palliative care skills, especially those nurses who work with patients with serious illnesses. The role of the nurse is to be supportive, provide education, provide physical care, and be a guide for decision making. To accomplish this goal, nurses need to be knowledgeable about the treatment options and care. Timing is an important consideration – the sooner the person can receive palliative or hospice care, the better. Delay could mean unnecessary suffering for the patient and the family. In 2020, 17.2 million people were treated through hospice services in the United States (US), according to www.statistic.com.
There seems to be confusion about the difference between palliative care, hospice, and end of life care. There are differences and similarities between them. This activity will enhance one’s knowledge by learning those differences and similarities. The learner will also learn to identify some of the issues related to the care of the person facing the end-of-life situations and some available options.
Disclosures:
Learner Outcome: All nurses will acquire knowledge that will enable them to provide better care to persons and their families at the end of life.
This NCPD activity is designed for RNs, APRNs, LVNs, social workers, and anyone else interested in the subject content.
Approval Statement: Ames Heigh LLC is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by New Mexico Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Criteria for Awarding Contact: To receive contact hours, the learner 1. Must successfully complete the posttest with a score of 80% or better and 2. Complete and submit the course evaluation. This activity will award 1 contact hour upon completion.
Individuals in a position to control content had no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.
The fee for this activity is $15.00. You may use PayPal to purchase the certificates securely.
This activity expires on January 31, 2026.
Course Information
Course Instructor
