Certificate in End of Life Care

When you work in end of life care, you must be prepared for the challenges it brings you, your patients, and their families. This course will enhance the knowledge and skills of health care professionals and individuals who work with or care for those experiencing a terminal illness.

6 Weeks / 19 Course Hrs

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Franklin University

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Learning method

Self-Guided

$135

No instructor. Study on your own schedule

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Instructor-Moderated

$135

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Starting April 16 | May 14

Details + Objectives

Course code: 0el

End-of-life care presents health care professionals as well as patients and family members with many challenges and dilemmas. Education in the holistic and integrative care of individuals at the end of life builds on and expands professional competencies and brings healing and transformation.

The Certificate in End-of-Life Issues represents a specialization in the field of caring for those who are experiencing a terminal illness. It is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of individuals who work with dying patients by providing a multidisciplinary educational experience.Topics include ethical issues, hospice and palliative care, pain assessment and management, physiologic changes, death, dying, and grief, cultural considerations, pediatric care, and caregiving at the end of life.

The outcome of this certificate is for the learner to explain key elements of end-of-life management for family members, caregivers, and those who are experiencing a terminal illness.

(19 contact hours)

Expiration Date: 05/30/2025

(Next date of course revision)

No one in a position to control content has conflicts of interests or relevant financial relationships to declare for this activity.

Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing nursing education only and does not imply ALLEGRA approval or endorsement of any commercial product.

Accreditation:

American Nurses Credentialing Center

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC was awarded Accreditation with Distinction, the highest recognition awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Accreditation Program.

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions courses are acceptable for continuing education in all states.

American Board of Managed Care Nursing

The American Board of Managed Care Nursing recognizes all of ALLEGRA Learning Solutions' ANCC accredited courses for continuing education credit for Certified Managed Care Nurses (CMCNs).

National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions is an approved provider with the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) (Provider #107194).

National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. To satisfy the requirement for renewal of certification by continuing education for the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE), continuing education activities must be applicable to diabetes and approved by a provider on the NCBDE List of Recognized Providers (www.ncbde.org). NCBDE does not approve continuing education.

What you will learn

Describe family and caregiver issues, patient's rights, ethical principles, and integrative health methods during end of life care
Identify specific cultural influences at the end of life
Discuss pain assessment and management for clients of all ages during end-of-life care
Examine the physiologic changes in body systems associated with the end of life
Describe the tools necessary to make ethical decisions for clients at the end of their lives
Examine the epidemiology of pediatric death and care of the dying child
Discuss issues related to organ donation and tissue procurement at the end of life

How you will benefit

Learn how to support families and patients at the end of life in ways that care for their psychological, physical, social, and spiritual needs while maintaining comfort, choices, and quality of life
Build knowledge and competencies needed to advance your career and enhance your professional marketability with training and knowledge specific to the topics covered
Develop an interdisciplinary, integrative, and culturally sensitive approach to end-of-life care
Fulfill continuing education and/or national certification requirements

How the course is taught

Instructor-Moderated or Self-Guided online course
6 Weeks or 3 Months access
19 course hours

Outline

End-of-life care presents healthcare professionals with many ethical challenges and dilemmas. Advancements in medical sciences have created the possibility of reshaping the circumstances during death and can prolong lives. Understanding ethical theories and ethical principles can provide a foundation for decision making and for the provision of more compassionate, informed care.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe key ethical considerations at the end of life and identify the tools necessary to make ethical decisions when providing care for patients at the end of their lives.

Using a multidisciplinary team approach, the primary goals of hospice and palliative care are to provide symptom control, psychosocial and spiritual care, and optimal quality of life. The role of hospice and palliative care is rapidly expanding due to a better understanding of end-of-life issues by health care professionals.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe end-of-life issues in hospice and palliative care, including the specific characteristics of hospice and palliative care and the similarities and differences in hospice and palliative care for both adults and children

Pain assessment and management are especially important for high-quality, compassionate, and ethical end-of-life care. To provide quality care to individuals at this stage of their lives, health care practitioners must be particularly skilled at assessing pain, understanding misconceptions of pain management, addressing cultural issues in pain management, and providing effective pain therapies.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe pain assessment and management options for patients of all ages during their end-of-life care, including how to address cultural considerations and pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management techniques of pain at the end of life.

For health care professionals to provide compassionate, quality care to patients at the end of life, they must understand the many changes the patient undergoes. Holistic end-of-life care provides relief, comfort, and support whenever possible. It involves a comprehensive approach to the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of the individual during this unique time in their lives.

The outcome of this course is learner to describe the physiologic changes in body systems associated with the end of life and guidelines for the care of specific physical symptoms at the end of life.

What is grief? What are normal grief responses? What is involved in the final life transition—death? The dying experience is a profound, individual experience. The experience of loss and grief are as individual and unique as the persons involved. During this time, people often raise questions about the meaning of life. The role of culture, palliative and hospice care, advance directives, the role of spirituality in death and dying, healing strategies and rituals are all important aspects of effective end-of-life care.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe the psychological, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of death and dying for older adults.

At the end of life, attitudes about the loss of a loved one profoundly affect how both a dying person and their family and friends address the dying and the grieving processes. Diverse populations in the United States provide health-care professionals with tremendous opportunities to bridge cultural gaps and learn about different values and religious and spiritual belief systems.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe specific cultural influences at the end of life for African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, and Muslim Americans, including the impact of religion and spirituality on funeral and burial practices and the challenges for healthcare professionals to become culturally competent with end-of-life care.

The death of a child is a devastating event with long-lasting effects on family, friends, and healthcare providers. While pediatric death rates in the United States have declined in the last century, pediatric death remains a critical healthcare issue. Often parents and children do not receive the care they deserve and require during this challenging time.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to explain important factors relating to caring for parents and a dying child, including symptom management and compassionate spiritual care of a dying child.

Caregivers are individuals who provide care to an individual who needs assistance. Caregivers can be professionals but are often unpaid individuals who support a loved one through an illness or the last phase of life. The experience can be immensely gratifying and rewarding as well as challenging and stressful. By anticipating the demands of end-of-life, caregiving can shift the journey to one in which support focuses on acceptance and healing.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe family and caregiver issues related to end-of-life care, including patient rights and the ethical principles of caregiving; behavioral, nutritional, and safety issues of caregiving; and integrative health methods of supporting caregiver well-being.

The gift of organ donation is the gift of life. However, the gap between those who need an organ or tissue donation and the number of donations available is wide and growing. Health care providers need to understand the issues surrounding organ and tissue donation and recovery so they can effectively support the needs of donor families and donor recipients.

The outcome of this course is to for the learner to describe the complex and challenging issues surrounding organ and tissue donation and recovery, including methods of compassionately and effectively supporting the families during the process.

Instructors & Support

Cyndie Koopsen

Cyndie Koopsen, RN, BSN, MBA, HNB-BC, RN-BC, HWNC-BC is a nurse who has cared for patients in acute care settings, community clinics, and the home. Her professional nursing career has involved nursing executive leadership and administration, accreditation consultation, staff development and education, community education and wellness, and holistic care. She has designed, developed, and presented numerous educational programs for audiences covering integrative health, promotion and wellness, and chronic disease management and prevention. She is the co-author (with Caroline Young) of two health care textbooks. She is the co-CEO and co-founder of ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC and has designed and developed over 300 online professional continuing education courses.

Caroline Young

Caroline Young, M.P.H., has an extensive public health background that includes experience in research, workshop presentations in various areas of health care, and online and onsite teaching. She has expertise in holistic community health and wellness program design, development, marketing, implementation, and evaluation. She has also designed, developed, and presented integrative health programs for culturally diverse populations, senior populations, and faith communities. She is the co-author (with Cyndie Koopsen) of two health care textbooks. She is the co-CEO and co-founder of ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC and has designed and developed over 300 online professional continuing education courses.

Instructor Interaction: The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Requirements

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

PC: Windows 8 or later.
Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Completion Requirements:

You must complete all lessons to receive your certificate. You must pass the final exam in all lessons with a score of 80% or higher AND complete the Evaluation Form in order to receive your Certificate of Completion. Finals are graded as Pass or No Pass. Receipt of your certificate indicates successful completion of the course and that you have passed all final exams with a score of 80% or greater. You may retake final exams as many times as necessary within the duration of the course at no additional charge.

FAQ

Instructor-Moderated: A new session of each course begins each month. Please refer to the session start dates for scheduling.

Each lesson will finish with a final exam that must be passed with a score of 80% or higher. You can retake each Exam as many times as needed to pass within the duration of your course access. There are no quizzes or a cumulative final exam.

Instructor-Moderated: Once a course session starts, two lessons will be released each week for the 6 week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends. You will interact with the instructor through the online discussion area. There are no live sessions or online meetings with the instructor.

Self-Guided: You have 3 months of access to the course. After enrolling, you can learn and complete the course at your own pace, within the allotted access period. You will have the opportunity to interact with other students in the online discussion area.

You can complete each lesson at your own pace. There is no time limit to complete each lesson, other than completing all lessons within your course access period. You must complete the mandatory course evaluation within the duration of your course to access your certificate of completion.

Instructor-Moderated: Students enrolled in a six-week online class benefit from a one-time, 10-day extension for each course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.

Self-Guided: Because this course is self-guided, no extensions will be granted after the start of your enrollment.

Yes. This course is acceptable for continuing education contact hours in all states. However, all healthcare providers are responsible for checking the "Accreditation" list to determine if this course awards contact hours for their profession.

Yes. ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

NURSING

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions courses are acceptable for continuing education in all states. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP 14693, for the stated number of contact hours.

CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS (CNAs) & CERTIFIED HEMODIALYSIS TECHNICIANS (CHTs)
The California Department of Health, Aid, and Technician Certification Section accepts continuing education offered by CA-BRN approved providers.

CERTIFIED MANAGED CARE NURSE (CMCN)
The American Board of Managed Care Nursing recognizes all of ALLEGRA Learning Solutions' ANCC accredited courses for continuing education credit for Certified Managed Care Nurses (CMCNs).

DIABETES EDUCATORS

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. To satisfy the requirement for renewal of certification by continuing education for the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE), continuing education activities must be applicable to diabetes and approved by a provider on the NCBDE List of Recognized Providers (www.ncbde.org). NCBDE does not approve continuing education.

NAADAC (National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors)

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions is an approved provider with the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors(NAADAC) (Provider #107194).

Reviews

I found this course not only informative for the type of work I am going into, but very informative regarding personal healing that has taken place over the past decade, due to some personal losses I have experienced. Thank you for this class. I have enjoyed learning the material.

This has been a very interesting and emotional journey for me. I really had to get in touch with my own loss of family and how I think of death. I have started using some of the ideas with my mother-in-law who is 93 years old, especially the journals and going through her doll collection. Thank you for the inspiration of your work.

I am a nurse and I am interested in hospice care. I found this course very helpful. Thank you!

I found this course informative for the type of work I am going into. It's also very informative regarding personal healing that has taken place over the past decade, due to some personal losses I have experienced. Thank you for this class. I have enjoyed learning the material.

This course provided useful, concise, practical information to all those working with the dying and their families. Although I am retired, I continue to volunteer assisting the terminally ill with their journey. Particularly interesting was the information regarding cultural differences and how to work with those who have different ideologies, beliefs, religions and values. I will have a better understanding of my feelings toward the dying process and be more understanding about what is taking place and how others view and approach the topic.

Always knowing that this is a time of hardship for the patient and the family, and I was always most attentive to both the personal needs of the patient and the family, I feel that my understanding of the process is far more meaningful now that I have had this class. It is a dying process that most health professionals don't understand, or take the time to understand. I will recommend this class to all my associates, I enjoyed it very much.

I am very pleased and satisfied with this course, it was very interesting. It will help me in my own life and in my job too. I will recommend it to others caregivers who want to learn more about this interesting topic.

I have never taken an online class before and really enjoyed this one. I have done hospice as a volunteer for about ten years and this class was full of information. Thank you for sharing it.

I am a skeptic about online courses but the subject matter is of great interest. I have been very surprised at the deep thought and challenging questions the exams provided. I actually learned a lot through the class.

This class was extremely interesting to me, and also helped me to understand that two years after the death of a loved one, it is normal to still be grieving. It helped me better understand my own grief process, and that of my children. Thank you for that.

I am a nurse and I am interested in hospice care. I found this course very helpful. Thank you!

I have never taken an online class before and really enjoyed this one. I have done hospice as a volunteer for about ten years and this class was full of information. Thank you for sharing it.

Certificate in End of Life Care

Franklin University