This course is part of the Palliative Care Always Specialization

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Kavitha Ramchandran +1 more instructor

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Offered By

Palliative Care Always SpecializationStanford University

About this Course

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This course starts you on your journey of integrating primary palliative care into your daily lives.  You will learn what palliative care is, how to communicate with patients, show empathy, and practice difficult conversations. You will learn how to screen for distress and provide psychosocial support. You will learn about goals of care and advance care planning and how to improve your success with having these conversations with patients.  Finally, you will explore important cultural considerations and improve your cultural competency on the topics covered.
For clinicians, the goal of this course is to help you incorporate primary palliative care into your daily practice or help you know when to seek a specialist.  We will help you improve your patient’s quality of life and provide self-care tips to help you maintain your own. For patients and caregivers, this course will empower you to talk to your provider and get palliative care, if necessary.

Stanford Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Visit the FAQs below for important information regarding 1) Date of original release and Termination or expiration date; 2) Accreditation and Credit Designation statements; 3) Disclosure of financial relationships for every person in control of activity content.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Course 1 of 5 in the

Palliative Care Always Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is designed for anyone interested in palliative care and contains optional deep dives on key content for clinicians and social workers.

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

What you will learn

Define the scope of palliative care and the roles of primary and specialist teams in comprehensive care for patients and families
Explain the components of an interdisciplinary patient treatment plan that includes physical, emotional, social and spiritual care
Discuss basic strategies for addressing psychosocial and relationship concerns in the context of serious illness
Engage in goals of care and advance care planning discussions with patients and families

Skills you will gain

Self-Care
Palliative Care
Communication
Psychosocial Support
Goals of Care/ACP

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 5 in the

Palliative Care Always Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is designed for anyone interested in palliative care and contains optional deep dives on key content for clinicians and social workers.

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.47/5 (24 Ratings)

Kavitha Ramchandran

Clinical Associate Professor

Oncology & Palliative Care

3,363 Learners

5 Courses

Jan DeNofrio

Program Manager

Department of Medicine

3,363 Learners

5 Courses

Offered by

Stanford University

The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is an American private research university located in Stanford, California on an 8,180-acre (3,310 ha) campus near Palo Alto, California, United States.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Course Introduction and Overview

Welcome! Palliative Care Always is about optimizing quality of life at any stage of disease. This course, Essentials of Palliative Care, is rooted in the belief that incorporating the principles of palliative care into clinical practice can improve the quality of life for our patients and their support systems (including clinicians!). A team of Stanford faculty and staff designed this course to educate you about palliative care. Together, you will learn how it intersects with treating serious illness, and how palliative care skills can help improve quality of life for patients, families and providers. Our hope is that you will feel increasingly equipped to support the diverse needs of patients with serious illness.

1 hour to complete

3 readings

2 hours to complete

Introduction to Palliative Care

This module focuses on what palliative care is, the roles of the care team and the difference between primary and speciality palliative care.

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 13 min), 6 readings, 4 quizzes

8 videos

Introduction to Palliative Care Always3m

Palliative Care Physician47s

Palliative Care Nurse1m

Palliative Care Social Worker1m

Survivorship Care Nurse1m

Chaplain1m

Child and Family Social Worker1m

Hospice Physician1m

6 readings

Introduction1m

Meet the Care Team1m

Primary vs. Speciality Palliative Care3m

Access to Palliative Care1m

Take-Home Message2m

References and Additional Reading10m

4 practice exercises

Explaining Palliative Care20m

Knowledge Check5m

Knowledge Check2m

Module 2 Assessment4m

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Communicating with Patients

Discussing difficult news is always a challenge for a variety of reasons.  In this module, we will cover methods you can use to make these conversations more successful.  

Communication is the foundation of patient and clinician relationships and a key component of palliative care. Effective communication can build trust and promote clarity in the face of difficult decisions. Still, communication--especially about prognosis and transitions in care--is a challenging aspect of patient care in which clinicians cite a lack of confidence and skill. This module covers basic skills in communicating with patients, families, and peers. You will hear about practical ways to incorporate communication skills into your daily practice and your daily life. These skills will help you tune in to the needs and desires of patients and families and form a partnership that promotes well-being.

2 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 26 min), 7 readings, 4 quizzes

2 hours to complete

Psychosocial Distress

Most families living with cancer will experience some form of emotional, psychological or social distress. This may exist as episodes of grief or anxiety at specific points such as diagnosis or progression, or it may be a more chronic experience that has an ongoing impact on relationships and day-to-day life.

2 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 20 min), 6 readings, 4 quizzes

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Goals of Care & Advanced Directives

Goals of cancer care are often associated with prolonging life or preparing for the end of life. However, goals of care conversations identify wishes and values that guide every medical decision and help patients and families live the best life possible at every phase of care.

Goals of care discussions help patients and providers balance the evidence about disease and treatment with subjective needs and values. To this end, conversations about goals should be introduced early and revisited regularly to make sure healthcare decisions are in line with a patient's wishes. Throughout this module, we introduce goals of care conversations and communication skills as they relate to identifying goals and values.

2 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 19 min), 7 readings, 4 quizzes

1 hour to complete

Self-Care

Healthcare providers, in general, make a life of being attentive to and providing resources for people during times of illness and suffering. This type of work, while essential and rewarding, undoubtedly bears its cost in work-related stress, burnout and fatigue. The response to internal and external stress is a key influencer on wellbeing.

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 18 min), 4 readings, 3 quizzes

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Final Steps

Congratulations on completing the course content. You have a few more step to complete the course. First review your reflection, next complete a peer-reviewed course project and then take the final exam. We hope you have enjoyed the course and look forward to seeing you in other classes!

2 hours to complete

1 reading

Reviews

4.5

15 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
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3 stars
2.50%
1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM ESSENTIALS OF PALLIATIVE CARE

by SCDec 10, 2021

Hardest part in this course is waiting for someone to rate your final assignment. Otherwise very easy course. Especially to whom already do this things.

by CHSep 13, 2021

Amazing course, It really helped me with my skills and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Totally worth the time and effort, and the instructors were very informative and helpful as well.

View all reviews

About the Palliative Care Always Specialization

Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel increasingly equipped to support the diverse needs of your patients and your own needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Is this activity accredited for Continuing Medical Education (CME)?
Dates and Duration Original Release Date: 09/30/2020 Expiration Date: 09/30/2023 Estimated Time to Complete: 11 hours 30 minutes Accreditation In support of improving patient care, Stanford Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Credit Designation American Medical Association (AMA) Stanford Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 11.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Stanford Medicine designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 11.5 ANCC contact hours. ASWB Approved Continuing Education Credit (ACE) – Social Work Credit As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Stanford Medicine is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Stanford Medicine maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this activity receive 11.5 enduring material continuing education credits. American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) - Enduring Materials Stanford Medicine has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This enduring activity is designated for 11.5 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until 09/30/23. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. Disclosures Stanford Medicine adheres to the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. There are no relevant financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies for anyone who was in control of the content of this activity.

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Essentials of Palliative Care