People living with serious, life-limiting, chronic illness experience significant suffering. Fortunately there are new and developing treatments which may cure some and improve survival for many people living with serious illness. However, seriously ill people and their loved ones still experience many distressing physical symptoms as well as spiritual, social and psychological distress. There is much we can do to support people to live well with serious and life-limiting illness by understanding the causes of suffering, using effective communications, and incorporating careful assessments and interventions designed to address specific needs.
The Palliative Care: It’s not Just Hospice Specialization covers core concepts on the nature of suffering and demonstrates how to evaluate suffering and illustrates this in realistic patient scenarios. In subsequent weeks we learn and practice specific skills to improve communication with patients and families to help them express their experience, express and understand their core goals and values and our own empathic response. You will also learn about specific problems such as physical pain, fatigue and shortness of breath as well as psychological issues such as depression and anxiety. In addition, spiritual and social distress will be discussed with a focus on the practical evaluation and management of these challenges. All of these skills will enable you to support people to live active and full lives despite serious illness.
Palliative Care: It's Not Just Hospice Anymore Specialization
Palliative Care Easing Pain and Suffering. Learn strategies and techniques to assess suffering and support patients living with serious illness
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How the Specialization Works
Take Courses
A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.
Hands-on Project
Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.
Earn a Certificate
When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.
There are 5 Courses in this Specialization
Course1
What is Palliative Care?
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Palliative care provides invaluable help for patients living with serious or life-limiting illness and their family caregivers. Palliative care should be part of healthcare services to improve quality of life, the ability to tolerate and benefit from treatment and improve survival. In this course, you will learn about the nature of suffering and how this concept can help you understand the experience of people living with serious illness. Next, you will learn skills to more effectively communicate with patients, families and other care providers to both understand their experiences and provide an extra layer of support. In the next module you will explore your own core values and beliefs and how they impact your work with others. Finally, you will learn how to do a whole person assessment to understand the needs of people with serious illness so you can develop a plan to support them.
You will be able to immediately use these insights, skills and tools in your work with people living with serious illness. In later courses, you will learn to ease pain and other symptoms, such as loss of appetite, shortness of breath and fatigue. In the final course, you will explore ways to ease psycho-social-spiritual distress. These courses will prepare you to bring basic palliative care to all in need.
Course2
Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain.
Course3
Easing Physical Symptoms: It's Not Just Hospice Anymore
Palliative care provides important support for people living with serious or life-limiting illnesses and their family caregivers. In this course, you will learn to use symptom assessment tools to better understand which symptoms are present and which are most distressing. In subsequent weeks you will learn about some of the most common and distressing symptoms such as anorexia (loss of appetite), dyspnea (shortness of breath), fatigue (weakness), delirium(confusion) and constipation and nausea/vomiting. For each of these symptoms, you will learn about the underlying cause and potential ways to support people and their families to manage the symptoms with simple practical and non-medical approaches as well as a review of medications as appropriate. In addition, you will learn to help people with their emotional response to symptoms and loss of function.
You will be able to immediately use these insights, skills, and tools in your work with people living with serious illness. In other courses, you will learn communication skills, whole person assessment, how to ease physical pain and explore ways to ease psycho-social-spiritual distress.
Course4
Psychosocial and Spiritual Aspects of Palliative Care
In this course, you’ll learn how serious and life-threatening illnesses often affect emotional and spiritual well-being. Illnesses can increase stress as patients and families learn to live with a “new normal” that may often focus on illness. You’ll learn how to tell when normal sadness (or grief) becomes something more serious and needs to be addressed. People with serious illnesses also have social concerns as their family, friends and community support system becomes stretched, and sometimes fails. We’ll talk about resources and skills you can use to help support patients and families. You’ll learn about advance care planning, that includes shared decision-making, setting goals of care, and writing down plans for care.
Instructors
Amos Bailey
Director, Interprofessional Graduate Palliative Care Certificate/Master of Science in Palliative CareInternal Medicine University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Regina Fink
Associate ProfessorGeneral Internal Medicine
Kelly Arora
Co-Director, Interprofessional Graduate Certificate & Master of Science in Palliative Care (MSPC), Allied Health ProfessionalsUniversity
Maurice Scott
MDUniversity of Colorado - Palliative Medicine
Nancy Robertson
Nurse PractitionerUniversity of Colorado Anschutz medical Campus
About University of Colorado System
The University of Colorado is a recognized leader in higher education on the national and global stage. We collaborate to meet the diverse needs of our students and communities. We promote innovation, encourage discovery and support the extension of knowledge in ways unique to the state of Colorado and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the refund policy?
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Can I take the course for free?
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
What is the Coursera Palliative Care Specialization: Palliative Care: It’s not Just Hospice Anymore?
What is the significance of saying, “It’s not Just Hospice Anymore” In hospice care, we learned that hospice can provide support and symptom relief to people living with serious and life-limiting illness. We also learned the important lesson that the earlier support the better the result! Ideally, by providing palliative care from the time of diagnosis we can improve patient and family quality of life. And now, studies show this that palliative care provided earlier, can and does, improve overall survival rates. In this course, you will learn more about palliative care and be able to apply this knowledge gained in the course to your work or in your life, now. This course has been developed by the Coursera Palliative Care Team. Members of this team come from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and teach such courses as the Interprofessional Graduated Palliative Care Certificate Program and Interprofessional Master of Science in Palliative Care Degree Program.
You can make a difference in someone’s life today!
What types of courses are in the Coursera Palliative Care Specialization: Palliative Care: It’s not Just Hospice Anymore?
There are five courses. The first course introduces you to the basic palliative care principles, helps you understand suffering and to improve your communication skills with patients and families.
Then you can take each of three courses that focus on Easing Pain, Easing Physical Symptoms and Easing Psychological, Spiritual, and Social Distress.
The fifth course is a series of Capstone Projects that allow you to practice what you have been learning in the other four courses.In order to earn the Coursera Palliative Care Specialization Certificate in Palliative Care you will need to complete these projects.
I am a patient or I am a family member caring for someone living with serious illness. Should I take this course?
Yes! This course could help you come up with better plans and ways to live well with serious or life-limiting illness. Also, this course can help you look for new sources of support and give you the language you need to help your healthcare team understand you and how you are feeling. This course offers you the opportunity to learn how to and ask for the kinds of support and services that you need.
Can I just enroll in a single course? I am not interested in the entire Specialization?
Absolutely. You can take any of the courses that you are interested in. You can take these courses in the order that best meets your needs. We do recommend that you consider taking the Introduction to Palliative Care Course first since the communication skills training will help you be successful in the rest of the course.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
You may work at your own speed but each course has four-five modules and each module takes about 3 hours to complete. If you take one module a week you can do most courses in a month and complete all five courses in four to five months.
What is a Capstone project?
In this Capstone Project Course you will complete five real world projects that will help you use the knowledge and skills you have been working on in this specialization. Each capstone project will take about an hour. The projects include using the “Nature of Suffering Evaluation Form” to talk with someone you know about their experiences with serious illness. Another involves completing a pain and non-pain symptom assessment and another project requires counseling someone about Advance Care Planning options. All of the tools you need for success are provided in the course. You should consider completing the Capstone Projects associated with the course you are working on while things are fresh. For example you could do the Pain Assessment Capstone project as soon as you compete the Easing Pain course. This is just a suggestion, as you can also work on the capstone projects after you complete the first four courses.
I live outside the United States-can the Coursera Palliative Care Specialization be helpful for me?
Absolutely. We have worked to make this Coursera Specialization culturally aware. You can learn basic palliative care skills that can be used in settings around the world. We look forward to learning from you how we can make this program better.
The Palliative Care programs at the University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus described in the previous FAQ above are open to International Students.
What background knowledge is necessary?
This is basic or primary palliative care. No special training or background knowledge is needed. Join with us now.
How often is each course in the Specialization offered?
You can start anytime. If you need to take a break you can always come back and finish.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
You will be able to integrate primary palliative care skills and practice into your work as a healthcare provider. For instance, nurses and physicians and others, would be able to use what they learned to help ease pain and other physical symptoms. Also you should talk with your employer about your studies and share with them in your success. Most healthcare systems don’t have enough trained palliative care providers. You can be a resource to your patients, colleagues, healthcare system and community. Thank you for considering palliative care.
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