Basic Communication Skills for Pediatric Patient and Family Support

This 1.5 CE hour, self-paced online course explores the similarities and differences in communicating with pediatric hospice or palliative care patients and their families versus adult hospice and palliative care populations. It covers strategies such as active listening, attention to non-verbal communication, and employing the SPIKES protocol.

Hospice and palliative care professionals typically work with many different types of families in crisis and grief, yet even experienced practitioners may feel anxious when asked to provide care for infants, children, teens, or young adults, and their families.

This course describes the challenges and joys of communicating with pediatric patients and their families, demonstrates how evidence-based communication tools can be applied in those populations, and reinforces how communication that is genuine and nonjudgmental is key in both adult and pediatric hospice and palliative care.   

You’ll explore important differences and strategies in communicating with pediatric palliative care patients and families vs. adults in hospice or palliative care.

Enroll in the certificate program for $989.
Learn more.

What You’ll Learn

• Compare and contrast active listening and passive listening, including non-verbal communication queues
• Gently elicit information from pediatric patients and families about the physical, social, and spiritual areas of their lives
• Articulate phrases that are supportive of families and avoid those that are not
• Apply the steps of the SPIKES protocol during the first visit to pediatric patients and families
• Identify existing skills and abilities that palliative care staff have that will translate in caring for young patients and families

What You’ll Earn

1.5 continuing education (CE) credits provided through California State University San Marcos, accredited and approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Have a team to train? We offer special group pricing.

Strategic Partners

The Institute’s Pediatric Palliative Care curriculum was developed by expert clinicians in pediatric palliative care from leading children’s hospitals and hospice programs, with support from:

• Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition/Coalition for Compassionate Care of California
• Providence TrinityCare Hospice and Trinity KidsCare

Course Author

Joan “Jody” Ramer Chrastek, RN, DNP, FPCN, is the PACCT (Pediatric Advanced Complex Care Team) coordinator for Fairview Home Care and Hospice, Minneapolis, MN

Completion and Refunds

In order to complete this course and obtain a certificate, you must view the course in its entirety, correctly answer all case studies and quiz/test questions (as appropriate) and complete the evaluation. You will have 90 days to access this course from the date of purchase. No refunds are given for self-paced courses.