Basic Pediatric Training in Pain and Symptom Management

Basic Pediatric Pain and Symptom Assessment and Management

This 4 CE hour, self-paced online course introduces key considerations and strategies for assessing and managing pain in infants, children, teens, and young adults with serious or life-limiting illness. Understanding the unique factors associated with pediatric assessment and the principles that guide pediatric medication management provides a foundation for ensuring comprehensive and age-appropriate care.  

Why Take This Course?

Assessing and managing pain is a fundamental part of high-quality palliative care; however, there are important differences that clinicians must be aware of when caring for infants, children, teens, or young adults, versus adults.

The course prepares hospice and palliative care clinicians to assess for pain in pediatric patients with serious or terminal illness. It includes an in-depth review of normal growth and developmental milestones in infants, children, and adolescents; common childhood illnesses; pain management medications; how to determine appropriate dosing as well as routes of administration; and non-pharmacological approaches to pain management.

This course can be taken on its own or as part of the Certificate in Clinical Pediatric Palliative Care – 66 CEs

 Who Should Take This Course?

This course is ideal RNs, NPs, APRNS, physicians, physician assistants, and other clinicians working in hospice, palliative care, or home health who want to build comfort and competence in caring for pediatric patients with serious illness and their families.  

Course Information

Fast Facts

Begins:	Immediately upon registration
Is taught:	Completely online and is available 24/7
Offers:	4 Continuing Education Hours
Costs:	$59
Requires:	Computing skills sufficient to complete graduate work, access to a computer with an Internet connection
Is ideal for:	Nurse Practitioners, APRNS, RNs, PAs, physicians, and other clinicians on hospice, palliative care or home health teams who want to build skills necessary to support pediatric patients and families
Cancellation Policy:	There are no refunds on our self-paced courses

Course Description

This course comprises four modules that highlight important considerations and effective clinical approaches to assessing and managing pain in infants, children, teens, and young adults.

Modules and topics covered include:

Conducting an Effective Pediatric Assessment

This module prepares learners to:

• Identify unique factors associated with pediatric assessments
• Employ a comprehensive, age-appropriate approach to assessments
• Demonstrate an understanding of normal age-related readings and factors that may influence findings
• Use tools that can aid in assessing pediatric patients
• Collaborate with parents and other providers to identify techniques that have previously been effective in managing the patient’s pain and other symptoms

Overview of Pediatric Medication Management, Including Dosing

By the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of pediatric medication management principles
• Use clinical dosing guidelines for specific symptoms to ensure safe and optimal care
• Describe common routes of medication administration in pediatric patients and specific considerations for each

Common Symptoms (Assess and Treat)

This module explores how to:

• Apply principles for managing common symptoms in the pediatric patient‘s plan of care
• Assess for common symptoms that patients may experience
• Use recommended clinical guidelines to formulate a treatment plan
• Use various tools and resources that support the management of common symptoms

Non-Pharmacological Treatments

This module covers the:

• Role of non-pharmacological treatments in pain and symptom management in the care of children
• Various types of non-pharmacological treatments
• Benefits that may result from the use of specific types of non-pharmacologic interventions
• Assessment of the effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments as they are integrated into the plan of care

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 AUTHORS

Kimberly Bower, MD, FAAHPM, HMDC, former Chief of Palliative Medicine at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and current Medical Director of Blue Shield of California Promise Plan

Susan Montgomery, RN, BSN, MA, a medical writer whose clinical career as a registered nurse included caring for children and adults in both critical care and hospice. She is the former Director of Interdisciplinary Practice at Suncoast Hospice.

Course Information