Physician Assistant Certificate in Palliative and Serious Illness Care
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Physician assistants are trusted clinicians who provide compassionate, multifaceted care to patients and families at every stage of health, including through serious illness. Delivering care that targets the physical and emotional symptoms of advanced illness requires an extra level of skill and training. The CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care is launching an online, 12-week instructor-led course that prepares physician assistants in any practice setting to deliver high-quality care that effectively supports patients with advanced illness and their families. You’ll master evidence-based skills and strategies essential in primary palliative care including communication, advance care planning, prognostication, pain and symptom management, psychosocial-spiritual aspects of care, care at the end of life, and more. Interactive didactic lessons, prepared by palliative care clinical leaders, are supplemented by weekly live “Grand Rounds” sessions with your cohort of students and an expert PA instructor. Complete weekly lessons and assignments on your own schedule; come to the Grand Rounds session for discussion and case presentations to help apply the learning to your clinical setting. |
Course InformationSTARTS: TBD Have a question about this course? Contact Us
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What You’ll Learn
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Understand the physician assistant’s role in caring for patients with serious illness and their families
- Identify patients who need and could benefit from palliative care
- Communicate with seriously ill patients about their disease trajectory, using prognostication tools and resources
- Assess and treat the most common physical symptoms of serious disease, including pain and nausea
- Identify spiritual and psychosocial distress and connect patients with community resources
- Recognize cultural differences and practice radical respect when treating patients with serious illness
- Integrate palliative care services into your practice in any setting
- Establish billing processes and performance measures for palliative care services
- Use self-care strategies to build resilience and avoid burnout.
What You’ll Earn
- Continuing education (CE) credits to be determined, provided through California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Extended Learning, accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
- Certificate of Completion