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8 – Week Online RN Certificate in Palliative Care Announced

The California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care is proud to announce the RN Certificate in Palliative Care, the first, eight-week online program designed specifically to introduce RNs to the knowledge needed to practice palliative care. Americans are living longer and more of us are living with chronic disease and serious illnesses. Clearly, the need to empower nurses with the skills to provide high quality palliative care is greater than ever.

The course curriculum covers the history of palliative care, palliative care for various disease states, complex pain and symptom management, ethics, care of special populations, palliative care in various settings, self-care, bereavement and professional practice issues. “RNs are often considered the backbone of our health care system,” explains Helen McNeal, Executive Director of the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care. “An RN knowledgeable in palliative care will help both patients and family members face health care challenges more effectively and with greater compassion.”

The eight – week online program is designed so that participants will leave the course with significantly improved palliative care skills. Nurses, regardless of what setting they practice in, already provide some components of palliative care. This course will improve their skills in all settings as well as giving them the knowledge to practice as members of the palliative care team. In this course even the most experienced nurses will be able refresh and fine-tune their knowledge through in-depth discussions of best practices in palliative care. For nurses currently working in palliative care, the course is also a great refresher that prepares them for the CHPN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) Certification exam. “Nurses will leave this course feeling empowered with the knowledge needed to provide high quality evidence-based palliative care. That means more compassionate and cost-effective health care for everyone,” says McNeal.

This eight-week course is 100% online so nurses will be able to apply what they learn quickly and bring workplace challenges into the learning environment as well. Busy nurses will be able study and learn at their own pace from the comfort of their own home. The first session of the RN Certificate in Palliative Care program begins October 7, 2013 and runs for eight consecutive weeks. To learn more about the program, call 760-750-4020 or visit the Institute’s website

About the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care

The CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care at Cal State San Marcos is America’s first statewide educational and workforce development initiative dedicated to palliative care. The Institute offers professional development and continuing education courses designed to enhance the skills of current and future health care professionals, as well as programs to build palliative care awareness in the community.