Are you a nurse practitioner looking to specialize in a field that offers profound impact and deep personal fulfillment? A Nurse Practitioner Palliative Care Program could be the perfect path for you. This specialized area of healthcare focuses on enhancing the quality of life for patients and their families facing serious illness. By developing expertise in palliative care, you can provide holistic support, manage complex symptoms, and guide patients through crucial healthcare decisions.
Our comprehensive palliative care nursing specialty courses are designed to equip advanced practice nurses with the essential knowledge and skills needed to excel in this rewarding field. Through a blend of didactic learning, realistic simulations, and practical clinical experience, you will gain the competencies to deliver compassionate and effective palliative care across the lifespan. We emphasize developing critical therapeutic communication skills, vital for nurse practitioners in palliative care to facilitate informed decision-making, guide advanced care planning, and navigate sensitive conversations with both patients and their loved ones.
Our program features three core courses meticulously structured to build your expertise progressively:
-
NUR 851: Foundations and Physical Aspects of Palliative Care (Spring Only): This foundational course establishes the framework for palliative care practice. You will delve into the structure, processes, principles, and philosophy underpinning palliative care. A key focus is on mastering the assessment and management of common physical symptoms associated with serious illnesses. Furthermore, the course emphasizes effective communication techniques and the collaborative development of patient-centered care goals in partnership with families.
-
NUR 853: Psychosocial Aspects of Palliative Care (Summer Only): Understanding the multifaceted psychosocial needs of patients and families is paramount in palliative care. This course cultivates the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver comprehensive and culturally sensitive care. You will learn to effectively address the psychosocial needs, spiritual beliefs, practices, traditions, and values of individuals and their families across all stages of life and care settings. This ensures respectful and holistic support during challenging times.
-
NUR 855: Advanced Practice Nursing: Palliative Care Specialty Across the Lifespan Synthesis: This capstone course is designed to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical clinical management skills. You will focus on applying your learning to the care of patients requiring palliative care across diverse settings and throughout their lifespan. The course further prepares you to confidently implement the nurse practitioner role within a collaborative palliative care model, ensuring seamless and integrated patient care.
Explore Enrollment Options for Palliative Care Specialty
For current students eager to add the palliative care specialty to their existing academic curriculum, please complete the Specialty Add or Delete form available on the Student Forms webpage. This streamlined process ensures your request is efficiently routed for necessary approvals from your academic advisor and the Specialty Director.
Nurse practitioners holding an MSN degree or higher from accredited institutions, as well as nurse practitioner students from other accredited universities, who are interested in obtaining a certificate in our palliative care nursing specialty, should follow the detailed instructions for the Specialty Certificate application. Enrollment decisions are made by the specialty’s lead faculty, considering space availability to ensure an optimal learning environment for all students.
