When death is approached as a failure,
then caring for people with serious illness
is like being on the front lines of a battle
and losing ground every day.
What if we see death as a process,
a transition, an opportunity for healing? Something that will happen to us all.
What if we develop a new relationship
with the end of life?

Hospice and Palliative Care Core Curriculum Course
Hospice and Palliative Core Curriculum
Integrative Whole Person Care: A Training for the Inter-Disciplinary Team
Levels 1, 2 and 3 for MD, RN, LVN, SW, Chaplain and HHA/CNA
3 day course, one level each day
This course is based on the 8 Domains of the Clinical Practice Guidelines produced by National Consensus Project and the National Quality Forum.
This curriculum is designed to give an overview of the field of Palliative and Hospice Care theory, assessment, symptom management and communication skills.
Wisdom Tree Institute has developed this Curriculum in a three level format, over three days in order to give time for self-reflection, communication practice, case studies and role playing.
The first day of the course is now being offered as a one-day unit for a total of 7 CE’s for Registered Nurses, Social Workers, Chaplains, and Home Health Aides.
Level 2 will be offered in late 2020, and level 3 will follow in 2021.
LEVEL 1 CURRICULUM
Overview of Palliative and Hospice Care
-
Core concepts and philosophy
-
Taking the work to the next level of Healing
Setting the Stage
-
How do you start a Palliative conversation?
The Paradigm of An Integrative Model of Healing
-
Introducing the Elemental Model Assessment: a new method of assessment to address Whole Person Care.
Symptom Management breakout sessions by discipline
Nurses and Doctors, Social Workers and Chaplains, Home Health Aides
-
Pain, Respiratory, Gastrointestinal issues, Agitation and Anxiety
Mini IDT
-
Discuss Case Studies using the Integrative Model of Healing.
Moral Distress and Spiritual Dynamics
-
What is your nightmare case?
Self Reflection
-
Journaling on how death/ethical issue has affected your practice
Advanced Communication Training
-
Serious Illness Conversation Guide, developed by Ira Byock and the Institute of Human Caring.
-
Practice other techniques to enhance your ability to develop trusting relationships with patients and families
LEVEL 2 CURRICULUM
Launch - Late 2020
Level 2 course curriculum will include:
-
Advanced Disease Progression and Prognosis
-
In-depth End-of-Life Symptom Management including Spiritual or Emotional emergencies
-
Continuing Integrative Model of Healing work including Interventions and Intuition Practice, Guided Imagery
-
Advance Care Planning; POLST Form
-
Ethics
-
Advanced Communication Skills
LEVEL 3 CURRICULUM
Launch - 2021
Level 3 course curriculum will include:
-
Advanced Symptom management including palliative sedation, physician hastened death laws and practices
-
Complex Cases
-
Psychiatric issues, personality disorders
-
Grief and loss, including grief ritual
-
Tools to combat compassion fatigue
-
Last hours – in depth coverage of various EOL states and how to handle them
-
Additional intuition practice – utilizing Elemental Model
ELECTIVE SESSIONS FOR LEVEL 2 OR 3
Under development
-
Essential Oils
-
Music therapy
-
Dignity Therapy
-
Reiki
-
Guided Imagery

Individual Modules
HEALING AT THE END OF LIFE
A 2-hour interactive event which provides an introduction to Wisdom Tree courses suitable for caregivers and interdisciplinary team members
PALLIATIVE CARE OVERVIEW
Designed as an introduction into the field. Appropriate for caregivers or interdisciplinary team members
ADVANCED CARE PLANNING AND POLST
For caregivers and interdisciplinary team members.
INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF HEALING - WHOLE PERSON CARE ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTIONS
Whole Person Care assessment and Interventions – for interdisciplinary team members.
INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF HEALING - PAIN MANAGEMENT
For interdisciplinary team members. Prerequisite: Whole Person Care Assessment
MEDICATION MANAGEMENT AND DISEASE PROGNOSTICATION
For Nurses and MD’s (CME currently not available)
GUIDED IMAGERY
For clinicians
ETHICS/MORAL DISTRESS/SPIRITUAL ANGST
For interdisciplinary team members
ADVANCED COMMUNICATION PRACTICE
For inter-disciplinary team members. Including Serious Illness Communication Tool.

Continuing Education for Certified Nurses Assistants,
Home Health Aides and Caregivers

Palliative and Hospice Care Modules for RN and LVN
ELNEC: End of Life Nursing Education Consortium
The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Project is a national and international end-of-life/palliative care educational program administered by City of Hope (COH) designed to enhance palliative care in nursing. Materials are copyrighted by City of Hope and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and are used with permission.
8 modules - stand alone or grouped
1-2 hour modules
The ELNEC curriculum was developed by nurses for nurses to provide an overview of the field.
This is a traditional CE course which is mostly lecture with slides.
The material is set up in 8 modules that can be taught as stand-alone or grouped in any order.
There are several different versions of the course; each with a specific population focus.
Margot Vos RN CHPN is an ELNEC Train the Trainer and will be working from the 2020 Curriculum.
COURSE VERSIONS
-
ELNEC CORE – a general introduction to Palliative care and Hospice care appropriate for any type of nurse.
-
ELNEC PEDIATRIC – focus on special medications and interventions for kids dealing with serious illness.
-
ELNEC GERIATRIC – Focus on elderly patients.
-
ELNEC FOR VETERANS
-
ELNEC FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES
-
ELNEC FOR CRITICAL CARE – designed for ICU and emergency room nurses.
MODULE 1 - Palliative Nursing Care
-
This module creates the foundation for the ELNEC curriculum.
-
It is an overview of the need to improve palliative care and the role of the nurse as a member of an interdisciplinary team in providing quality care.
-
Basic definitions and principles of hospice and palliative care are presented within a quality of life (QOL) framework.
MODULE 2 - Pain Management
-
This module reviews basic principles of pain assessment and management with a focus on pain at the end of life.
MODULE 3 - Symptom Management
-
This module builds on Module 2: Pain Management, by addressing other symptoms common in advanced disease and the role of the nurse in managing these symptoms.
MODULE 4 - Ethical Issues
This module is often woven into others and not stand alone
-
This module discusses some of the key ethical issues and legal concerns in end-of-life/palliative care and resources to address these in practice.
MODULE 5 - Cultural/Spiritual Considerations
-
This module reviews dimensions of culture, which influence care in advanced disease. Assessment of culture is emphasized as essential to adequate communication and in providing culturally sensitive care.
MODULE 6 - Communication
This module can be combined with others
-
This module emphasizes the importance of good communication in end-of-life care. The complexities of communicating with patients and families at this critical time are described along with suggestions for care.
MODULE 7 - Loss/Grief
-
This module addresses the challenging aspects of grief, loss, and bereavement of patients and families as well as the loss experiences of healthcare professionals.
MODULE 8 - Final Hours
-
This module focuses on care at the actual time of death, emphasizing the preparation necessary to insure the best care at this critical event in the trajectory of illness.
SELF CARE: COMPASSION, FATIGUE AND BURNOUT
A course for interdisciplinary team members and caregivers
ADVANCED LEVEL INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF HEALING - Care Planning using the Elemental Model
For interdisciplinary team members. Prerequisite: Whole Person Care Assessment and Pain management
ADVANCED SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR HOSPICE PATIENTS
For clinicians
ADVANCED DISEASE PROGNOSTICATION AND SUPPORT
For clinicians
ADVANCED PAIN MANAGEMENT
For clinicians
REIKI FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Level one Reiki, from the traditional Hands-on healing techniques developed by Dr. Usui
GRIEF AND LOSS
For interdisciplinary team members - Companion course with Self-Care
