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Course Descriptions

Required course sequence* for the Post-MSN Palliative Care Certificate Program (22 units; 540 clinical hours) 

• NURS 532C     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing Across the Lifespan in Acute Care  (2 units)
• NURS 533F     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing Across the Lifespan in Acute Care Field Study  (3 units-135 clinical hours)
• NURS 534C     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing Across the Lifespan in the Community  (2 units)
• NURS 535F     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing Across the Lifespan in the Community Field Study  (3units-135 clinical hours)
• NURS 536       Advanced Chronic Illness Concepts  (2 units)
• NURS TBA     Current Topics in Pain Management  (1 unit)
• NURS TBA       Palliative Care for Special Populations  (1 unit)
• NURS TBA       Loss, Grief, and Bereavement  (2 units)
• NURS TBA       Advanced Practice Palliative Care Externship  (6 units-270 clinical hours)

        * pending CSU approval

Course Descriptions

• NURS 532C     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing across the Lifespan in Acute Care- This course provides an overview of the foundations of palliative care for individuals and their families who are experiencing serious illness within the interdisciplinary palliative care team.  An emphasis of this course is the philosophy, theory, evidence based standards of care, and the interdisciplinary aspects of a comprehensive and compassionate system of palliative care for individuals and their families experiencing complex illness with uncertain timing of death.  Current trends and business practices that affect provision of quality care and the compassionate use of resources at the end of life are analyzed throughout the course.  
• NURS 533F     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing Across the Lifespan in Acute Care Field Study- The clinical practicum will focus on the physiological, psychosocial, cultural, spiritual, and bereavement aspects of care.   Emphasis is on care of individuals and families who are on a palliative care trajectory, which will require discriminating plans of care and implementing treatment plans for those experiencing complex symptoms of terminal illness.  Development of expertise in reflecting the nursing perspective within the interdisciplinary team, and its contribution to transforming palliative care practice.
• NURS 534C     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing Across the Lifespan in the Community-This course introduces students to the advanced practice palliative and hospice care nurse in the care of patients/families experiencing life-limiting progressive illness.  The students will gain knowledge of the palliative care system, ranging from palliative care, hospice care, and family support services in bereavement.  New trends, advances, and issues in home management of complex conditions, innovative delivery systems, legal, ethical and policy consideration will be explored. 
• NURS 535F     Advanced Concepts of Palliative Care Nursing Across the Lifespan in the Community Field Study- During 135 clinical hours of field study, provide comprehensive care to patients and their families with advanced life threatening illness.  Engage in holistic assessment of pain and quality of life for patients with advanced illnesses in a variety of settings in the community under the direction of a skilled clinician in palliative care.  Seminars integrate concepts from theory courses. Learning experiences will focus on conducting patient/family conferences; examining selected ethical issues in palliative care; analyzing organizational, economic and health policy issues that affect the delivery of hospice and palliative care; exploring current and emerging models of palliative care delivery; and creating approaches to enhancing continuity of palliative care across settings.
• NURS 536     Advanced Chronic Illness Concepts-This course provides a study of the illness trajectory for various chronic diseases, including the examination of pain and symptoms associated with the chronic illnesses.  The focus will be on enabling patients, families, and healthcare professionals to anticipate and prevent/reduce adverse symptoms from life threatening serious illness to maximize quality of life for the individuals and their family.   
• NURS TBA     Current Topics in Pain Management-This course focuses on biopsychosocial aspects of the pain experience and interpatient differences and how these form the basis for understanding pain perception, physiological and behavioral reactions and response to pain interventions. Content includes an integrated overview of the neurobiology of pain, measurement of pain, pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches for acute and chronic pain syndromes, health policy and care delivery models for improving pain assessment and management.  The roles of individual biochemical mediators, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are examined and linked to the effectiveness of pharmacological and alternative methods for pain control.
• NURS TBA     Palliative Care for Special Populations-Students acquire competencies in patient/family assessment, communication, decision-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration in palliative care for special populations. The unique challenges of pain assessment and pain management in special clinical populations are considered.
• NURS TBA     Loss, Grief, and Bereavement-Identification and examination of current and emerging bereavement theories, emphasizing transdisciplinary clinical application with grieving individuals and families.   The grieving process as a progression of coping, management and growth through significant losses and life transitions.  Skill development in designing effective coping strategies that facilitate healing in families and communities.  The content of this course provides a basis both for personal development and professional growth.
• NURS TBA     Advanced Palliative Care Externship-During 240 clinical hours of field study, integrate advanced knowledge of palliative care in assessing and managing the symptoms of those experiencing life-threatening illness within the palliative care focus.  Complex psychological, ethical, social and spiritual issues and grief reactions will be the focus of this field study.  Student will explore and experience the role of the advanced practice nurse on the palliative care team, in family meetings, and during patient support groups.