Palliative Care Always Capstone Course from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Introduction and Overview

This module will introduce you to the exercises and projects you will be creating over the next four weeks. You will also explore how your opinion of palliative care has changed over the course of this specialization.

Advocating for Palliative Care

This module focuses on creative ways to help your community, workplace, or family and friends learn what palliative care is, who can benefit, and how.

Promoting Self-Care and Wellness

In this module, we explore self-care and wellness. You’ve learned about compassion fatigue, burnout and caregiver burden in the previous courses, now it is time to create an action plan.

Communication Skills

Now we want to get back to basics with communication skills. Covid-19 has dramatically changed the way we interact with patients, family and friends. Many people have appointments now by phone or online. Families and friend often have to support each other remotely. This new way of interacting can make non-verbal communication and demonstrating empathy more difficult. In this module, you will explore virtual ways to “put a hand on another's shoulder to show support”.

Psychosocial Support for the Patient and Family

This module explores distress – emotional and psychosocial, and coping with that distress.

Final Thoughts

This module recaps the key learnings of the specialization Palliative Care Always.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores the foundations of palliative care and how it relates to broader healthcare

Taught by experienced instructors in the field

Develops skills in communication, self-care, and psychosocial support for patients and families

Emphasis on practical application and real-world scenarios

Could be more comprehensive in terms of case studies and examples

May require additional reading and research for in-depth understanding

Reviews summary

Notable palliative care capstone course

Students largely enjoyed this engaging end-of-curriculum course about palliative care. They report that it contains helpful content provided in a user-friendly format. However, some students reported that it took too long to grade submitted work.

Valuable course content

"excelente curso."

"Amigable en su formato y con mucho contenido realmente interesante."

Slow grading process

"I am just disappointed that I could not get my submitted work graded on time before my subscription expired"

"grading took too long for me to get my certificate before the expiry date"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Palliative Care Always Capstone Course with these activities:

Read Atul Gawande's 'Being Mortal'

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Introduce yourself to palliative care as a medical field, and explore themes and ethical concerns that you will encounter in this course.

View Being Mortal on Amazon

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Find a copy of Atul Gawande's book, “Being Mortal.”
Read and reflect on the themes and ideas that the author presents.
Consider the practical applications of the concepts discussed in the book.
Identify any questions or areas of interest that you would like to further explore.

Research the history of palliative care

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Expand on the introduction to palliative care you began in your book review, and gain context for the current trends in the field.

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Use library resources or the internet to research the history of hospice and palliative care.
Identify some of the milestones in the development of palliative care as a field.
Present your findings to the class in a brief written report.

Design a poster or handout explaining the benefits of palliative care

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Practice designing informational materials that could increase awareness of palliative care among the general public.

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Create a visually appealing poster or handout that highlights the benefits of palliative care.
Use clear and concise language to explain palliative care, its goals, and who can benefit from it.
Choose appropriate images or graphics to support your message.
Consider distributing your poster or handout in local clinics, hospitals, or community centers.

Four other activities

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Practice end-of-life communication

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Improve your ability to initiate and hold difficult conversations around end-of-life care.

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Review the principles of end-of-life communication.
Practice initiating and holding difficult conversations with simulated patients.
Receive feedback on your communication skills.

Solve case studies on palliative care

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Challenge your understanding of different aspects of palliative care through real-life examples.

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Read and analyze case studies on palliative care.
Identify the key issues and challenges in each case.
Discuss your findings with classmates or colleagues.

Attend a workshop on pain management in palliative care

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Advance your understanding of pain management strategies specifically used in palliative care.

Browse courses on Pain Management

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Identify a workshop on pain management in palliative care.
Register and attend the workshop.
Take notes and ask questions during the workshop.

Volunteer at a local hospice or palliative care organization

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Gain practical experience in palliative care and connect with patients and families who are facing life-limiting illnesses.

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Find a local hospice or palliative care organization that accepts volunteers.
Complete any necessary training or orientation.
Provide support and companionship to patients and families.

Career center

Learners who complete Palliative Care Always Capstone Course will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Palliative Care Physician

As a Palliative Care Physician, you will specialize in providing care to palliative care patients. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients and their families. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

See salaries and explore the career path for Palliative Care Physician

Social Worker

Enroll in this palliative care course to gain the knowledge and skills that will help you be an effective Social Worker. This course will help you understand the needs of palliative care patients and their families, and how to provide them with the support and resources they need. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Worker

Registered Nurse

As a Registered Nurse, you will play a vital role in providing care to palliative care patients. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients and their families. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Physician Assistant

As a Physician Assistant, you will work closely with palliative care patients and their families. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Chaplain

As a Chaplain, you will provide spiritual and emotional support to palliative care patients and their families. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Grief Counselor

As a Grief Counselor, you will help palliative care patients and their families cope with the grieving process. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Hospice Nurse

As a Hospice Nurse, you will provide care to palliative care patients in their final days. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients and their families. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Massage Therapist

As a Massage Therapist, you will provide massage therapy to palliative care patients to help them relax and relieve pain. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Art Therapist

As an Art Therapist, you will use art to help palliative care patients express themselves and cope with their illness. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Music Therapist

As a Music Therapist, you will use music to help palliative care patients relax and relieve pain. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Psychotherapist

As a Psychotherapist, you will provide counseling to palliative care patients and their families. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide compassionate and effective care to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Dietitian

As a Dietitian, you will provide nutritional counseling to palliative care patients. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide safe and effective nutritional counseling to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Pharmacist

As a Pharmacist, you will provide medication to palliative care patients. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide safe and effective medication to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Speech Therapist

As a Speech Therapist, you will help palliative care patients improve their communication skills. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide safe and effective speech therapy to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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Occupational Therapist

As an Occupational Therapist, you will help palliative care patients improve their daily functioning. This course will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to provide safe and effective occupational therapy to these patients. You will also learn how to advocate for palliative care and promote self-care and wellness.

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