Palliative Care in the ICU

Activity Summary

Required reading for all learners: Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes

Whether it is a patient with an acute illness or a complex chronically ill patient at the end of their life, the ICU nurse practitioner is ideally suited to provide palliative care even if we cannot provide a cure. Many aspects of palliative care are uncomfortable and unfamiliar to those of us in critical care, however. It is essential we have the tools to effectively communicate difficult news, help patients and families make difficult decisions and manage symptoms at the end of life.

Objectives

Describe correlating end-of-life patterns in chronic and critically ill patients based of disease state and symptoms.
Employ communication skills for managing a family meeting, delivering difficult news and discussing end-of-life care options.
Apply pharmacologic methods for providing comfort and managing symptoms to patients at the end of life.

Continuing Education Disclosure Statement

Criteria for Awarding Contact Hours

Learners must complete the entire activity and the associated evaluation AND read Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes. No partial credit will be awarded.

Accreditation

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider number CEP 1036, for {contactHours} contact hours.

Disclosures

The Nurse Planner has determined that no individuals with the ability to control content of this activity have relevant relationships with ineligible companies.

Activities with pharmacotherapeutic credit are to assist the APRN in fulfilling their education requirements for licensure and certification renewals.

Refund Policy

Continuing Education Activities are nonrefundable.