Course Code: REL-PAC-ELNEC-CMSYMMAN
Hours: 2
Type: Online Course
Content Expiration Date: 12/31/2029
Learning Objectives:
Identify common symptoms and their etiologies associated with myriad serious illness and conditions across the lifespan.
Determine the assessment of symptoms seen in myriad serious illnesses and conditions.
Recall interventions that can prevent or diminish symptoms experienced by those with myriad serious illnesses and conditions.
Outline:
Section 1: Introduction to Symptom Management
Essential Concepts
Symptoms and Suffering
Care of Older Adults
Symptom Management in the Critical Care Setting
Common Symptoms in Palliative Care
Living with Chronic Lung Disease
Assessment of Common Symptoms
Optimizing Symptom Management
Meet Alice
Key Takeaways
Section 2: Respiratory Symptoms: Dyspnea and Cough
Dyspnea
Causes of Dyspnea
Assessment of Dyspnea
Subjective Report
Physical Examination
Management of Dyspnea
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Cough
Causes of Cough
Assessment of Cough
Management of Cough
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Alice’s Dyspnea
Key Takeaways
Section 3: Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Anorexia and Cachexia, Constipation, Diarrhea, Nausea and Vomiting, and Xerostomia
Anorexia and Cachexia
Causes of Anorexia and Cachexia
Assessment of Anorexia and Cachexia
Management of Anorexia and Cachexia
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Constipation
Causes of Constipation
Assessment of Constipation
Management of Constipation
Pharmacological Management
Additional Approaches and Nonpharmacological Management
Diarrhea
Causes of Diarrhea
Assessment of Diarrhea
Management of Diarrhea
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Nausea and Vomiting
Causes of Nausea and Vomiting
Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting
Symptom History
Management of Nausea and Vomiting
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Review
Xerostomia
Causes of Xerostomia
Assessment of Xerostomia
Management of Xerostomia
Hiccups
Causes of Hiccups
Assessment of Hiccups
Management of Hiccups
Key Takeaways
Section 4: Psychological Symptoms: Depression, Anxiety, and Delirium
Factors to Consider
Depression
Causes of Depression
Assessment of Depression
Suicide Assessment
Management of Depression
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Anxiety
Causes of Anxiety
Assessment of Anxiety
Management of Anxiety
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Causes of PTSD
PTSD and Serious Illness
Delirium, Agitation, and Confusion
Causes of Delirium, Agitation, and Confusion
Assessment of Delirium, Agitation, and Confusion
Management of Delirium, Agitation, and Confusion
Pharmacological Management
Nonpharmacological Management
Review
Key Takeaways
Section 5: General Symptoms: Fatigue, Wounds, Seizures, Sleep Disturbance, Lymphedema, and Urgent Syndromes
Fatigue
Causes of Fatigue
Assessment of Fatigue
Management of Fatigue
Wounds
Pressure Injuries
Malignant Wounds
Assessment of Wounds
Management of Wounds
Pressure Injuries
Malignant Wounds
Lymphedema
Causes and Presentation of Lymphedema
Management of Lymphedema
Seizures
Causes of Seizures
Assessment of Seizures
Management of Seizures
Sleep Disturbances
Causes of Sleep Disturbances
Assessment of Sleep Disturbances
Management of Sleep Disturbances
Pruritus
Urgent Syndromes
Unable to Self-Report
Review
Key Takeaways
Section 6: Conclusion
Course Summary
Course Information
Course Contributors
Resources
References
Subject Matter Expert: 2026 ELNEC Core Series
The content for this course was written by The ELNEC Project Team.
The ELNEC Project, which began in 2000, is a collaboration between City of Hope, Duarte, CA and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Washington, DC. For more information about ELNEC, go to www.aacnnursing.org/ELNEC
The content for this course was revised by Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN®, FPCN, FAAN.
Constance Dahlin has focused her career within hospice and palliative care. Connie serves as national faculty for the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). She has practiced palliative care across the health continuum: home, clinic, long-term care, rehabilitation, and acute care settings. She has administered hospice, home health, and palliative care programs. She has created education for program development, academic curricula, and interprofessional team education.
Currently, Ms. Dahlin is a palliative nurse practitioner at MGB Salem Hospital. She is faculty at University of Maryland Baltimore PhD, MS, and Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care. She is a consultant and senior nurse advisor to the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) with a focus on community-based care and education. She is co-director of the Palliative APP Externship at the Medical University of South Carolina. She serves on the American Hospital Association Circle of Life Award Committee, the Massachusetts Network for Community-Based Care, and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Steering Committee.
Ms. Dahlin has authored many peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and curricula. She has presented nationally and internationally. Ms. Dahlin is co-editor of the Oxford University Press Advanced Practice Palliative Nursing 1st and 2nd editions. She edited and authored four editions of the Palliative Nursing: Scope and Standards and three editions of the Competencies for the Palliative and Hospice RN, and APRN. She wrote the Hospice and Palliative APRN Professional Practice Guide and A Primer of Reimbursement, Billing, and Coding: Essential Information for the Hospice and Palliative APRN. She referenced the 2004 first education of the National Consensus Project’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Palliative Care and edited the 2009 and 2013 editions.
Ms. Dahlin is a Fellow of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a 2005 Certified ACHPN APRN of the year, a 2016 Sojourns Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Leadership Scholar Award Recipient, a 2018 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Visionary in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the 2020 Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association Distinguished Practice Award and the 2021 University of Maryland Baltimore Program in Palliative Care Teacher of the Year. She completed her MSN in oncology nursing and her post-masters in adult primary care at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this course is: Advanced Practice Nurses; Nursing Personnel; in the following settings: Hospice.
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To earn continuing education credit for this course you must achieve a passing score of 80% on the post-test and complete the course evaluation.
Course Delivery Method and Format
Asynchronous Distance Learning with interactivity which includes quizzes with questions/answers, and posttests.