Introduction to Hospice and Palliative Care

(1.5 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This 1.5 credit satisfactory/unsatisfactory graded course is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of hospice and palliative care that may be practically useful in student's own personal lives and particularly helpful for undergraduate preprofessional students who will be working with chronic illness and terminal conditions in all medical specialties. Students will also be given an introduction to compassionate interpersonal communication skills and therapeutic presence which are needed in caring for people who are in need of palliative care and for people who are dying. The course will introduce components of patient advocacy in difficult situations by training students to identify advocacy issues for patients and the care of the patient's family. Using a hybrid model of synchronous and asynchronous learning, the curriculum is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the distinction between palliative and hospice care while focusing on how this care is given in the current healthcare system. Faculty will include Center for Hospice Care administrators, physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual care staff, and bereavement counselors as well as Hillebrand Center faculty, and guest experts. For Spring 2024, the course will meet on 5 Friday dates from 2 to 5 p.m. on each of the following dates - March 22, April 5, April 12, April 19, April 26. In order to pass the course, students must attend all 5 sessions, complete a 3-5 page integration/reflection paper and an online self-study component of several assigned readings, and viewing assigned documentaries. This course is offered every Spring semester.