Professional Development in Communication and Supportive Care (PDCSC)

This virtual training program is a comprehensive 6-month palliative care training program for interdisciplinary healthcare providers who care for patients with serious illnesses. The goals are to improve clinicians’ knowledge and skill in primary palliative care and increase patient access to quality palliative care. This training is suitable for nurses, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains, and psychologists. No prior experience in palliative care is necessary! Visit the Coleman Medicine Palliative Medicine Training Program website to learn more!

After this activity, participants will be able to:

• Discuss evidence-based approaches to the treatment of nausea, vomiting, and constipation;
• Practice techniques to increase mindfulness and bolster resilience;
• Assess patients with serious illness for psychosocial distress, opioid risk, depression, and suicide risk;
• Determine the appropriateness of referring patients with serious illness to a mental health specialist;
• Identify techniques to communicate effectively with patients, families, and surrogate decision-makers to deliver bad news, discuss prognosis, goals of care, advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice care;
• Recognize methods to support families suffering from grief and bereavement;
• Describe effective team-based approaches to palliative care across the care continuum that support each discipline’s roles and contributions.