Optimizing Medication Management in Palliative and End-of-Life Care

This CE course for Registered Nurses (RNs) delivers an in-depth exploration of best practices in medication management for patients receiving palliative and end-of-life care. As the population ages and chronic illnesses become more prevalent, nurses are increasingly called upon to support patients experiencing distressing symptoms and complex medical needs in their final stages of life.

This course clarifies the distinctions between palliative and hospice care—emphasizing timing, eligibility, and care goals. Nurses will learn to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams, honoring patients’ values and preferences, and creating holistic, individualized care plans. The course also emphasizes culturally sensitive communication and strategies for incorporating emotional and spiritual dimensions of care.

Participants will acquire practical skills in pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic symptom management, including for pain, anxiety, dyspnea, nausea, and delirium. Guidance is provided on reducing polypharmacy risks, selecting appropriate medications based on care goals, and monitoring for adverse drug events in patients with declining function.

The course addresses emotional and psychological support for patients and families, ensuring care is compassionate, evidence-based, and aligned with dignity at every stage. Nurses will leave with renewed confidence in delivering safe, empathetic, and goal-directed care that enhances quality of life for individuals facing serious illness.

Educational Objectives

• Define palliative care and distinguish it from hospice care, focusing on their goals, timing, scope, and regulatory differences to enhance patient-centered application.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to develop holistic care plans that integrate cultural, spiritual, and personal values while addressing physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs.
• Assess and manage common palliative symptoms such as pain, dyspnea, anxiety, and nausea using both nonpharmacologic strategies and tailored pharmacologic interventions.
• Minimize adverse drug events by optimizing medication selection, avoiding polypharmacy, and ensuring treatments align with the patient’s functional status and care goals.
• Monitor and adapt care plans to evolving patient needs, provide psychosocial and emotional support to patients and families, and uphold dignity and quality of life throughout the care process.

Who Should Do This Course?

• Registered Nurses (RNs) and Nurse Practitioners working in hospice, oncology, geriatrics, and critical care settings
• Nurses providing care in long-term care, home health, or palliative consult services
• Healthcare providers who routinely manage symptom control, pain relief, and end-of-life support
• Nursing professionals preparing for certification in hospice and palliative nursing
• Clinicians seeking a deeper understanding of culturally competent, patient-centered palliative medication management

Did You Know?

• Over 90 million Americans live with a serious illness, with 12 million receiving palliative care annually. (Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2023)
• Nurses are the most frequently cited source of emotional and psychosocial support for patients in hospice settings. (NHPCO, 2022)
• Polypharmacy affects more than 50% of older adults at the end of life, increasing the risk of adverse drug reactions. (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2020)
• Integrating palliative care early in serious illness can improve survival and quality of life. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2010)
• More than 80% of patients prefer to die at home, yet fewer than 25% do so without coordinated palliative support. (CDC, 2021)