The University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing has launched a graduate certificate program in palliative care and hospice.
The program is designed to help nurses pass the Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN®) exam. It includes coursework, clinical hours and other training focused on pain management, symptom assessment, interdisciplinary teamwork and effective communication with patients and families.
“End-of-life care is a critical part of our practice as nurses,” said Usha Menon, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing, in a statement. “We are dedicated to teaching nursing students how to provide compassionate and comprehensive care. This program enables us to equip both registered nurses and advanced practice nurses with the skills to address an urgent growing health care need.”
Participating nurses will take six courses taken over three semesters. The college developed the program to help ease the ongoing staffing shortage in the palliative care field.
Demand for palliative care in the United States is projected to outstrip the supply of the clinicians trained to provide it during the next decade. A key barrier to building that workforce is that most clinicians receive little to no exposure to those types of care during their training.
A 2018 study showed that most students in clinical disciplines do not feel prepared to provide palliative care or hospice.
In response to growing need, more educational and academic institutions have been creating new pathways for hospice and palliative care clinical training.
“We are pleased to announce that applications will be accepted until August 1, 2024,” said USF associate professor and program director, Janet Roman, in a statement. “Patients have better outcomes when cared for by certified nurses, which is paramount.”
