Completing the Palliative Care Certification Courses from the American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHCP) is a critical step on your journey to obtaining your Palliative Care Certification. With the Palliative Care CE (continuing education) courses below, you will be better equipped to help those in the final phases of their life receive the emotional and physical support they need to transition from this life with dignity, comfort and peace. With flexible hours, detailed course materials, and ongoing mentorship, AIHCP’s courses aim to provide you with the necessary tools to succeed at your own pace.
Palliative Care CE Course Eligibility
Requisite for all Applicants for the Certification applicants/candidates for certification must meet one of the following prerequisites to enter the program:
Conversely, you can also fill out our qualification review form to see if your current credentials are enough to qualify you for our Palliative Care Specialist Certification.
Board Approvals for Grief Counseling Continuing Education
The Palliative Care Specialist CE courses below are offered by AIHCP, which is an approved provider of continuing education by the following states:
- The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is an Approved Provider for Continuing Education by the South Carolina Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists licensing board, Provider # 4637.
- The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc. is a licensed Continuing Education Provider in the State of California, Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 15595.
- The following CE Courses have provider approvals: The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State Board of Nursing Provider # 50-11975.
The program also has approval from these states’ boards of nursing:
- The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Arkansas Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
- The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Georgia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
- The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
- The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Professional Registered Nurses. CE Provider # 50-11975.
- The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the New Mexico Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
For the full list of our current state and board approvals, please visit our healthcare continuing education approvals page.
Palliative Care Certification Course List
The Palliative Care Certification Program is made up of four courses with a total cost of $650. You may enroll into as few or as many course as you wish. All of the CE courses are self paced, independent study. Students buy the textbooks, follow the syllabus and take a comprehensive online exam. Faculty mentoring is provided, as needed. Many of our courses include supplementary videos and course materials. Students have a two-year timeframe to complete all required CE courses in the curriculum. Again, all textbooks and learning materials are separate and not included in the course cost.
PC 500 – Foundations of Palliative Care
This online CE course provides students with perspectives from a physician with extensive experience in palliative care. Students will learn from the author about pain, medications, psychosocial and spiritual support, communication, and the general palliative care system, as well as other aspects of end-of-life care. The course begins with an explanation of the history of palliative and end-of-life care, in comparison with the field in modern times. A shift to life expectancy and prognosis occurs, leading into in-depth discussions regarding symptom management which medications and non-medication interventions are best suited for individual diseases and symptoms (pain and non-pain related) occur throughout the course.
The course also discusses hydration, nutrition, and antibiotics in end-of-life care, and pros and cons for each. Psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care are equally important as the medical side, which is also presented in the course. Then, the course outlines the much-needed changes that need to occur in the palliative and hospice field. Although it is difficult to change the system as a whole, the book author discusses “a better understanding of the system is the first step in being able to work and improve that system” (p. 203). Toward the end of the course, students will learn about burnout, compassion fatigue, and the many stressors which arise while working in this field. Lastly, students will learn about “the last 48 hours” (p. 239), and what to look for when someone is in the active dying stage. Students will be able to obtain a broad range of valuable knowledge to help work with patients and families during a vulnerable and stressful phase of life.
Course Code: PC 500. Contact hours of continuing education: 40. Course Cost: $150
PT 450 – Needs of the Dying
This comprehensive course provides for an in-depth journey into the major needs of the dying. The course material provides a very practical approach to this subject matter and leads students to a great awareness of what the dying really do need and want. This course is foundational for anyone who will be working with dying patients. Many issues and needs of the dying are examined with a focus on actual experiences with the dying. Students will examine and learn how to communicate more effectively with the dying. Needed skill sets will be examined, such as active listening and the development of compassionate communications. Students will also examine the physical and emotional experiences of the dying facing different life-challenging illnesses. The physiology of death is also examined. Issues of spirituality are presented with an emphasis on the needs of the dying. By studying the needs of the dying, students grow in awareness of how they may best provide supportive care at the time of life’s transition stage. The role of the pastoral thanatologist in providing compassionate care becomes more real.
Course Code: PT 450. Contact hours of education: 40 hours. Course Cost: $150.00
PC 510 – Palliative Care: Quality Care at End of Life I
This CE course provides comprehensive instruction on Understanding Palliative Care and Caring for the Whole Person and His or Her family. Students will study the interpersonal communication and collaboration required of a palliative care team. Students will also discuss topics to holistically treat the family and patient as one care unit. These topics include, but are not limited to: ethics, culture, spirituality, intimacy, and bereavement. This course provides the foundation for palliative care nursing and is a prerequisite for PC 520 Palliative Care: Quality Care at the End of Life II which will build upon the information presented in this course.
Course Code: PC 510. Contact hours of continuing education: 45. Course Cost: $175
PC 520 – Palliative Care: Quality Care at End of Life II
This CE course provides comprehensive instruction on Physical Health: Life-Threatening Diseases and Symptom Management. Students will study the most common conditions seen in a palliative care setting as well as the symptoms that occur most often. Students will learn the appropriate management of end of life symptoms. These topics include, but are not limited to: cancer, end stage heart, renal or liver disease, and treatment of pain, dyspnea, and psychological symptoms associated with these conditions This course is a continuation of PC 510 Palliative Care: Quality Care at the End of Life I, will build upon the information presented in that course.
Course Code: PC 520. Contact hours of continuing education: 45. Couse Cost: $175
The Benefits of Palliative Care Certification Courses
AIHCP’s Palliative Care CE courses offer valuable knowledge that can help you elevate the level of care for the physical and emotional needs of the dying from a clinical and psychological standpoint. . The combination of overarching concepts with new and proven techniques enables professionals to find new ways to reach out and find effective methods that offer much-needed support for those in palliative care. With AIHCP, you can confidently provide care that goes above and beyond the standard.
After passing each course exam with at least a 70% score, you can then apply for the perinatal grief counselor certification credential “PC-CSp.” or “Certified Palliative Care Specialist” to use in your professional title.
The certification is valid for four years, and AIHCP offers recertification courses should choose to continue using the credential after the initial four-year period.
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