Kanarek Center for Palliative Care

As recommended by the American Nurses Association and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) has been utilized to enhance our undergraduate nursing curricula. ELNEC Modules and innovative simulation scenarios have been integrated into selected courses beginning in the spring of freshman year and continuing throughout the senior year spring semester. For information regarding this national educational program and recommendations for this critical nursing education see.

ELNEC Fact Sheet

New Palliative Care Competencies

This program targets nurses with diverse career specialties, professional goals, and personal interests. In addition to a strong core of courses, the curriculum can be customized to meet the diverse needs of the nursing professional, allowing students to choose a concentration in Palliative Care. To better align students with the interdisciplinary healthcare environment, this program includes the core courses (with additional electives both in and outside the Egan School of Nursing (9 credits).

Following the completion of the electives, students in the MSN in Nursing Leadership complete a graduate-level practicum experience (150 hours/3 credits). Student practicums are designed to suit the professional goals of the individual students. Leadership students work closely with faculty to make a unique contribution to healthcare based on their graduate curriculum and clinical expertise. Opportunities related to palliative care may include improvement projects, education, or curriculum projects. Students may pursue practicum opportunities in the clinical or academic setting. Students are encouraged to reach beyond their “comfort zone” to utilize leadership skills and make changes to improve the experience of individuals in need of palliative care.

The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies received a two-year Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) HRSA grant for their IPAC program (Integrating Palliative care education Across the Community) this provides didactic and clinical education experiences that prepare nurse practitioners to deliver palliative care education services in underserved community-based primary care settings. The funds will support traineeships for the students as well as program infrastructure for the academic partnership (AP). The partnership will provide longitudinal primary care clinical training experiences with rural and/or underserved populations and facilitate program graduates’ employment in those settings. In addition to providing high-quality educational preparation for its’ Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies (Egan School) seeks to integrate cutting-edge approaches to the delivery of palliative care for patients across the lifespan throughout the NP courses beginning in Spring 2017.

The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) has been utilized to enhance our graduate nursing curricula. ELNEC Modules and innovative simulation scenarios are being integrated into selected courses. This integration is concentrated in the clinical courses of the Family Nurse Practitioner Curricula, which begins after the first year of courses.

Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies faculty members who have completed ELNEC education seminars, and are experts in the various content areas will be offering educational sessions to community partners. The inaugural program will be offered at the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care Nursing Education beginning in September 2017. Upon program completion, nurse participants will receive ELNEC certificates of completion as well as 12 continuing education contact hours as approved by the CT Nurses Association.