Palliative Care Capstone Projects

University of Colorado System via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/palliative-care-capstone-project

Introduction

### Course Review: Palliative Care Capstone Projects on Coursera The **Palliative Care Capstone Projects** course offered on Coursera is the culminating experience of the Palliative Care Specialization, designed to help learners apply their newfound knowledge and skills in a practical, meaningful way. This course stands out for its hands-on assignments, which encourage students to engage deeply with the world of palliative care while simultaneously helping those around them who may be experiencing serious illness. #### Overview and Course Structure This capstone course features five thoughtfully crafted projects, each targeting a distinct aspect of palliative care and allowing students to connect theory with practice. The projects include: 1. **Nature of Suffering Capstone Project**: This involves a conversation with someone living with a serious illness, guided by the Nature of Suffering Evaluation Form. Students will reflect on the impact of illness on various dimensions of life—emotional, social, and physical. 2. **SNAP and Self-Awareness Capstone Project**: Here, students will explore personal and shared values relating to health and illness through a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and those of someone close to them. 3. **Easing Pain Capstone Project**: This project educates participants on the complexity of pain management, prompting them to use the WILDA tool to assess pain in their conversation partner, emphasizing advocacy and better pain control. 4. **Easing Physical Symptoms Capstone Project**: Students will conduct a Physical Symptom Assessment using the ESAS tool, focusing on common and distressing symptoms associated with life-limiting illnesses. 5. **Advance Care Planning Capstone Project**: In the final project, learners engage in crucial conversations about advance care planning, exploring the importance of communication in articulating wishes regarding end-of-life care. ### Strengths of the Course One of the standout features of the Palliative Care Capstone Projects is its practical approach. Each assignment is not only rooted in course content but also invites students to have meaningful conversations with real individuals facing serious life challenges. This human interaction enriches the learning experience, fostering greater empathy and understanding of the complexities involved in palliative care. Additionally, the course encourages self-reflection and personal growth. By engaging with others’ experiences and examining their own values and beliefs, learners can develop a well-rounded perspective on palliative care, which can significantly impact their professional practice or personal interactions. The structure of the course facilitates learning step-by-step, allowing participants to build confidence in their abilities as they progress through each activity. The resources made available, such as videos and evaluation forms, are excellent tools for guiding the assignments seamlessly. ### Recommendations The Palliative Care Capstone Projects course is highly recommended for healthcare professionals looking to deepen their understanding and approach to compassionate care for individuals with serious illnesses. It is particularly beneficial for nurses, social workers, counselors, and anyone involved in patient care. Moreover, the course can also serve as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to better understand their own experiences with illness or for family members looking to support loved ones during difficult times. In conclusion, the Palliative Care Capstone Projects course is a rich, transformative experience that empowers learners to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. It is an invaluable addition to any healthcare professional's educational journey and offers profound insights into the world of palliative care. Enroll today to not only learn but to engage and make meaningful contributions to those in need.

Syllabus

Nature of Suffering Capstone Project

In this module you will use the Nature of Suffering Evaluation Form to guide your conversation with someone living with serious illness and report and reflect on how this illness is impacting different aspects of their lives. You may want to review the videos about the Nature of Suffering Evaluation form and how it guide a conversation with Ollie Green.

SNAP and Self-Awareness Capstone Project

It’s just natural to think that what we value and think is important about our health, our response to illness and our own death will be the same as other people around us. In fact, we all have unique perspectives that are informed by our life experiences and beliefs. Using SNAP/Self-Awareness skills explore the values of someone close to you and your own values as relate to health, illness and dying.

Easing Pain Capstone Project

Pain is complicated! Remember, there are three different types of pain and that the pain experience can help us understand how we can help people have better pain control, live better with pain and advocate with the healthcare system for help when pain is severe and contributing to suffering. Using the WILDA tool complete a pain assessment with someone living with serious illness.

Easing Physical Symptoms Capstone Project

Physical symptoms like, weakness and fatigue, loss of appetite, constipation, shortness of breath and many more are extremely common for people living with serious and life-limiting illness. The first step is to do a Physical Symptom Assessment to understand which symptoms are present and which ones are the most distressing. Use the ESAS tool complete a physical symptom assessment with someone living with serious illness.

Advance Care Planning Capstone Project

Most of the time people living with serious illness have been thinking about what might happen if they got sicker, the kinds of treatments they might want or not want and who they would want to speak for them if they could not speak for themselves. Unfortunately, this is usually not written down and the medical team and family and friends have not talked openly. You can help by having a conversation with someone you know about Advance Care Planning. In the assignment you will focus on who would be the person that they would want to speak for them if they could not speak for themselves, often known as the MDPOA.