For Relias Learners dedicated to providing compassionate and comprehensive care, understanding grief and loss is an essential competency. In healthcare settings, particularly skilled nursing facilities, professionals are frequently confronted with situations involving patient and family bereavement. This course, developed by leading experts, equips Relias learners with the knowledge and skills to navigate these sensitive situations with empathy and expertise.
Understanding Grief: A Foundation for Relias Learners
Grief is a complex emotional response to loss, and witnessing it in patients and their families is a common experience for nursing personnel. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of grief is the first step in providing effective support. From understanding various definitions and models of grief to identifying different types, including perinatal and neonatal loss, this course provides a robust foundation. Factors that significantly influence the grief process, such as cultural background, personal experiences, and the nature of the loss, are explored in detail. Furthermore, the profound effects of grief on the family unit are examined, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual and collective grieving processes. As a Relias learner, understanding these dynamics will enable you to better fulfill your crucial role in supporting both patients and their loved ones through challenging times.
Responding to Grief: Practical Interventions for Relias Learners
Moving beyond theoretical understanding, this course provides Relias learners with practical strategies for responding to grief in real-world healthcare scenarios. Effective grief assessment techniques are introduced, empowering nurses to identify individuals and families in need of focused support. The course outlines specific grief interventions tailored for both families and children, recognizing the unique needs of each group. For children, in particular, age-appropriate communication and coping mechanisms are emphasized, providing Relias learners with the tools to help young individuals navigate loss in a healthy manner. These interventions are designed to be compassionate, evidence-based, and readily applicable in skilled nursing facility settings.
Supporting Relias Learners: Grief and the Healthcare Professional
Addressing grief is not only about supporting patients and families; it’s also about self-care for healthcare professionals. This course acknowledges the emotional toll that repeated exposure to grief and loss can have on nursing personnel. Death anxiety, a common experience among healthcare providers, and the phenomenon of cumulative loss are discussed openly and sensitively. Crucially, the course offers practical strategies for Relias learners to maintain a sense of balance and well-being amidst these emotionally demanding aspects of their profession. By prioritizing their own emotional health, Relias learners can enhance their resilience and continue to provide high-quality, empathetic care.
Conclusion
This comprehensive course on grief and loss is an invaluable resource for Relias learners seeking to enhance their skills and sensitivity in patient care. Developed by the ELNEC Project Team and revised by expert Amy Haskamp, MSN, RN, PCNS-BC, CPON, CHPPN, FPCN, the curriculum reflects the highest standards of expertise and experience in palliative care education. By engaging with this material, Relias learners will be better equipped to support patients and families through grief, while also fostering their own well-being in this vital aspect of nursing practice. Relias Learning is committed to providing accessible and impactful education, ensuring that learners are prepared to meet the diverse and complex needs of those they serve.
Course Code: REL-PAC-ELNEC-PEDGBPPC
Hours: 1
Type: Online Course
Content Expiration Date: 12/31/2027
Subject Matter Expert: ELNEC Pediatric Series 2024, Revised by Amy Haskamp, MSN, RN, PCNS-BC, CPON, CHPPN, FPCN.
Target Audience: Nursing Personnel; Skilled Nursing Facility.
Note: To earn continuing education credit, Relias learners must achieve a passing score of 80% on the post-test and complete the course evaluation.
