Get Exclusive Access to Barbara Karnes End-of-Life Courses
Hospice pioneer, Barbara Karnes, has selected HCP as the exclusive provider of online courses based on her library of renowned end-of-life materials.
90+ ANCC accredited clinician courses plus an adaptable library of 220+ courses to meet home health aide and family caregiver training needs.
Created by and for home health care teams.
Who is Barbara Karnes?
Barbara Karnes is an award-winning end-of-life educator, award-winning nurse, who won the NHPCO Hospice Innovator Award in 2018, and was the 2015 International Humanitarian Woman of the Year!
While at the bedside of hundreds of people during the dying process, Hospice Pioneer Barbara Karnes noticed that each death was following a near-identical script. Each person was going through the stages of death in almost the same manner, and most families came to her with similar questions. These realizations led Barbara to sit down and write Gone From My Sight, “The Little Blue Book” that changed the hospice industry
An Essential Part of Your Training Program
This end-of-life care series is applicable to anyone involved in the care of people at the end of their lives. These courses offer guidance based on Barbara’s years working with terminally ill patients and their families.
These courses are just one series in an expansive library of courses offered through our full-service learning management system to help you build an and efficient training program. With HCP Training, you get access to 500+ RN-developed courses with blended online and in-service training options—tailored to your state’s compliance requirements.
End-of-Life Series Overview
Dynamics of Dying
Care Professionals Will Learn:
- The two ways to die and how personality plays a part in the dying process.
- The basic timeline of the dying process.
- The three key signs of approaching death that often appear in the months and weeks before death.
- How to spot common changes in the labor pattern and assist clients accordingly in the hours and minutes before death.
- How to recognize important considerations that often occur before death and respond in an empathetic way to comfort the client and his or her family.
Supporting Patient Choices and Directives at End-of-Life
Care Professionals Will Learn:
- To understand advance Care Plans at end-of-life (including Advance Directives, DNR, POLST, and Durable Medical Power of Attorney).
- How to identify ways to support a client’s end-of-life choices.
- How to apply relevant laws and regulations.
- How to identify ways to support the family during funeral planning.
Physical Care at End-of-Life
Care Professionals Will Learn:
- The relationship between changes in eating habits and the dying process.
- The recommendations for nutrition as a person approaches the end of their life.
- At least three ways to assist clients at end-of-life with skin care, positioning, mouth care, and bowel care.
- The role of oxygen, intravenous fluid, and medications at end-of-life.
Communication Skills For End-of-Life Care
Care Professionals Will Learn:
- Respectful communication for end-of-life care.
- Appropriate communication approaches to talk to children and their families when children approach the end of life.
- Strategies to navigate the difficult conversations common to end-of-life care.
On-the-Go Education
Whether on the job or on the run, employees can access important, need-to-know-now resources right from their smartphone with the HCP Training app.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m already an HCP Customer. How do I access these trainings?
Thanks for choosing HCP as your training provider! Please contact customer support to request that these courses be added to your course catalog.
Where can I learn more about Barbara Karnes?
HCP has hosted Barbara on the Vision Podcast twice and we’ve co-produced several articles on topics related to the dying process. You can also learn more about Barbara by visiting her website.
Are these end-of-life courses only for hospice and palliative care?
While hospice and palliative care have the most direct relationship with end-of-life care, it’s important to note that the dying process can start years in advance and anyone in the post-acute care setting can benefit from end-of-life care training.
What are the key aims of care?
Addressing the medical issues is a small part of the work to be done to guide that person who is dying. The key aims of end-of-life care involve helping the dying person feel as comfortable as possible during their experience and to support and educate their family members during the dying process. It aims to neutralize the fear that something bad is happening and create a sacred experience for those around the dying person’s bedside.
