Palliativ Nursing
| Structure Type: | Study unit |
|---|---|
| Code: | SN00BX07 |
| Curriculum: | SH SNU2026 |
| Level: | Bachelor of Nursing |
| Year of Study: | 2 (2027-2028) |
| Semester: | Autumn |
| Credits: | 3 cr |
| Responsible Teacher: | Björninen, Karina |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
Learning Outcomes
Understand key concepts, values, and principles of palliative and end-of-life care.
Know the legal foundations of palliative and end-of-life care.
Understand essential service chains and levels of care for palliative patients.
Recognize the need for palliative or end-of-life care.
Interact with terminally ill patients and their families empathetically.
Participate in creating an end-of-life care plan in collaboration with the patient, family, physician, and multidisciplinary team, and prepare an advance directive.
Provide symptom management and humane palliative and end-of-life nursing care.
Offer existential and psychosocial support.
Identify the need for spiritual support and arrange expert help when necessary.
Recognize signs of approaching death.
Care for dying patients and support their families during and after death.
Student's Workload
otal: 81 hours, including:
Scheduled study (includes 4h simulation and 2h exam)
Independent study
Contents
Key concepts, laws, values, and principles of palliative and end-of-life care.
Essential service chains and levels of care for palliative patients.
Interaction with terminally ill patients and their families.
Advance care planning and advance directive.
Symptom management (pain relief and use of pain pump, dyspnea, gastrointestinal symptoms, oral symptoms, ascites, dehydration, abnormal fatigue).
Existential, psychosocial, and spiritual support for palliative patients.
Signs of approaching death.
Care after patient’s death.
Supporting dying patients and their families during and after death.
Mode of Delivery / Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
Lectures, online assignments, case work, and simulation.
Assessment Criteria
Level 1 (Satisfactory)
Recognizes key concepts, values, and principles of palliative and end-of-life care.
Understands basic legal aspects and service chains with guidance.
Can identify signs of approaching death and provide minimal support to patient and family.
Participates in symptom management under supervision.
Level 3 (Good)
Understands and applies principles of palliative and end-of-life care in practice.
Collaborates in creating end-of-life care plans and advance directives.
Provides symptom management and psychosocial support independently.
Recognizes spiritual needs and arranges expert help when necessary.
Level 5 (Excellent)
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge and applies palliative care principles creatively and ethically.
Leads collaboration in creating end-of-life care plans and advance directives.
Provides holistic care including symptom management, psychosocial, existential, and spiritual support.
Supports patient and family effectively during and after death and evaluates care outcomes critically.