Speakers Bureau
Providence Hospice of Seattle offers a wide range of free education and training opportunities throughout King County. We tailor these educational talks to the needs of our audience. A selection of talks that we are frequently asked to give in both clinical and community-based settings includes the following:
Community and/or clinical talks
Understanding hospice
Explains the hospice philosophy and the innovative services hospice offers. This class will debunk common myths about end-of-life care. Participants will learn how hospice and physicians (or medical providers) can work together to provide the best possible end-of-life care for patients and their families.
Talking to residents and families about end-of-life issues
How do I respond when someone asks if they are dying? What do I say to the family? Talking about end-of-life is hard for most of us and we are often ill-equipped to do it well. This class will explore the topic and provide some tools and strategies to respond to strong emotions and improve communication skills with your residents.
Self care
Working with patients at end-of-life is difficult and emotionally draining. Learn some self care tools and important concepts in working with grief and loss.
Five Wishes® - An end-of-life planning tool
Learn about this comprehensive and unique advanced planning tool that can enable residents to express their wishes and what is important to them at the end of life. It is a simple, easy to use document, legal in Washington and does not require a lawyer. Learn how it differs from a POLST form and how to initiate the conversation with residents of your own loved ones!
Clinical talks
Care of the actively dying resident
Learn to recognize the expected physical and emotional changes that often take place at the end of life. Become familiar with ways to provide comfort to the resident and their loved ones. Discussion of the concept of therapeutic presence will be emphasized. The audience will feel more confident caring for the dying with the completion of this class and learn strategies for self care.
Care of the hospice patient for CNAs
Learn the basics of comfort-focused care for the terminally ill resident. Understand how and why the goals of care change when hospice services begin. Learn to recognize the normal physical and behavioral changes that can be expected as the resident approaches end of life. This class will review comfort measure interventions for the CNA and help them gain the confidence they need to do this hard work (May be combined with "Care of the Actively Dying Resident for CNAs").
Care of the hospice patient for licensed nurses
Discuss how and when to shift the focus from rehabilitation to comfort care in order to meet the changing needs of residents approaching end of life. Gain knowledge of the medications and comfort measures commonly used to support the terminally ill resident as they move through the dying process.
Pain management
Pain continues to be undertreated at the end of life. This class explores some of the barriers to good pain relief and the importance of a thorough pain assessment. Learn about the multiple aspects of pain and suffering and how it may be expressed by residents. Pain relief interventions, both non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic, will be covered (intervention discussion will be dependent upon nursing audience skill level).
Additional topics are available upon request.
For more information or to schedule a talk, email: hospiceinfo@providence.org