Nursing Resources | Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care

A systematic evaluation of advance care planning patient educational resources

This is a comprehensive list and evaluation of advance care planning tools. This resource gives the format, name and author, description of the ACP tool in an easy to read table, including stage of readiness to engage.

Case Study of an African American Woman With Heart Failure: Ethical and Palliative Care Considerations

May 6, 2022

This is a case study of an African American heart failure patient and focuses on social determinants of health and ethics. Mrs. T's case highlights racial inequities related to access to resources and delayed communication about available services and ethical concerns in palliative and end-of-life heart failure care.

Case Study on Code Status Confusion

This is a case study describing the potential patient misconceptions about CPR and the challenges of goals of care discussions among hospitalized patients.

Case Study on Preventable Transfer to the Hospital

Jul 8, 2022

A case study, followed by commentary describing the challenges in communication related to goals of care discussions, and the complexities of transitions between skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and hospitals.

Center to Advance Palliative Care

This website provides comprehensive resources, essential tools, training, technical assistance, and connection for all clinicians caring for people with serious illness.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care

Jan 1, 2018

The National Consensus Project Guidelines are intended to encourage and guide healthcare organizations and clinicians (including non-palliative care specialists) across the care continuum to integrate palliative care principles and best practices into their routine assessment and care of all seriously ill patients

Contribution from Katharine Kolcaba on the importance of comfort of carers of palliative care patients in community

Feb 22, 2022

Application of theory to practice can often be a challenge for students. This blog post takes Kolacaba’s Theory of comfort and applies it to caregivers of palliative care patients in the community.

Death Over Dinner

Interactive website which asks the user a series of questions to facilitate thoughtful conversations about the end-of-life over dinner.

Education for equity in palliative care: Implications for the Future of Nursing 2030 Report

Sep 1, 2022

This publication utilizes the AACN Essentials which underscore the value of including both palliative and hospice care within nursing curricula. The authors postulate that health equity will never be achieved until issues related to the social determinants of health, system biases and personal biases provide a foundation for education focusing on the causative factors for poor outcomes in vulnerable groups, particularly those who are living with complex medical conditions.

ELNEC Schools of Nursing Faculty Corner

A website with companion teaching materials for the ELNEC curriculum, including several simulation exercises for role playing, case studies with grading rubrics, and more under "Teaching & Evaluation Tools."