Opioid Use in the Terminally Ill

Contact Hours: 3

Author(s):

Charmaine Robinson MSN-Ed, BSN, RN, PHN, CMSRN

Course Overview

Opioid use in hospice is common to alleviate pain during the end stages of life. There are significant factors associated with the optimal use of these drugs and further interventions for these patients. This course is designed to equip learners with strategies for individual care plans for those with terminal illnesses and appropriate application of opioid use.

Course Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. Pain in Terminally Ill Patients
  3. Impact of Pain on Quality of Life
  4. Opioid Crisis: Nationally and Globally
  5. Opioid Crisis: Impact on Terminally Ill Patients
  6. Care Team Limitations of Opioid Use
  7. Cognitive Impairments and Pain-Reporting
  8. Introduction to Opioid Safety Guidelines
  9. Opioid and Non-Opioid Medications
  10. Palliative Care Safety Guidelines for Opioid Use
  11. Nursing Pain Assessments
  12. Nursing Pain Management Strategies
  13. Patient and Family Education Needs
  14. Conclusion

Course Outcomes

After completing this course, the learner will rate a 4 out of 5 on the Likert Scale for their ability to

  1. Describe the impact that the opioid crisis has had on terminally ill patients.
  2. Summarize three fears associated with opioid use.
  3. List three opioids recommended for cancer-related pain.

Accreditations and Approvals

CE Credit Logo
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) (P0614)
  • California Board of Registered Nursing (CEP 17418)
  • Kentucky Board of Nursing (7-0090)
  • Louisiana State Board of Nursing (58)
  • Florida Board of Nursing (50-23983)
  • Delaware Board of Nursing (DE-24-010127)
  • Alabama Board of Nursing (#ABNP1577)
  • Iowa Board of Nursing (#393)
  • Kansas Board of Nursing (LT0340-0325)

Approved by the Board of Nursing in every state, you can complete your RN, LVN, and APRN CEUs with confidence.

Accreditation Statement

Nursing CE Central LLC is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

It will take the average learner 180 minutes to complete and awards 3 contact hours of continuing education.

Written For

  • Registered Nurses (RN)
  • Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN)
  • Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN/LVN)

Requirements for Completion

  1. Enrollment in the course by the learner
  2. Read and learn all course materials
  3. Complete the course evaluation
  4. Attest and testify learning of the course materials

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

Nursing CE Central nor any of the authors, planners, content experts, or any contributors have any relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.