Course Description

Participants will explore the unique issues involved in palliative care and end-of-life decisions. Areas of discussion include advance directives, such as the living will, healthcare power-of-attorney, “Do Not Resuscitate” orders, and last will and testament; the doctrine of informed consent; dilemmas in surrogate decision making, pain management, heroic measures to extend life, and the issue of rational suicide.

2 CE credits/hours, 20 questions

Target Audience

Psychologists | School Psychologists | Marriage & Family Therapists | Mental Health Counselors | Social Workers

Learning Level

Intermediate

Learning Objectives

  • Discuss palliative care and end-of-life decisions.
  • Explain advance directives, including the living will, healthcare power-of-attorney, “Do Not Resuscitate” order, and last will and testament.
  • Define the doctrine of informed consent.
  • Describe dilemmas in surrogate decision making, pain management, heroic measures to extend life, and the issue of rational suicide.

Sections

  1. 1

    • Statement of Understanding (downloadable/printable)
  2. 2

    • PDF Booklet (downloadable/printable)
  3. 3

    • Final Exam Questions (downloadable/printable)

    • Final Exam
  4. 4

    • Evaluation Questionnaire

About the Author

Jackson P. Rainer, PhD

Jackson P. Rainer, PhD, is Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Psychology at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC. He is well known in the professional community as a teacher, researcher, practitioner, and supervisor in the areas of counseling and psychotherapy, ethics, death and dying, bereavement, and crisis intervention. Dr. Rainer is on the editorial boards for seven psychotherapy journals and has written extensively on the topics of crisis intervention and systemic response to grief.