As a healthcare practitioner who has completed online courses in life care planning, you can be a trusted ally to patients who are making important end-of-life decisions.
by Jessica Santina
Online Universities Columnist
The most important decisions people make come at the end of life. These include treatment options, managing day-to-day activities, putting finances in order, paying funeral costs, and getting through the depression associated with illness or death.
As a healthcare practitioner, you can help patients through this difficult time by completing one of the many certificate programs in life care planning now available online.
A Closer Look at Life Care Planning
Those who are chronically or terminally ill already feel too overwhelmed by their condition to face the difficult decisions ahead: which treatment options to choose and how to arrange for them, whether they can afford extra help, and how they will provide for those left behind. At the same time, it can be hard to understand medical terminology from doctors, which often leaves patients in the dark.
Registered nurses or other rehabilitative specialists can fulfill the needs of these patients by enrolling in online programs in life care planning. These certificate programs involve online courses that train you to communicate effectively and helpfully with these patients, improving their satisfaction and quality of life.
Online Courses in Life Care Planning
In addition to furthering your work in health care settings, online programs in life care planning can prepare you to work for government agencies, insurers, or law firms, developing plans that make care recommendations and assess patients' future medical, emotional, and financial needs.
Certificate programs in Life Care Planning include online courses in medical terminology, ethics and policy, organizational management, communications, and law. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't maintain salary information on life care planners, a survey of certified life care planners says that upon completing one of these online programs, your salary could range anywhere from $80-$150 per hour.
If you're a registered nurse or health care practitioner, consider enrolling in online courses through one of the life care planning certificate programs available here. Such online programs not only enhance your career and earnings, but they also enhance others' quality of life.
Source(s)
"Palliative and End-of-life Care," American Association of Colleges of Nursing
About the Author
Jessica Santina is a freelance writer with a background in media and marketing. She also teaches first-year writing courses at the University of Nevada, Reno.
