For many working in medical professions, certificate programs are a necessity to legally and ethically practice certain disciplines. These certificate programs impart critical knowledge in focused subject matter areas to provide professionals with the specialized information they need to excel in their roles.

When asking “What is a certificate in palliative care,” it is important to understand exactly what palliative care is. Palliative care nursing is a highly focused area of medical care and service in which nurses and other medical professionals work with critically, chronically, and terminally ill patients to provide the ideal care necessary to minimize pain and suffering to both patients and their families. With a certificate in palliative care, students learn how to apply specialized nursing knowledge to care for patients and provide compassionate support.

In the program, students learn skills such as medication administration, reading vital signs, and patient assessment. These skills can be valuable throughout a medical professional’s career, and may be supplemented by valuable transferable skills such as patient education and relationship management.

Because palliative care is such a highly-focused discipline, costs may range depending on the length of the program and the school offering the certification. Check with admissions personnel at institutions for a breakdown of individual costs.

After completing a certificate program in palliative care, a program graduate may immediately step into a role as a palliative care nurse or seek other occupations in a hospital setting. The compassion and empathy taught in palliative care may serve many graduates well in roles as patient counselors or patient advocates. A graduate may also find her or his education useful in a job as an anesthesiologist, or in a position as a diagnostician. Some may move on to work in hospice, depending on their area of specialization and career preferences.

Students may choose to attend local universities, travel internationally, or complete their certificate from the comfort of home with an online education program. To discover additional information, search for your program below and contact directly the admission office of the school of your choice by filling in the lead form.