Frequently Asked Questions About ELNEC

Q: What does ELNEC stand for?

A: ELNEC is an acronym that stands for End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium. ELNEC is a national education initiative to improve palliative care. See our fact sheet.

Q: What actually happens at a national ELNEC train-the-trainer course?

A: The two day train-the-trainer courses are led by national palliative care experts. During the course, you will review 8 modules: Introduction to Palliative Nursing, Pain Management, Symptom Management, Communication, Ethical & Legal Issues, Cultural Considerations, Loss/Grief/Bereavement, and Final Hours. In addition, you will participate in role plays, case study reviews, and have opportunities to explore ways in improving your own self-care. The ELNEC curriculum is rich with many resources—PowerPoint slides with “talking points” under each slide, updated reference lists, case studies, and supplemental teaching materials. This course has all the resources needed to take back to your institution and train others. There are also wonderful opportunities to network with others from across the US who are committed to improving care for all patients with life-limiting illness. In addition, twice a year, a ½ day session on How To Teach ELNEC is provided. This is optional.

Q: I am a staff development educator and would like to attend a national ELNEC train-the-trainer course. Would I be able to use some of the ELNEC content for new employee orientation and for annual competencies on pain and symptom management?

A: Yes, you will be able to use the materials in a variety of ways: Training courses in your own institution, new employee orientation, annual competencies, presentations for professional nursing organization chapter meetings (i.e. HPNA, ONS, AACN, etc), community meetings, etc. See more information on use of ELNEC materials.

Q: Do I need to take the ELNEC-Core course before taking the specialty courses (i.e. ELNEC- Pediatric, ELNEC- Geriatric, ELNEC- Critical Care, ELNEC- APRN etc)?

A: There is no sequence of courses. You do not need to attend an ELNEC- Core course before taking the specialty courses. Each of the curricula addresses age-related and illness-specific content.

Q: How does Core differ from the other ELNEC curricula?

A: ELNEC- Core broadly outlines end-of-life care for those caring for adult patients in oncology, medical/surgical settings, hospices, palliative care settings, homecare, clinics, home-based facilities, etc. The course is also designed to assist undergraduate/graduate nursing faculty, CE providers, and staff development educators. Overviews of other ELNEC curricula include:

ELNEC- Critical Care: Care for adults in critical care settings--ICU, ED, burn units, etc
ELNEC- Geriatric: Care of older adults in community-based settings including long-term care, clinics, home health and hospice.
ELNEC- Pediatric Palliative Care: Care for neonates to adolescents
ELNEC- APRNs: Advanced content on pain and symptom management, billing for services, starting a palliative care program, etc. This course has 2 tracks—one for adults and one for pediatrics.

Q: The physician on our palliative care team would like to attend a national course and teach ELNEC to our residents and fellows. Is this permissible?

A: Yes, other members of the interdisciplinary team are welcome to attend a national ELNEC train-the-trainer course and many have since the beginning of ELNEC. Interdisciplinary palliative care is essential and having other members of the healthcare team attend ELNEC enriches the experience. However, please note that ELNEC is written by nurses for nurses and the primary goal of ELNEC is to educate nurses in improving palliative care.

Q: After completing ELNEC training, I would like to have our chaplain assist with the ethics training, even though she has never taken an ELNEC course. Is this permissible?

A: Yes, as long as you provide her with the ELNEC slides/talking points, etc. from the ethics module. When providing an ELNEC course, you must use the ELNEC materials. You may add institution-specific slides to your presentations, but you can not remove any original slides from the presentation. View more information.

Q: Providing CEs to my staff for this training will be critical. Will I be able to secure those CEs from ELNEC?

A: The ELNEC Project is not a CE provider. You would need to obtain CEs from your institution (if they are a provider) or from your state board of nursing. Please note: You will receive CE’s from the CA State Board of Nursing for any of the national ELNEC courses you attend.

Q: Will I be certified after taking a national ELNEC train-the-trainer course?

A: ELNEC is not a certification course. It is a train-the-trainer course. If you are interested in becoming certified in hospice and palliative nursing, go to the Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC).

Q: I noticed on the ELNEC website that there are regional ELNEC courses that are listed as “training” courses. I am a hospice nurse and just want to obtain the ELNEC information so I can improve my practice. Should I take the training course or the train-the-trainer course?

A: If your job description is solely patient care and you are not given time to teach your colleagues the ELNEC content, then you would want to attend the ELNEC training course. If part of your job description was to educate your staff in hospice/palliative care, then you would want to attend a train-the-trainer course, so you could receive the training and materials to take back to your institution and train others.

Q: Are there scholarships available to attend national ELNEC courses?

A: There are times when foundations provide funding for national ELNEC courses. Check the ELNEC website for courses that may be funded.