With advanced medical technology now capable of sustaining the body long after meaningful quality of life has ceased, advanced planning around end of life care is essential to dying well. In this course, students are introduced to the important elements of planning for end of life, practice leading conversations around end of life planning, and gain an awareness of the complex issues surrounding end of life care. This course enables participants to engage others in their care to grapple with the important issues involved in dying well.
Any student who works with seriously ill patients will require the ability to have crucial conversations around end of life care planning. This is a fundamental skill around which students will develop high level knowledge and techinques for helping patients in this sensitive area of health care planning.
Because so few people plan ahead for how they would want to be cared for in their most critical life moments, the skill of having sensitive and appropriate advanced life care conversations helps to meet a critical need in the health care system.
The whole of scripture calls believers to look forward not only to their place in the afterlife, but in living with faith both in life and in death.
To assist others in advanced care planning is to enage people in what matters most to them - their values, beliefs, and spiritual issues. This is missional work, in that this is an area of modern life where too few have gone and represents a serious need in our communities.
Beyond merely declaring one's faith, a practitioner who helps others with advanced care planning integrates faith and witness into the a person's most challenging and personal concern.
Because all people benefit from advanced health care planning, this work brings believers in contact with people of all faiths, cultural contexts, and backgrounds.
Students learn practical skills for engaging others appropriately around end of life care planning.
Students practice advanced care planning conversations in real-world situations so that skills are practical and relevant to situations they will encounter.
