ELNEC Critical Care Module 3: Symptom Management

Course overview

This module will provide you with an overview of symptoms common in patients in a variety of critical care settings, necessitating palliative care, and will emphasize your important role in managing them. There is a wide variety of physical and psychological symptoms common in palliative care, thus this module is divided by systems (e.g. respiratory, gastrointestinal, psychological, etc.). Those with life-threatening illness will most likely present with multiple symptoms. That is why it is important for you to be knowledgeable about evidence-based symptom management and optimum treatments. You play a critical role in recognizing, assessing, and managing symptoms. It is vital that you work collaboratively with physicians and other healthcare providers in managing symptoms to enhance quality of life and reduce unnecessary suffering.