ELNEC Core Module 5: Cultural and Spiritual Considerations in Serious Illness

Course overview

This course emphasizes the important influence of culture and spirituality in healthcare in this diverse world. Culture heavily influences all aspects of palliative care including communication, pain and symptom management, final hours, loss, grief, and bereavement. Throughout this course, you will see that culturally and spiritually sensitive care includes recognition of multiple factors (e.g., ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, spirituality, religion, etc.) (National Consensus Project [NCP], 2018). The assessment of culture and spirituality, as well as the interventions that support personhood and quality of life, are essential in providing excellent quality palliative care. Working with the interdisciplinary team to provide culturally respectful care offers the important opportunity to assure patient and family values, practices, and beliefs are honored. The goal of this course is to provide nurses with knowledge of cultural and spiritual considerations in serious illness.