ELNEC Critical Care Module 5: Cultural and Spiritual Considerations in Serious Illness

Course overview

This course, Cultural and Spiritual Considerations in Serious Illness, emphasizes the important influence of culture and spirituality in healthcare within a diverse environment. Culture heavily influences all aspects of palliative care, including communication; pain and symptom management; final hours; and loss, grief, and bereavement. In the critical care setting, culture may be difficult to honor due to impediments of pumps, monitors, and technology. Throughout this course, culturally and spiritually sensitive care includes recognition of multiple factors (e.g., ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, spirituality, religion, etc.). 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 ensure patient and family values, practices, and beliefs are honored. The goal of this course is to provide critical care nurses with information about cultural and spiritual considerations in palliative care.