End of Life Care for Patients with Disorders of Consciousness

Course Overview

Course Outline

1. Introduction
2. Disorders of Consciousness
   1. Coma
   2. Vegetative State
   3. Minimally Conscious State
3. Comparison of Disorders of Consciousness States
4. Causes
5. Diagnosis and Assessment
6. Recovery
7. Care of the Patient with a Disorder of Consciousness
   1. Multidisciplinary Team Approach
   2. Rehabilitation Management
   3. Stimulation and Sensory Input
   4. Additional Care
8. Interventions
   1. Environmental Stimulation
   2. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
   3. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
   4. Deep Brain Stimulation
9. Support and Education for Care for Families
10. Care for the Patient with a Disorder of Consciousness at End of Life
    1. Symptom Management
    2. Communication skills
    3. Psychosocial Support
    4. Spiritual Support
    5. Systems of Care
    6. End-of-life Care
11. Statistics
12. Current Research on Disorders of Consciousness
13. Conclusion

Accreditation Statement

Nursing CE Central LLC is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

In this course, we will discuss End of Life Care for Patients with Disorders of Consciousness. It will take the average learner 120 minutes to complete and awards contact hours of continuing education.

Course Outcomes

After completing this course, the learner will rate a 4 out of 5 on the Likert Scale for their ability to:

1. Describe the differences between the three states of Disorders of Consciousness. 
2. Summarize the different approaches and treatments used in the care of the patient with Disorders of Consciousness. 
3. Identify key components to be included in the education for the family of patients with Disorders of Consciousness. 

Target Audience

• Registered Nurses (RN)
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN)
• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN/LVN)

Requirement for Completion

1. Enrollment in the course by the learner
2. Read and learn all course materials
3. Complete the course evaluation
4. Attest and testify learning of the course materials

Accreditations + Approvals

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

Nursing CE Central nor any of the authors, planners, content experts, or any contributors have any relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.