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. 2025 Mar-Apr;50(2):E63-E67.
doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001749. Epub 2024 Nov 14.

Recommendations for Specialty Palliative APRN Graduate Education

Constance Dahlin  1 , Dorothy Wholihan, Clareen Wiencek, Kristi A Acker, Susan Breakwell, Penelope Buschman, Carrie L Cormack, Susan DeSanto-Madaya, Caroline Doherty, Rebecca Edwards, Nancy English, Regina M Fink, Ami K Goodnough, Kathleen Lindell, Polly Mazanec, Marlene E McHugh, Ellen P Moore, Jennifer A Obrecht, Patricia Pawlow, Marianne Johnstone-Petty, Linda Quinlin, Mary E Tresgallo
Affiliations

Recommendations for Specialty Palliative APRN Graduate Education

Constance Dahlin et al. Nurse Educ. 2025 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Background: Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are essential to care for the growing number of individuals with advanced illness given the shortage of palliative care clinicians.

Problem: Graduate education for specialty practice palliative APRNs lacks consistency in structure, content, and standardization of specialty palliative APRN education.

Approach: A workgroup of expert palliative APRNs and graduate faculty conducted focused discussions and a literature review to develop consensus recommendations based on national palliative APRN competencies and aligned with the 8 core concepts of the AACN Essentials.

Outcome: Recommendations include: (a) definition of core concepts; (b) associated skills; (c) andragogical approaches; (d) evaluation methods; and (e) references for curricular development.

Conclusion: The Recommendations for Specialty Palliative APRN Education is a first step toward the standardization of quality advanced practice specialty palliative nursing education. These recommendations provide the foundation for a comprehensive curriculum for palliative APRNs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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