Mary Ann Boccolini Institute for Education, Research & Innovation

Clinical Training Programs

As a regional leader in hospice care and palliative medicine, Samaritan’s Mary Ann Boccolini Institute for Education, Research & Innovation offers educational programs for healthcare providers. The following list of courses is currently being offered virtually.  Please note presentations are subject to change. Please contact us if you are interested in a topic that is not listed below. 

To schedule a presentation at your healthcare facility, fill out the form below.

The Language of Pain 

60 Minutes | 1 CEU | Appropriate for all clinicians

Pain is a common symptom reported by patients with serious illness and those facing end-of-life.  This education activity provides an interdisciplinary approach to pain management, including a review of the language patients and clinicians use to describe and classify pain, the fundamentals of pain pathology, and the common interventions for mitigating pain.   

By the end of this palliative care and hospice course, participants will be able to:   

1. Define the philosophy of palliative care in terms of relieving suffering including total pain.   
2. Understand the language used by patients and clinicians to describe and evaluate pain, including pain type, pain quality, location & intensity, the timing of pain, aggravating/relieving factors associated with pain and the functional impact of pain.   
3. Identify the role of the clinician to advocate for pain relief to preserve human dignity.   

Trauma-Informed Care  

60 Minutes | 1 CEU | Appropriate for all clinicians

Trauma may affect patients in multiple care settings. The World Health Organization reports that 70% of those surveyed experienced lifetime trauma. In the United States, 15-17% of adults have experienced at least four Adverse Childhood Experiences. Trauma-informed care is an approach to care that improves the health and lives of those seeking care. This training will provide an overview of psychological trauma, the impact trauma has on the clinical presentation, and practices that may be implemented to reduce or prevent further harm.   

At the conclusion of this activity, learners will be able to:   

1. Explain how communication and/or treatments may be harmful or triggering for a patient who has experienced trauma.   
2. Identify at least two ways to modify current approaches and/or provision of care to be more trauma informed.  

Interdisciplinary Hospice and Palliative Care

Learning activities are appropriate for all clinicians-15 CEU available for nurses and social workers 

This eight-module hospice and palliative care training and education program is designed to increase clinician confidence in caring for individuals who are seriously ill. Each module increases competence in one of the eight domains of quality palliative care created by the National Consensus Project (2018) that are shown to contribute to quality patient outcomes, such as better symptom management, less emergency department use, reduced re-hospitalization, and living the last days of life where the patient wants to be, such as in their homes.  Learning focuses on team-based education, collaboration across care settings, and effective communication, as well as developing skills needed to provide ethical, culturally-sensitive, whole patient-centered care.  

At the conclusion of this hospice and palliative course, Learners will be able to: 

1. Recall essential knowledge of the eight (8) domains of quality palliative care. 
2. Effectively communicate and collaborate as a team. 
3. Assess, document, and select appropriate interventions to impact the care of patients experiencing serious life-threatening illness and their families. 
4. Implement key learning to their clinician setting.