After completing Palliative Care Pain Management Basics modules, learners stated they are now able to:

Recognize appropriate validated tools (including multi-dimensional tools) to measure and document pain for various situations, including special considerations (cognitively impaired or non-verbal persons);

Calculate and document morphine equivalent daily doses (MEDD)

Identify interventions to prevent and manage opioid induced constipation (OIC);

Identify the different types of pain to guide in selection of the right choice of medication(s).

Palliative Care Pain Management Basics is a state-of-the-art eLearning resource consisting of four (4) modules designed for RNs, APPs, pharmacists, physicians, and students involved in hospice and palliative care. NCPD contact hours are available for all four modules.

Palliative Care Pain Management eLearning modules are:
  • Self-paced
  • Interactive
  • Structured with shorts bursts of information
  • Engaging, with learning activities such as case studies and videos
  • Eligible for NCPD contact hours and Pharm credits
Complete all modules to earn 3.5 NCPD contact hours and 3.5 NP/CNS ANCC Category 1 Designated Pharmacotherapeutic credit hours.
Purchase the Total Package


This purchase gives the individual user access to four Palliative Care Pain Management Basics modules.

Free for members
$100 for non-members

Palliative Care Pain Management Basics was funded by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation through generous grant support from the Ho Chiang Foundation, McElhattan Foundation and Cambia Health Foundation.

Module 4.1: Assessment, Special Populations, and Evaluation

This module, which is appropriate for registered nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, and pharmacists, covers the evaluation of pain and the use of appropriate validation tools to measure and document pain. This includes an emphasis on the holistic and functional assessment of pain.

0.75 NCPD contact hours
0.75 Category 1 Pharm credit

Module 4.2: Interventions

This module, which is appropriate for registered nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, and pharmacists, is a practical resource for developing an appropriate pain management plan. It includes best practices for opioid safety, calculation of morphine equivalent daily doses (MEDDs), opioid rotations, the role of nonopioid and adjuvant medications in managing pain, and nonpharmacological interventions for pain management. You will be able to enhance your skills as you work through sample MEDD problems, engage in case studies which include changing opioid therapy, and learn about resources for nonpharmacologic approaches to pain management.

1.25 NCPD contact hours
1.25 Category 1 Pharm credit

Module 4.3: Opioid-Induced Constipation

This module, appropriate for registered nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, and pharmacists, offers an overview of the best practices for managing opioid-induced constipation.

0.5 NCPD contact hours
0.5 Category 1 Pharm credit

Module 4.4: Case Studies

This module provides opportunities to apply the concepts learned in the Palliative Care Pain Management Basics to case studies involving patients in hospital, home, and outpatient settings.

1.0 NCPD contact hour
1.0 Category 1 Pharm credit

Group Purchases

Group purchase options are available through the Employer Partner Program. Contact EPPartnership@hpna.org or 412-282-8206 to learn more.