End-of-life care 

This course explores best practice for healthcare professionals caring for people at the end of life, using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s six recommendations for end-of-life care. Through realistic clinical scenarios and practical guidance, it supports health professionals to provide compassionate, person-centred care and understand the key principles of communication, dignity and comfort at the end of life.

  • 2 hours

    Estimated learning time

  • Case studies

    Practice-based scenarios

  • Certificate

    Awarded on completion

  • Pre & post questions

    Track your learning

Learning objectives


After studying this course you should be able to:

  • Describe the rationale behind the development of the six key recommendations 
  • List the six recommendations for care and briefly describe their emphasis 
  • Explain how the needs of others can be taken into account when planning holistic care 
  • Identify a range of evidence-based skills and behaviours that nurses can offer to support patients at the end of life and their families 
  • Apply the recommendations and identify the core components of relevance to nursing practice 
  • Reflect on the challenges nurses face in delivering high-quality end-of-life care in multiple environments 
The discussion areas within each module provide an opportunity to reflect on the content, share experiences from practice, and learn from other health professionals. Taking part in discussions can help support participatory learning as part of your CPD activity.

Course author

Robert Becker, independent lecturer and author in palliative care. Updated by Marie Cooper, independent nurse advisor.

All Nursing Times courses are written by expert nurses and double-blind peer reviewed.

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Last updated 2025
Disclaimer
Healthcare knowledge is constantly changing and we have taken reasonable care to ensure that the content included in this is accurate and up to date at the time it was created. Nursing Times courses are provided for general reference and learning purposes only: they cannot of course take account of individual circumstances and should not therefore be relied upon on their own in connection with administering medicines or providing treatment. We strongly advise users to confirm that the information provided, especially with regard to drug usage, complies with all current legislation and standards of practice. By proceeding to access this course you confirm your acceptance of, and agreement to, these terms.