Elevating CNS Clinician Skills for Grief Support

Community Nursing Services is committed to elevating the skills of clinicians who help hospice patients and their families process the pain and heartache of loss.

As a selected partner with Caring Connections, a Hope and Comfort in Grief program, sponsored by the University of Utah College of Nursing in collaboration with Utah Department of Health and Human Services, CNS has set a goal to be well trained and well equipped to implement this evidence based model of care with certifying at least 30 clinicians in grief support group facilitation in 2024.  We are well on our way to meeting our goal:  22 clinicians participated in the training offered in June.  Laura Bradbury, MSW, LCSW, Project Coordinator for Caring Connections shared:  “CNS clinicians asked thoughtful questions.  It is gratifying to work with people who truly care about grief and loss support and want to make a difference in their communities.”

The Caring Connections Grief of Sudden and Unexpected Death training has a special focus on preparing clinicians and other helping professionals who may be called upon to address those bereaved by suicide, overdose, COVID-19 or other sudden deaths. Clinicians learn a Grief Support Group Model..  The flowchart below shows that grieving individuals flow between loss-oriented coping and restoration-oriented copy with breaks from grief interspersed.

Every individual grieves differently.  There is no “right” or “wrong” way to process grief but there are tools that can help ease the way.  Clinicians attending this training learn what indicators might mean a patient or their family may benefit from additional support.

In addition to learning how to facilitate an evidenced based grief support group, participants in the training also became well-versed in Grief Literacy, which is the idea that ALL persons—regardless of training, degree, background, or job responsibilities—can be trained to better understand grief and to provide compassionate support.

Roy Olson, Chaplain and Bereavement Manager at CNS is championing the additional training for hospice and home health clinicians.  Informing our minds and allowing us to go Heart to Heart with our families will provide Comfort and Peace in a difficult season”

In addition to increasing CNS ability to care for bereaved individuals, the training also has Continuing Education Units (CEUs) attached, included 3 suicide CEUs.

For more information about how to sign up for this free training, visit https://nursing.utah.edu/caring-connections, or contact Laura Bradbury at laura.bradbury@nurs.utah.edu or Roy Olson at roy.olson@cns-cares.org.