The need to weave end-of-life care into the healthcare delivery system is important. Ask any family facing a terminal or life-threatening illness. YOU can make all the difference with TNEEL-SS, the leading edge online class that empowers you to improve outcomes at end-of-life. TNEEL gives you the flexibility to learn what you want, when you want, and at the level of detail you desire.

What is TNEEL?

TNEEL stands for Toolkit for Nurturing Excellence at End-of-Life Transition. SS stands for Self-Study. TNEEL-SS is the premier online course that teaches you end-of-life care across the life span, with a focus on both the patient and the family. You will view case studies come to life on video, interact directly with the multimedia content, and receive CE credits.

The TNEEL "class" is adaptable to YOUR preferred learning style. It offers detailed graphics, video and audio examples, engaging content, and comprehensive information on six (6) core topics related to end-of-life care.

Development of TNEEL was supported by a 4-year, $1.6 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. TNEEL was developed at the University of Washington School of Nursing and the University of Illinois College of Nursing.

Besides CE credits, TNEEL-SS offers you up-to-date, practical information about the following topics, to enable you to provide support and information for both the patient and the family.

• Pain and symptom management (Comfort)
• Clinician-to-patient communication skills (Connections)
• Legal and ethical issues at the end-of-life (Ethics & Law)
• A comprehensive understanding of grief (Grief)
• The economic and emotional impact of death (Impact)
• Alternative therapies for the patient's well-being (Well-Being)

TNEEL-SS will strengthen your care of the whole person and family facing the end-of-life transition. For example, you will learn how to:

• Write a tactful condolence letter with a comprehensive understanding of grief.
• Gain knowledge of alternative therapies for the patient’s well-being.
• Enhance every patient’s comfort as you learn to make research-based decisions on using analgesic drug therapies.
• Improve connections with patients and families with best-demonstrated communication techniques.
• Assist in the economic and emotional impact of pending death.
• Build a firm knowledge base of the legal and ethical issues at the end of life.
• Be a reliable guide to the patient and the family at the end of life.

Your introduction to TNEEL can be as brief or as explicit as you like. Most of your questions can be answered on this page before you register. We encourage you to review all the information at least once.

Practical benefits include:

• Earn 2 to 48 CEUs in content areas YOU choose (minimum of 2 CEUs, maximum 48 CEUs).
• Have fun while you engage actively with materials in a learning style of your choice.
• Improve palliative care across the life span of your patients.
• Engage with video, audio, and learning activities that reflect real-life scenarios.
• Reinforce current knowledge of nursing care during end-of-life transitions.
• Incorporate researched approaches when training coworkers or teaching peers.
• Access up-to-date resources and research.

More than a program, we created choices – you can choose to take classes that are 2-hours or 8-hours on any topic. Learn at your own pace. With TNEEL-SS, there’s no need to rush things. Go with your instincts, relax, and have fun.

For example, you can learn:

• Up to 48 hours total in TNEEL-SS (taking all six topics in 8-hour courses)
• Or you can cover all the topics in 12 hours (taking all six topics in 2-hour blocks)
• Or you can take one topic for 2 hours (earning 2 total CEUs)

Each topic leads you to expansive learning with specific objectives. Each topic contains objectives for both 2-hour (short) and 8-hour (long) versions.

The 6 core TNEEL-SS topics are listed below. To view the 2-hour and 8-hour objectives for a topic, click on the corresponding link.

Comfort (assessment and management of pain and other symptoms, signs and symptoms of approaching death, after-death care)	View Comfort Objectives
Connections (communications and relationships supporting patient-and family-centered care)	View Connections Objectives
Ethics & Law (legal and ethical decision-making for health care professionals)	View Ethics Objectives
Grief (loss and bereavement)	View Grief Objectives
Impact (of end-of-life care on patients, families, and society)	View Impact Objectives
Well-Being (hope, suffering quality of life, complementary comfort therapies, spiritual, and psychosocial needs)	View Well-Being Objectives

How do I receive CEU credit?

There are three steps to receiving credit with TNEEL-SS:

1. Choose - Decide to take a 2-hour or 8-hour version of TNEEL-SS in the content areas you choose (minimum: 2 CEU credits; maximum: 48 CEU credits).
   
   
2. Learn - Once you begin the course, you cover all the material at your own pace. When finished, you take an online post-assessment test. There is one test per topic content area.
   
   
3. Pass Assessment - If you successfully pass the post-assessment test, TNEEL notifies your CE provider via e-mail. Your provider tracks your final CEU hours and sends you an official certificate of completion.

Should I take an 8-hour course?

An 8-hour version of TNEEL-SS is available for each topic. Material is broadened to maximize your learning in each subject area. Your decision to register for 8 hours mainly rests in your learning ambitions and time availability.

Take an 8-hour course if you:

• Wish to learn in-depth content on a specific topic.

  Mix and match your learning – TNEEL allows you to take any combination of 2-hour and 8-hour courses.

  
  
• Have up to 8 hours of time to finish the course. You can complete the 8-hour class over a few days or weeks.
  
  
• Wish to maximize the number of CEU hours you receive.

Should I take a 2-hour course?

The 2-hour version of TNEEL-SS is available for your convenience and covers only the essential content for each topic.

Take a 2-hour course if you:

• Wish to cover only the core material of your chosen topic.
  
  
• Have limited time to finish the course.
  
  
• Prefer to cover ALL the topic areas briefly.

  You may cover all 6 topics in only 12-hours by taking the 2-hour path for each topic.

  
  
• Want to “test the waters” of TNEEL SS and see how well you learn.

  You can always retake a 2-hour course as an 8-hour in the future, essentially “overwriting” your earned credits.

  
  

The TNEEL-SS objectives, and the learning content and activities that help you achieve them, are focused on one goal: To enhance the caregiving skills for as many hardworking, talented healthcare professionals as possible. People like you. TNEEL-SS offers a simplified opportunity to fully round out your professional toolkit for care of people facing the end-of-life transition.

What software and hardware will I need to use TNEEL-SS?

Software requirements:

Click here to check whether the following software components are installed on your computer.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, version 5 or higher.
• Windows Media Player, version 7 or higher.
• Macromedia Flash Player (available with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6).
• Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 4 or higher.
• Microsoft Word or MS Word Viewer.
• JavaScript and Cookies enabled on browser.

Hardware requirements:

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98/NT4/2000/Me/XP.
• Processor: Pentium III or higher recommended.
• Memory: 128MB RAM or higher recommended.
• Video Graphics Adapter: VGA capable of displaying at least 16-bit color at 800x600 pixel resolution.
• Sound Card: 16-bit or higher recommended.
• CD-ROM Drive: 4X or faster recommended (for users without broadband connection).
• Internet access via 56K modem or broadband connection.

Should I receive the TNEEL movies and sounds (audio/video media) on a CD or from the Web?

TNEEL offers a wide variety of video and audio tools to help you learn. You can receive the media in one of two ways:

• Via the Web (if you have DSL, Cable modem, T1, or any broadband connection).
• Via CD-ROM (if you have a 56K modem) - Order the CD-ROM from your CE provider when you register for TNEEL.

What monitor display settings are required to view TNEEL?

Set your monitor display resolution to 800x600 or higher. Please refer to the Help section for instructions on changing your display settings.

Can I use a Macintosh computer to take a TNEEL course?

Version 1 of TNEEL-SS is designed for the PC only. Some of the high-end functionality of TNEEL-SS may not work on Macintosh computers. We recommend that you use a PC with Windows 98 or higher.