Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12, 2026
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET
ELNEC Train-the-Trainer courses provide nurses with education in hospice and palliative nursing, preparing them to serve as instructors teaching this critical information to other nurses in the specialty.
ELNEC is an acronym that stands for End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium and is an education initiative created by the City of Hope and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. HPNA-sponsored ELNEC Core courses provide nurses with education in palliative care, preparing them to teach the information to practicing nurses and other healthcare professionals. ELNEC courses are written for nurses by nurses.
ELNEC Core/Critical Care is used to educate staff nurses, advanced practice nurses, undergraduate and graduate nursing faculty, administrators, and researchers who work in acute care settings (i.e. medical-surgical and oncology units), clinics, homecare, hospice and palliative care settings. This course incorporates the special palliative care needs in critical care settings. Several national ELNEC Core/Critical Care courses are held each year, either nationally or regionally. This course was previously titled ELNEC Core Train-the-Trainer. The updated title aligns with the City of Hope curriculum.
Course Content
Course content is divided into modules, which include:
- Palliative Nursing Care at the End-of-Life
- Cultural Considerations and Ethical Issues
- Pain Management
- Symptom Management
- Communication
- Final Hours
- Loss, Grief, and Bereavement
Continuing Education
Participants may earn 13.75 NCPD contact hours* and 3.0 pharmacotherapeutic contact hours* upon successful completion of the course. Successful completion requires participants to remain engaged throughout the Zoom platform (e.g., cameras on, engaged in breakout sessions, etc.) and completing/submitting the post-activity evaluation within the timeframe specified. Evaluations must be completed within 30 days, by July 12, 2026, in order to receive contact hours. Late evaluations cannot be accepted.
All individuals in a position to control content will be submitting financial disclosure information, and appropriate disclosures will be made prior to the event.
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
*Number of NCPD and pharmacotherapeutic contact hours are subject to change.
Registration
Early Bird (Through April 29, 2026)
Non-Member: $575
Member: $550
Regular (April 30 through June 8)
Non-Member: $625
Member: $600
Group Rate
For group registration rate information, please contact [email protected].
The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) offers scholarships annually for HPNA members to attend an HPNA-sponsored ELNEC course. Learn more and apply here.
Facilitator
Lolita Melhado, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, ACHPN®
Dr. Lolita Melhado is an author, researcher, educator, and leader in palliative care. She completed her doctorate in nursing research at the University of Central Florida, with a focus on palliative care. Dr. Melhado is Vice President of Clinical Programs at One Accord Health, concentrating on enhancing access, education, and training in palliative care and advance care planning for healthcare professionals. She has implemented palliative care consultation services in acute care and community-based settings across the United States. Dr. Melhado was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP), providing recommendations to the Secretary and Congress on nursing education, clinical practice, and the workforce. She is chair-elect on the Quality and Equity Committee for the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care (NCHPC). Dr. Melhado is co-chair of the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network (FNPN) Palliative Care State of Science Committee. She is a former assistant professor in the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at Florida Gulf Coast University. Dr. Melhado remains active in mentoring nurses to achieve optimal outcomes through evidence-based practice and innovative strategies while prioritizing her faith and family. She is the author of "Hope and Joy: A Bridge Across the Divide" and the founder of Hope-Legacy LLC.
About the Event
This is a virtual event. Registered learners will receive course access information & materials to their HPNA associated email address 3-5 days before course opening. Registrants will receive an email from HPNA Education. Add HPNA Education to your approved email contacts.
Cancellation Policy
Registrants must place a cancellation request in writing up to three weeks prior to the event to receive a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. Cancellations received less than one week prior to the event will not be refunded. Please contact the HPNA Education Department about cancellations.