Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12, 2026
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET

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 health care professionals. ELNEC courses are written for nurses by nurses.

This course is appropriate for those who work across the continuum of care (neonates to older adults).

Course Content

Communication principles are integrated across all eight National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care (NCP Guidelines) domains and include:

• Palliative Nursing Care at the End-of-Life
• Pain & Symptom Management
• Social & Psychological Aspects of Care
• Cultural Considerations and Ethical Issues
• Spiritual, Religious & Existential Care
• Final Hours
• Loss, Grief, and Bereavement
• Leadership and Self Care

The Communication curriculum delivers the full ELNEC Core content through a communication-centered lens, making it especially powerful for learners who:

• Teach, mentor, or facilitate others
• Lead difficult conversations across settings
• Translate complex clinical content into person-centered care

Key Strengths of Communication include:

• Skill labs embedded across all eight NCP Guidelines, reinforcing communication as a core clinical skill—not a standalone topic
• An integrated framework illustrating the impact of communication on ethical, cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, and end-of-life care
• Frequent reflection and integration pauses, supporting deeper learning and confidence-building
• Strong preparation for future ELNEC trainers and facilitators

Hear from our Facilitator

Learn more about the course from facilitator Lynn F. Reinke, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, FPCN^®, ATSF

Continuing Education

Participants may earn 13.75 NCPD 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.

Facilitators

Lynn F. Reinke, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, FPCN^®, ATSF
Dr. Reinke received her PhD from the University of Washington School of Nursing in 2008. She completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Health Services R&D at the VA Health Care System in Seattle. Recognizing the importance of research informing health policy, she was a Health and Aging Policy Fellow from 2016-2017. She served as a Co-Director of the UW Palliative Care Graduate Certificate Program from 2019-2021. In January 2022, Dr. Reinke assumed the position of the Claire Dumke Ryberg, RN, Presidential Endowed Chair for Palliative and End of Life Care at the University of Utah, College on Nursing. In 2024, she was appointed Director of the Center for Family Integrated Healthcare within the College of Nursing. Dr. Reinke’s clinical practice and program of research focuses on improving the delivery of palliative and end-of-life care for patients and their families with serious illnesses. Her studies, funded by NIH, VA, and Foundations, are designed to test nurse-led interventions on assessing and supporting family caregiver needs and on improving the quality of clinicians’ end-of-life communication skills. Dr. Reinke was selected in the inaugural cohort of the Cambia Sojourns Scholars Leadership Program in 2014. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and served as the 2024 President for the Hospice & Palliative Nursing Association and Foundation.

Laura Fennimore, DNP, RN, CNE, NEA-BC, FAAN
Laura Fennimore is an accomplished leader and educator with more than 35 years of experience in healthcare management. For more than 10 years, she brought her real-world experience and executive knowledge to the classroom for DNP students in the Health Systems Executive Leadership program at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to her appointment as a full professor, Dr. Fennimore held several leadership positions within the UPMC health system. She served as the Director of Clinical Programs at UPMC Health Plan where she led case management services for vulnerable populations, including children and adults with complex physical and behavioral health care needs. Her extensive hospital experience included multiple roles with UPMC Presbyterian, including clinical instructor, nurse manager, director of oncology disease management, director of nursing, and director of organizational development and nursing education and research. Dr. Fennimore has contributed to nursing education throughout her career. She was the Director of Nursing Education for the Oncology Nursing Society from 1999-2006. She served as the coordinator of the Pitt Nursing Education Minor/Certificate Program from 2021-2025. Dr. Fennimore is a national nursing leader actively engaged in professional organizations within nursing leadership, nursing education, oncology, and palliative care. She is a past president of the Oncology Nursing Society and served as the Organization Affiliates Liaison to the Board of Directors for the American Nurses Association. She was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) in 2020. She has served as a faculty member for the ELNEC Core Summits for multiple years and has contributed to publications authored by the ELNEC team about this important teaching strategy.

Lacy A. Rugaber-Williams, BSN, RN, CHPN®, CHPPN®, CCM^®
Lacy A. Rugaber-Williams is a nationally certified nurse leader and passionate advocate for pediatric palliative care in the Hudson Valley region of New York. She serves as Director of Pediatric Services and Clinical Education at United Hospice, Inc., where she leads efforts to expand access to community-based pediatric palliative care and strengthen clinical practice through evidence-based education. With a career spanning bedside care, ethics consultation, case management, and leadership, Lacy brings a depth of experience. She served 13 years in the U.S. Army as both a medic and a nurse, including high-pressure roles coordinating medical support during humanitarian and refugee health crises. She is now deeply committed to raising awareness among providers and the public about the value of pediatric palliative care. Lacy holds multiple certifications to include being one of less than 300 certified hospice and palliative pediatric nurses in the United States and is an active member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. She has assisted with authoring the CHPPN ® study guide and is now a part of the exam development committee. Lacy is widely respected for her clinical rigor, ethical integrity, and unwavering commitment to honoring the dignity and quality of life for patients of all ages. Lacy lives in a quaint upstate NY village with her wife and young twin boys.

About the Event

This is a virtual event. The last day to register for this course is June 8, 2026. Registered learners will receive course access information & materials to their HPNA associated email address 3-5 days before course opening.

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. Cancellations requests must be received in writing.