Global

Pain, opioid safety and end-of-life care

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 13 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
45 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At induction + annual update
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Pain assessment scales
What would you do?

Mrs Adeyemi has advanced dementia. Since this morning she grimaces and calls out when turned, and is guarding her left arm. She cannot answer questions about pain

Try it: this is one of 30 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 45 minutes
  • Flashcards, scenario, process, tabs and quizzes
  • 1-question final check, 80% to pass

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Open-ended slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 142.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
LO 142.1.1Choose a pain assessment approach that fits the person, including people who cannot self-report + your infoUK National Guidelines 2018; NICE NG97Lesson 1: Pain assessment scales
LO 142.2.1Recognise common opioid side effects and signs of toxicity, and use opioids and patches safely + your infoNICE CG140; MHRA 2018; NPSA 2008Lesson 2: Opioid safety and side effects
LO 142.3.1Offer simple non-drug comfort measures alongside prescribed treatmentNICE NG31Lesson 3: Non-drug pain relief
LO 142.4.1Recognise changes that may mean a person is entering the last days of life, and act on them + your infoNICE NG31; NHSLesson 4: Recognising the last days of life
LO 142.5.1Communicate honestly and kindly with the dying person and those important to themNICE NG31; One Chance to Get it RightLesson 5: Communicating with families

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 13 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 45 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Pain assessment scales

3 pages

9 min
Before you beginNoteList
Ask firstTextFlashcardsQuiz
When the person cannot tell youTextTableNoteYour infoScenarioQuiz
2

Opioid safety and side effects

3 pages

9 min
Common side effectsTextTabsSorting activityQuiz
Signs of too muchKey factTextProcessYour infoMulti-select quiz
Checking doses and handling patchesTextChecklistYour infoStep-by-stepYour infoNote
3

Non-drug pain relief

2 pages

6 min
Comfort without medicineTextAccordionYour infoQuiz
Let family helpTextFlashcards
4

Recognising the last days of life

3 pages

9 min
Changes to look forTextFlashcardsQuiz
Not always one wayTextScenario
Planning aheadTextListNoteYour infoQuiz
5

Communicating with families

2 pages

6 min
Honest and kindTextProcessYour infoQuiz
Questions families askFlashcardsYour infoNote
6

Final assessment

2 pages

6 min
Final assessmentQuizMatching quizMulti-select quiz
CompletionKey factListNoteYour infoButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

Title + agendaPain, opioids and the last days of life - practice session" (notes: disclaimer; all cases are fictional case material)
ScalesHow confident are you assessing pain in someone who cannot tell you?
Pick answerFictional case: a resident with advanced dementia grimaces when turned. Best next step?" - Wait for family / Use the observational pain tool and report ✔ / Give paracetamol without assessing / Note it at handover [MED-12-V05]
CategoriseDrag each into Common, often settles / Report urgently (constipation; mild sleepiness after a dose rise; slow shallow breathing ✔ urgent; very hard to wake ✔ urgent) [MED-12-V09] [MED-12-V10] [MED-12-V12]
True or falseIt is fine to cut a fentanyl patch in half." - False ✔ [MED-12-V13]
Open-endedWhich non-drug comfort measure works best on your unit?" [MED-12-V19]
Pick answerWhich may suggest the last days of life?" - Good appetite / Mottled skin and Cheyne-Stokes breathing ✔ / Asking to go out / Wanting the radio on [MED-12-V22]
Role-playRole-play prompt (educator-led): "A son asks: 'Is she starving?' Practise your answer in pairs." [MED-12-V24] [MED-12-V28]
Q&AQ&A with the palliative care lead
ClosingClosing - {{SURVEY_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. How confident are you assessing pain in someone who cannot tell you? 1-5 scale
  6. How confident are you talking with a family about the last days of life? 1-5 scale
  7. Since the course, have you used an observational pain tool? multiple choice
  8. On my team, I can question an opioid dose without worrying about how it will be received. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find our pain assessment tool and the palliative care advice line? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

13 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • The pain tool{{PAIN_ASSESSMENT_TOOL}}
  • Who to call and what emergency treatment{{OPIOID_TOXICITY_PROTOCOL}}
  • Controlled drug checks, witnesses and register{{CONTROLLED_DRUG_PROCEDURE}}
  • How used and unused patches are disposed of{{PATCH_DISPOSAL_PROCEDURE}}
  • Repositioning and pressure care plan{{REPOSITIONING_SCHEDULE}}
  • How anticipatory medicines are prescribed, stored and given{{ANTICIPATORY_MEDICINES_PROCESS}}
Show all 13 fields
  • Specialist palliative care advice line{{PALLIATIVE_CARE_TEAM_CONTACT}}
  • Out-of-hours number for families and staff{{OUT_OF_HOURS_CONTACT}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Survey URL{{SURVEY_URL}}
  • Live session URL{{LIVE_SESSION_URL}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}
  • Educator contact{{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run pain, opioid safety and end-of-life care training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At induction + annual update (organisation policy).

Who needs this training?

Registered nurses, nursing associates, care-home and home-care staff, hospice and community palliative care teams.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

Related templates

Often taught together

All Older people, mental health and end of life templates →
Global

Stroke, falls, delirium and dementia care

Ward and care-home staff · Older people, mental health and end of life

45 min
Global

Mental health first response: Risk conversations, substance use and naloxone

Front-line clinical staff · Older people, mental health and end of life

45 min
Last reviewed: 21 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck