Ep. 44 - ELNEC in Action: Empowering Nurses to Lead Palliative Care Discussions

In this episode, we explore the profound impact of Kelli Anspach MSN, CV-BC, NPD-BC, CHPN®'s thriving and sustainable training program, which has successfully trained more than 1,000 hospital nurses over the past 10 years through the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) program, founded by Betty Ferrell PhD, MSN, CHPN®. By providing nurses with the essential skills and knowledge to lead compassionate palliative care conversations, this initiative empowers staff to facilitate critical "goals of care" discussions with patients and families. In this episode, Kelli and Brett discuss how this training not only enhances collaboration with palliative care teams but also drives improved patient satisfaction and better overall care outcomes.

Additionally, the conversation takes a closer look at the return on investment (ROI) for hospitals and demonstrates how training nurses across all service lines is a cost-effective strategy to elevate patient care, boost nurse confidence, and foster a more supportive health care environment. With the right education, staff can empower frontline nurses across various serious illness service lines to make a lasting, positive impact on patient care.

HPNA is proud to partner with Betty Ferrell and City of Hope to offer virtual ELNEC Train-the-Trainer courses twice per year. Visit the HPNA website for more information on upcoming courses and to learn how you can make a difference at the system level in your own health care organization.

Kelli Maher Anspach, MSN, CV-BC, NPD-BC, CHPN®

Kelli has her BSN and MSN from Drexel University. She holds multiple certifications: Cardiac Vascular Certified Nurse, Nursing Professional Development Specialist, Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse. Kelli has her ONS chemotherapy administration certification, is a certified Aromatherapy provider, and a Level 2 Reiki practitioner.

Kelli has planned, presented, hosted, and facilitated many conferences from Women and Heart Disease to Nursing Research to Integrative Therapies but the most rewarding was her work with End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC).

Kelli implemented ELNEC across a five-hospital health system from 2013-2018. This included securing grant money for the project and educating more than 900 staff in end-of-life patient care. Kelli was the Winner of International ELNEC Award for excellence in education, has as presented at local and national conferences, and is published in her field.

Kelli continues to be a strong advocate for palliative care and started a palliative care champion model for nurses in her health system to support identified knowledge and practice gaps.

Kelli is a Nurse Residency Facilitator where she helps to support and mentor new graduate nurses in their transition to their first year as a professional nurse and lectures for the program on End-of-Life Nursing and Self Care. She teaches classes in oncology, telemetry nursing, and preceptor development for her health system.

Kelli is a mother of three, loves to dance and hike, and enjoys her day-to-day role as a Clinical Nurse Educator at Lankenau Medical Center, part of Main Line Health System.

Brett Snodgrass, DNP, FNP-C, ACHPN®, FAANP Dr. Brett Snodgrass has been a registered nurse for 28 years and a Family Nurse Practitioner for 18 years, practicing in multiple settings, including family practice, urgent care, emergency departments, administration, chronic pain and palliative medicine. She is currently the Operations Director for Palliative Medicine at Baptist Health Systems in Memphis, TN. She is board certified with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She is also a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse. She completed a Doctorate of Nursing Practice at the University of Alabama – Huntsville. She is a nationally recognized nurse practitioner speaker and teacher. Brett is a chronic pain expert, working for more than 20 years with chronic pain and palliative patients in a variety of settings. She is honored to be the HPNA 2025 podcast host. She is married with two daughters, two son in laws, one grandson, and now an empty nest cat. She and her family are actively involved in their church and she is an avid reader.