Clinical & bedside care
Medical, spiritual, and therapeutic care for people in their final months and days.
4 roles in this field
Hospice & Palliative Care Chaplaincy
Explore the path to becoming a chaplain in hospice or palliative care, offering emotional and spiritual support at the end of life.
Hospice Nurse
Explore the role of a hospice nurse, including job duties, training paths, and what it takes to provide end-of-life care with compassion.
Music Thanatology
Learn how to become a music thanatologist and bring comfort to the dying through live harp and vocal music at the bedside.
Palliative Care Social Worker
Learn how palliative care social workers support patients with serious illness and discover the steps to begin this meaningful career.
Certifications in this field
Certified Music-Thanatologist Certified ThanatologistThey’ve studied death, dying, and bereavement from a professional, clinical, or academic lens. Board Certified Chaplain Palliative Care & Hospice Advanced Certification Fellow in Thanatology Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse Certified Hospice and Palliative NurseThey’ve demonstrated professional-level knowledge in hospice and palliative nursing care.
Where to train
Accorda Music Thanatology Institute – Music-Thanatology Training and Certification Preparation23-month training program, prepares for MTAI certification University of Maryland, Baltimore – Aging and Applied Thanatology Graduate CertificatePost-baccalaureate graduate certificate, 12 credits, online Marian University – Thanatology (Graduate Certificate and MS)Graduate Certificate in Thanatology; Master of Science in Thanatology University of Colorado Anschutz – Interprofessional Palliative Care (Graduate Certificate and MS)Interprofessional Palliative Care Graduate Certificate; Master of Science in Palliative Care Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) – ACPE-accredited centersCPE units and residencies, taken through individual accredited centers
Other fields
Funeral & deathcare operationsThe people who run services, care for the body, and keep a funeral home working. Death investigation & forensicsDetermining how and why someone died, and the specialized work that surrounds it. Companionship & grief supportNon-clinical presence before a death, and support for the people left behind. After-loss & legacyUntangling the practical, digital, and financial aftermath, and preserving a life story. Estate, financial & legacy planningThe professionals who help people plan, protect, transfer, administer, and give away assets during life and after death.