POLST & Your Practice: Special Cases, Policies, and the Future

Sharmon Figenshaw, ARNP, and Barb Hansen, RN, cover complex case studies where Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment completion and use is “tricky.” They provide new tools and information about accessing the toolkit and cover guidelines for making policies and procedures for ensuring proper use in practice. Learners will hear updates on POLST support, revisions, and legislative efforts.

Originally recorded on June 5, 2026.

Release date: July 1, 2026.

Expiration date: June 30, 2029.

About the Presenters

Sharmon Figenshaw is a board-certified nurse practitioner with 35 years of experience in hospice and palliative medicine, providing compassionate support to people and their trusted companions in the midst of serious illness.

Barb Hansen, RN, MA, is the CEO of the Oregon Hospice and Palliative Care Association and executive director of the Washington State Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

Learning Objectives

• Understand how to decide who needs a POLST form.
• Utilize strategies for using POLST for children, patients with dementia, and other atypical situations.
• Understand the components of effective POLST policies and training procedures.
• Understand how to participate in POLST advocacy.

Resources

• Presentation slides
• Guidelines on POLST Use for Persons with Significant Disabilities
• Sample POLST Policy
• POLST Conversation in Five Steps

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) and POLST Advisory Council. The WSMA is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The WSMA designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure

The content of this activity is not related to products or services of an ACCME-defined ineligible company; therefore no one in control of content has a relevant financial relationship to disclose.

Evaluation and Credit Claim

Please complete this evaluation after viewing the recorded webinar. Once you complete the evaluation, you will be directed to a credit claim form and a printable certificate for your records.