Critical Enquiry in Adult Palliative Care

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

A combination of face to face and online delivery, with a strong clinical focus. A delivery format of four four-day subjects offered intensively in two day blocks throughout the year has been established to enable accessibility for regional and interstate health professionals.

170 hours per 12.5 credit point subject

To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted in either the Specialist Certificate in Palliative Care (GC-PALLC) or Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care (GC-PALCARE). This subject is not available for students admitted in any other courses.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Students must complete 4 of the following 5 days in order to complete the subject.

• Day 1 – Evidence Based Palliative Care (compulsory for all students).
• Day 2 - Symptom Management and technical aspects of palliative care (compulsory for doctors and nurses)
• Day 3 – Palliative care in non-cancer context
• Day 4 - Psychosocial, spiritual and ethico-legal aspects of palliative care
• Day 5 - Family centred palliative care

Students who successfully complete this subject will have:

• Critically appraise literature relevant to course content
• Discuss the fundamentals of research in palliative care and evaluation techniques implemented
• Explore the principles of evidence based practice
• Identify symptoms often experienced by patients during the palliative phase of an illness
• Explore current evidence based strategies for complex symptom management
• Discuss models of grief and bereavement care , and be able to describe risk factors for prolonged grief
• Identify relevant legislation that guides palliative care practice in Australia
• Explore the concept of spiritual care in the context of palliative care provision
• Identify diseases other than cancer likely to benefit from a palliative approach
• Recognise challenges of providing palliative care for patients with non malignant diseases
• Discuss the impact of the caring role for a family caregiver
• Be aware of interventions to benefit families providing care to palliative care patients
• Identify opportunities for own learning needs

• 30% 1 x 2000 word assignment
• 50% clinical portfolio (set of self directed clinically focused learning activities assessed by a clinical mentor) Note: for doctors and nurses there will be a focus on symptom management and technical skills.
• 20% critical review of the literature relevant to course content

Therapeutic Guidelines: Palliative Care. Version 2. (2005).

As part of their course materials students will be provided with articles and references that support the subject content.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.