Adult Palliative Care

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

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 the Student Equity and Disability Support Team: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Evidence Based Palliative Care (compulsory for all students)

Day 1 – Pain Assessment & Management in palliative care (compulsory for doctors and nurses)

Day 2 - Symptom Management in palliative care (compulsory for doctors and nurses)

Day 3 – Palliative care in non-cancer context

Day 4 - Psychosocial, spiritual and ethic-legal aspects of palliative care

Day 5 - Family centred palliative care & cultural issues

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

• 2000 word written assignment (40%)
• 3000 word clinical portfolio (set of self-directed clinically focused learning activities asessed by a clinical mentor) (60%)

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.