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The population is ageing and is projected to increase significantly over the next several decades in Australia and internationally in developed counties. Arising from this will be an increased prevalence of life limiting illness, due to progressive, incurable disease and or chronic, non-malignant disease and as such, there will be an increased demand for access to quality palliative care. This course has been developed to provide postgraduate students, especially new Registered Nurses, the knowledge and skills to enable them to practice competently and confidently in the contemporary health settings, delivering quality, palliative care approach – quality of life that meets and exceeds the individual, their family and their carer’s expectations and regulatory requirements.

The course provides an opportunity for health care professionals to further develop their knowledge and skills in relation to end-of-life, explore palliative care approaches, and practices supporting loss and bereavement.

Health professionals will explore related theory, historical influences, cultural influences, and models of practice with a balance of application to practice for both malignant and non-malignant palliative illnesses. Concepts will reflect a range of health care settings, across the lifespan, and include interdisciplinary assessment, critical thinking and clinical decision making processes to promote holistic, person-centred care. The role of family/significant other in the caregiving process will be reflected throughout the course.

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

1. Appraise related theory, historical influences, and cultural influences on end of life;
2. Critique models of practice in palliative care using a critical analysis of research and practice developments;
3. Critically evaluate the palliative approach and associated communication practices that promote quality of life, meeting of cultural beliefs, and individual values;
4. Evaluate therapeutic approaches in the assessment, intervention and management of the physiological symptoms and holistic needs at end of life, or with a life limiting illness;
5. Plan and provide palliative care and treatments, involving and supporting the client’s family, through a collaborative approach by a multidisciplinary team;
6. Appraise advanced care planning processes, advanced health directives, their application in end of life planning, and their influence to the palliative care process;
7. Respond to the complex and multifaceted needs of the palliative client including clinical governance, and legislative requirements associated with the provision of end of life care, and palliative care practices;
8. Critically determine the psychosocial issues at end of life, including grief, loss and bereavement, and inclusive of the individual client and their family/significant other.