Palliative Care

Program Overview

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The Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care is a blended learning program that provides healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to care for people with palliative care needs and their families. The program includes core modules on the philosophy and principles of palliative care, interprofessional approaches to pain and symptoms, and elective modules on topics such as psychosocial and spiritual aspects, research methods, and advanced care planning.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

The Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care is the first of three courses in a suite of postgraduate training in Palliative Care at UCC. The suite of courses comprises a blended learning, interdisciplinary Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, and MSc in Palliative Care. The program aims to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to provide high-quality care to people with palliative care needs and their families. The impact and benefit of palliative care for patients with both cancer and non-cancer diagnoses is also included.

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Outline:

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Year 1 - Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award) (30 credits)

• The Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care is a part-time, blended learning program that runs over one academic year (nine months) from the date of first registration.
• There is no work placement element to the Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care.
• Students take taught modules to the value of 30 credits over 9 months.

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Core Modules (20 credits)

• IP6007 Philosophy, Development and Principles of Palliative Care (10 credits)
• IP6008 Interprofessional Approaches to Pain and Symptoms in Palliative Care (10 credits)

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Elective Modules (Choose 10 credits)

• IP6009 Psychosocial and Spiritual Aspects of Palliative Care (5 credits)
• MH6032 Effective Communication in Healthcare (5 credits)
• IP6013 Pharmacotherapeutics in Palliative Care (5 credits)
• IP6010 Care of the Dying Patient, Grief and Bereavement(10 credits)
• EH6157 Qualitative Research in Public Health (5 credits)
• NU6053 Professional, Ethical and Legal Decision-making in Specialist Practice (5 credits)
• MH6016 Advance Care Planning (5 credits)
• CG6016 Advanced Issues in Dementia Care (10 credits)
• In consultation with the program director, students may take up to a maximum of 10 credits in elective modules in lieu of 10 credits listed above, relevant to palliative care from other programs in UCC, in related disciplines.
Such electives will be approved on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the permission of the relevant department and module coordinator, timetabling and workload considerations.

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Year 2 - Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Care (NFQ Level 9, Major Award) (30 credits)

• Entry to the program is via the Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care.
• Students take an additional 30 credits of taught modules for the Postgraduate Diploma.

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Core Modules (20 credits)

• MH6032 Effective Communication in Health Care (5 credits) &
• MH6014 Advanced Research Methods (5 credits) or
• SS6325 Social Research: Methodology & Ethics (10 credits)
• IP6011 Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care (5 credits)

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Elective (choose 10 credits)

• CG6016 Advanced Issues in Dementia Care (10 credits)
• IP6009 Psychosocial and Spiritual Aspects of Palliative Care (5 credits)
• IP6010 Care of the Dying Patient, Grief, and Bereavement (10 credits)
• IP6013 Pharmacotherapeutics in Palliative Care (5 credits)
• MH6016 Advance Care Planning (5 credits)
• NU6053 Professional, Ethical and Legal Decision-making in Specialist Practice (5 credits)
• Students who have successfully completed the Postgraduate Diploma will be conferred with the Postgraduate Diploma and are eligible to progress to the MSc in Palliative Care.

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Year 3 - MSc in Palliative Care (NFQ, Level 9 Major Award) (30 credits)

• The MSc (Palliative Care) is a part-time blended learning program, which includes clinical placement.
• Entry to the program is via the Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care and completion of the Diploma.
• In total the MSc program runs over three years (with the approval of the program team, the program can be completed over 2 years).
• The MSc component involves the design of an evidence-based project in an area relevant to palliative care.

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IP6012 Dissertation in Palliative Care (30 credits)

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Course Practicalities

• Year 1 (PG Cert) runs over an academic year (nine months)
• Year 2 (PG Dip) runs over an academic year (nine months)
• Year 3 (MSc) runs over a calendar year (12 months)
Most face-to-face classes are held in 1 or 2-day blocks during weekdays.
• The program is part-time and can be completed by those in full-time employment and includes a core Clinical Practicum module at the Postgraduate Diploma level.
• The MSc component, a dissertation worth 30 credits (IP6012), can be completed remotely allowing for the completion of a research project, a quality improvement initiative, or a systematic review.

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Teaching:

• The curriculum is informed by the HSE Palliative Care Competence Framework.
• A practically focused bio-psychosocial approach is taken, with expert lecturers and facilitators from a range of clinical and academic backgrounds, all experts in areas of relevance to palliative care.
• A unique aspect of the overall program is the extensive range of elective modules, which allows you regardless of professional background to tailor your learning to suit your professional background, work setting, and area of interest.
• Content is current and teaching methods with a predominance of online learning and some fully online module options, allow for flexibility.
• Students are encouraged to present their work at national and international conferences, and publish in academic journals.

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Careers:

• In today’s competitive workforce, higher professional qualifications are an essential part of continuous professional development and career advancement.
• The Postgraduate Certificate supports students from a range of professional backgrounds in developing knowledge, skills and competencies to assist them in delivering palliative care to patients and their families at a generalist level.
• The Postgraduate Diploma supports students to take on the delivery of palliative care at the specialist level and leadership roles in palliative care.
• The MSc provides the knowledge and skills required to critically evaluate the available evidence and develop and undertake research in palliative care and is particularly suitable for those who want to assume a management and leadership position in the delivery of palliative care.

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Other:

• The three-year program includes a Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care module (IP6011), where you can experience palliative care across a range of settings and services, enhancing your appreciation of interdisciplinary team-working in the provision of palliative care for patients with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses.
This module is taken as part of the postgraduate Diploma.
• The module coordinator works closely with you to develop a tailored placement timetable and placement sessions can be undertaken as appropriate in your usual place of work, elsewhere in Ireland or abroad, as practical for you.
This module is highly valuable for developing yourself as a reflective practitioner, enhancing personal clinical practice and for supporting quality improvements in your own work setting.