Teaching for all course components is undertaken by teams of academic and clinical specialists.
The curriculum is designed to:
- Provide students with the highest quality learning experience;
- Equip students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required in professional life;
- Ensure teaching is informed and refreshed by research and best practice evidence;
- Ensure staff are encouraged and supported in the development of excellent teaching practice.
The syllabus incorporates the following areas:
- Clinical management of symptoms commonly encountered by patients with advanced life limiting illness – Pain (acute, chronic, complex, total, neuropathic), Role of Opioids in Pain Management, Nausea and vomiting, Constipation, Dyspnoea, Fatigue, Delirium, Cachexia / Anorexia Emergencies, Anxiety, Depression
- Ethical Issues in palliative care
- Psychosocial Care • Spiritual assessment and approaches to care
- Application of ethical principles and theory to practice including - withholding and withdrawing treatment, physician assisted suicide
- Service organisation and delivery relating to the provision of palliative care - including multidisciplinary team working, national strategy, multi-agency working, palliative care delivery across the acute, community and voluntary sectors
- Concepts and frameworks of therapeutic communication models
- Effective communication - including key skills and strategies, the barriers and facilitators to effective communication in different healthcare contexts.
- Application of the principles of communication to practice – including Breaking bad news; managing collusion, handling strong emotional responses, responding to difficult questions, responding to requests for euthanasia or physician assisted suicide
Learning Outcomes
Ref No. |
Learning Outcome / Skill: |
Category: |
M1 |
Critically analyse current research in pain and symptom control in patients with advanced life limiting illness. |
Learning Outcomes: Master's |
M2 |
Critically apply the sociological, psychological and spiritual consequences of advanced life limiting illness to existing clinical practice |
Learning Outcomes: Master's |
M3 |
Critically reflect on the application of the evidence base within specialist clinical practice |
Learning Outcomes: Master's |
M4 |
Critically appraise current policy and its implementation within clinical practice within regional, national and international perspectives |
Learning Outcomes: Master's |
M5 |
Apply critically, and evaluate strategies, to elicit and respond to problems, concerns, and feelings and to tailor complex information to the specific needs of patients with life limiting illness, their carers and families. |
Learning Outcomes: Master's |
M6 |
Debate critically the ethical issues surrounding advanced life limiting illness |
Learning Outcomes: Master's |
S1 |
Critical thinking |
Skills |
S2 |
Advanced Communication Skills for Clinical Practice |
Skills |
S3 |
Ethical awareness of Practice Issues |
Skills |
S4 |
Professional behaviour |
Skills |
S5 |
Reflection |
Skills |
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