Our healthcare courses make everyone better
Image

A109 Palliative care and end-of-life care: what you need to know

Course summary

This course equips health care providers in hospitals and the community with the skills and knowledge to competently and sensitively care for patients who need palliative or end-of-life care.

Who should attend?

Practice nurses
District nurses
Community nurses (bands 5 and 6)
Hospital nurses (bands 5 and 6)
Allied health professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech therapists

Important notes

All equipment, evaluations and certificate of attendance provided.

Cost

Course duration Course CPD In-house Course
2 day(s) 14 hour(s) POA


In-house enquiry

Aims / objectives

  • Apply principles of systematic history taking regarding the palliative care patient.
  • Identify when a patient is dying.
  • Become more confident in identifying and attending to palliative care emergencies.
  • Have knowledge of symptom control medications with application to practice.
  • Understand the need for holistic supportive care, specific to the spiritual needs of the palliative care patient and family with application to practice.
  • Engage with the principles of communication with regard to breaking bad news.
  • Feel more confident when communicating with relatives of the palliative care/terminally ill patient.
  • Have awareness of the principles of risk feeding in palliative care with application to practice.
  • Adhere to the principles of care for the dying patient and document accordingly.

Course programme

  • Practical systematic history taking with attention to its vital importance to good care for the palliative care/end-of-life care patient and their family, via role play and group work.
  • The physical signs of the dying patient and how to systemically identify these, with case studies.
  • The main symptoms presented by the palliative care patient and how to systemically identify these, plus the required symptom control, including pain, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath and constipation.
  • Approaches to nutrition and hydration interventions in the palliative care/terminally ill patient. Discussion and debate including ethical issues.
  • The role of spiritual care at end of life.
  • The importance of good communication skills when breaking bad news, with role play and case studies.
  • Identifying signs and symptoms of palliative care emergencies, including hypercalcaemia and spinal cord compression, with case studies.

Led by

TBA