Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care (GC-PALCARE)

Graduate CertificateYear: 2022 Delivered: On Campus

You’re viewing the 2022 Handbook:
Or view archived Handbooks
You’re currently viewing the 2022 version of this course

Overview

Award titleGraduate Certificate in Palliative Care
Year & campus2022
Fees informationSubject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & typeGraduate Coursework
AQF level 8
Credit points50 credit points
Duration12 months part-time

The Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care will appeal to a range of health professionals and aims to be the industry standard for working in palliative care. The course is primarily delivered face to face, complemented by online resources and activities. The Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care consists of four 12.5 credit point University of Melbourne accredited subjects, and is delivered by a range of experts in their field, who may be drawn from multiple institutions around Victoria as appropriate. Course content will explore the core concepts of palliative care including; pain and symptom management, the interface between aged care and palliative care, communication skills, non malignant diseases, psychosocial concepts, family carers, paediatric palliative care and bereavement care.

Links to further information

https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/graduate/graduate-certificate-in-palliative-care

 

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

  • an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification in medicine, nursing, allied health profession, science or social science, and
  • documented evidence of at least one year relevant professional work experience in a medical, nursing, scientific or allied health environment, and
  • be employed in a clinical setting

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking and/or assessing applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

  • prior academic qualification and performance; and
  • the professional experience.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

 4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to providingsupport to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website. http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Intended learning outcomes

Beyond the core curriculum of the Specialist Certificate, the Graduate Certificate will continue to extend health professional competencies across a greater range of clinical areas. Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care will have increased knowledge, skills and competence in areas specific to their professional roles and care settings and as determined by the subjects they elect to complete.

On completion of the course students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an advanced theoretical and practical understanding of contemporary palliative care practice
  • Critique and use evidence-based practice in the clinical setting.
  • Use analysis and evaluation to assist in assessing and managing a range of physical symptoms in adult and paediatric populations.
  • Determine the role of a multidisciplinary team in meeting the needs of a patient and family with a life limiting illness and demonstrate an enhanced ability to transmit solutions to the team.
  • Identify and respond to psychosocial issues as they relate to palliative care including distinguishing between different forms of psychological and psychiatric disorders.
  • Critically analyse and respond to the impact of loss and bereavement both for themselves and for the provision of services to patients as practitioners.
  • Apply ethical reasoning in their clinical practice.

Generic skills

On completion of the course, students should have:

  • An advanced theoretical and practical understanding of contemporary palliative care practice
  • Developed the capacity to analyse and relate evidence based practice to the clinical setting
  • Increased their level of clinical competency in analysis and evaluation to assist in assessing and managing a range of clinical symptoms
  • Considered the role of a multidisciplinary team in meeting the needs of a patient and family with a life limiting illness and enhanced ability to transmit solutions to the team
  • Critically analysed the impact of loss and bereavement both for themselves and for the provision of services to patients as practitioners

Graduate attributes

Academic distinction

  • Graduates will develop in-depth knowledge of evidence-based practice approaches to palliative patient care. They will develop high-level clinical competency in assessing and managing patient symptoms, taking a multidisciplinary view to care. Graduates will be critical and adaptive thinkers with an aptitude for life-long learning.

Active citizenship

  • Graduates will be critically aware of the needs of the diverse communities they work with and will take a culturally sensitive approach to patient care.

Integrity and self-awareness

  • Graduates will have a strong sense of professional identity and integrity that is based upon a solid ethical framework that considers the complexity of palliative contexts. They will highly self-aware and reflective, working to always improve their practice. They will act with empathy and sensitivity with a strong awareness of the wellbeing of others and themselves.

Course structure

Compulsory subject (12.5 credit points)

NURS90046 Fundamentals of Palliative Care

 

Elective Subjects (37.5 credit points) by selecting three of

NURS90047 Adult Palliative Care 12.5

NURS90073 Contemporary Approaches to Bereavement 12.5

NURS90074 Psychosocial Aspects of Palliative Care 12.5

NURS90065 Paediatric Palliative Care 12.5

NURS90118 Ethics in Clinical Practice 12.5

Subject options

Core subjects

Code Name Study period Credit Points
NURS90046 Fundamentals of Palliative Care No longer available

Elective subjects

Choose three of the following subjects;

Code Name Study period Credit Points
NURS90047 Adult Palliative Care No longer available
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
NURS90065 Paediatric Palliative Care No longer available
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
NURS90073 Contemporary Approaches to Bereavement No longer available
NURS90074 Psychosocial Aspects of Palliative Care No longer available
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
NURS90118 Ethics in Clinical Practice No longer available
 

Further study

After completion of this course you may be eligible to gain 50 credit points of advanced standing toward the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice.

Last updated: 21 February 2025