Fleming College

Program Highlights

This program will enhance knowledge, skills and competency when caring for individuals who have terminal illness. The focus is on the provision of holistic care based on current philosophies and theories of palliation. The program is designed for registered nurses, registered practical nurses, personal support workers, physiotherapist assistants, occupational therapist assistants and auxiliary staff or volunteers who are involved with the terminally ill and their families. Graduates will learn to provide compassionate care in which the quality of remaining life is the objective. As well, symptom control will be explored as the basis to develop a team approach, which includes clients and those who are close to them. Palliative care also attempts to provide bereavement care for families.

Admission Requirements

Minimally, 19 years of age or completed Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Grade 12 equivalency certificate achieved through College academic upgrading.

Recommended Skills and Pre-requisites

Basic computer skills are expected of all participants.

Courses in Palliative Care Certificate

Details and registration below

Mandatory

• Palliative Care: Orientation to Palliative Care (HLTH105)
• Palliative Care: Communications (COMM094)
• Palliative Care: Comfort Measures (HLTH145)
• Palliative Care: Psychological and Social Implications (SOCI216)
• Palliative Care: Ethical/Legal and Spiritual Concerns (HLTH329)
• Palliative Care: Working with Terminally Ill Patients - Field Placement (HLTH353)

Mandatory

Palliative Care: Orientation to Palliative Care

HLTH105

Gain an overview of Palliative Care and coping with death, dying and grief. We will review the concepts of Palliative Care, the multidiscipline team, hospice, current approaches to care, roles, issues and expectation. Discover what resources are available and analyze the differences between home care and institutional care.

Palliative Care: Communications

COMM094

Discover techniques to assist your interaction with the terminally ill patient. Explore effective communication techniques with the terminally ill and their families, basic processes and steps of effective communication as well as identification of influencing factors of personal and cultural attitudes in communication. We will also analyze basic verbal and non-verbal communication and and the communication techniques used to establish a trusting relationship.

Palliative Care: Comfort Measures

HLTH145

Explore comfort measures for the terminally ill patient in palliative care. Emphasis is placed on promoting a realistic independence for the client based on his/her support systems.

Palliative Care: Psychological and Social Implications

SOCI216

This course is designed to enable students to develop a basic understanding of psychological and social implications in oncology and palliative care patients and their families throughout the trajectory of the illness experience. Topics to be explored include psychological distress, suffering, factors affecting coping and helping relationships, the grief journey, the role of culture, social changes during illness, end-of-life tasks, planning for death, burnout, and caring for caregivers.

Palliative Care: Ethical/Legal and Spiritual Concerns

HLTH329

Explore attitudes towards death and the death rituals and ceremonies of world religious traditions including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Explore the religious attitudes and beliefs concerning immortality and life after death.

Palliative Care: Working with Terminally Ill Patients - Field Placement

HLTH353

The Student, in consultation with the Program Liaison, develop individualized learning objectives that are practiced in a Palliative setting.