Principles of End-of-Life Care

This module is aimed at first level registered nurses and registered health care professionals involved in supporting adult patients and their families who are living with life limiting conditions and end of life across a range of different client groups for example, -frail older people and people with dementia as well as people with heart failure, cancer and respiratory diseases.

This module is designed for appropriately qualified health practitioners, working across a range of clinical settings including: hospital, community, GP practice and hospice environments. This module aims to support staff who wish to further develop their knowledge of palliative and end of life supportive care. The emphasis throughout this module is one of facilitating knowledge acquisition that empowers the health care practitioner to deliver evidence based effective patient care. In order to achieve this the module philosophy places the patient, their family and carer’s as being a central focus in all aspects of learning and assessment.

Students will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the principles of supportive palliative care to include symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual issues, effective communication, multi- disciplinary working and working with patients and families during both end-of-life care and following the patient’s death. The module will explore how national frameworks, legal, ethical and professional issues underpin service delivery specific to the roles and responsibilities of the health care practitioner.

Teaching and assessment

Learning is delivered over ten sessions, through a variety of lecturers, seminars and workshops and is supported by specialist palliative care staff and academics with a specialist interest in end-of-life care.

Learning is offered as face-to-face taught sessions, attendance at the university is required between 9-12 hours weekly for the ten weeks of taught learning, there are three additional afternoon sessions delivered between 1-3pm. A minimum of 80% attendance is required to in order to complete the module satisfactorily.   

The modules ethos to learning and development promotes compassionate and supportive learning across the curriculum and each student has the opportunity to access individual tutorial support for their assignment. It is hoped that students will enjoy the learning opportunities presented to them in this module and through the supportive learning environment created, students will confidently reach their potential in this subject.  

Assessment consists of a case study presentation and an associated 2000 written report, students are required to select a suitable patient for their case study from their own clinical experience or environment.

Upon successful completion, professionals will have the knowledge and skills to confidently recognise and respond to patients at the end of their life. On completion of the course in addition to enhancing their knowledge and understanding on the principles of end-of-life care, professionals will have had the opportunity in a supportive environment to enhance and develop their presentation and public discourse skills. 

These skills are transferrable in many different roles and will look desirable from an employability perspective.

Entry criteria

As per BSc/BSc Hons Professional Clinical Practice course page.

How to apply

Online application forms and guidance for application process