European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care – Spring 2022

The aim of the European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care programme is to improve the care of patients and enable health professionals, irrespective of setting, to practice the essential principles of palliative care. It endeavours to do this by enhancing skills, knowledge and confidence in the provision of holistic palliative care by all health care professionals.

This is an intensive eight-week, home based study programme based on the well-established Princess Alice Certificate in Essential Palliative Care running in the UK for many years. Milford Care Centre is the coordinating site for the Republic of Ireland.

The course explores the main principles and practices in palliative care, some of which include:

• Pain and its management
• The management of physical symptoms
• The management of non-physical symptoms
• Emergencies in Palliative Care
• Caring for people in the last days and hours of life
• Loss and grief

It is estimated that these main sections will require at least 10 hours of work per week to complete, including viewing online content, reading the course handbook and reviewing the questions at the end of each section.

Learning is assessed through completion of a:

• reflective portfolio,
• multiple choice question exam (may be online),
• oral examination (may be virtual).

*The reflective portfolio, a 2,500-word academic assignment, submitted in week six of the course. Candidates must consider their standard of writing prior to undertaking this course. To complete the reflective portfolio, candidates must use the Harvard referencing system, critically examine their practice against up-to-date literature and reflect on their knowledge of providing the palliative approach in their clinical area. Three hours(maximum) individual contact time is facilitated to support candidates in the development of their reflective portfolio.

An online learning site (learningzone@pah.org.uk) has also been established to assist candidates with their studies.

Applicants must be working in a suitable practice setting e.g. in an acute hospital, nursing home, community or hospice and should have direct contact with patients (must not be family member or a friend) requiring a palliative approach to care.

Accreditation/CPD:

35 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) approved by An Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland).

80 Continuing Professional Development credits from Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

In order to confirm a place on this course, there is certain essential information which is required as part of the booking process.

This includes your postal address (including postcode), which we require in order to send you the course information pack.

*Important:

Milford Care Centre reserves the right to cancel courses and will provide a full refund to applicants where this occurs.

Should a candidate be unable to complete or choose to withdraw from the course, the following rules apply:

• 28 days + notice of course withdrawal – full refund
• 10-28 days’ notice of course withdrawal – 50% refund
• Less than 10 days’ notice of course withdrawal – Fees NOT refunded

course fees will not be refunded.

*Notice- A processing fee of €7.95 will be added to the payment of European Certificate course bookings to cover Credit Card Fees. There are no fees for payments through electronic fund transfer (EFT). Please contact d.learning@milfordcarecentre.ie  if you wish to make a payment by EFT.