Continuing professional education

End of life care pathway
40 credits

The aims of the Professional Practice BSc(Hons) are:

• To promote excellence in healthcare by ensuring that providers possess evidence based specialist knowledge and skills to provide optimal standards of care;
• To enhance and inquiring, critical and reflective approach to practice;
• To develop innovative, creative approaches to practice evolving from the analysis and synthesis of theory and practice and evidence.

With these aims in mind, the School of Nursing and Midwifery offers a pathway in End of Life Care to provide learning opportunities for nurses wishing to develop their practice in this area at both levels 2 and 3.

The development of the pathway has been particularly influenced by the ideals outlined in the government's 'End of Life Strategy' (DoH, 2008). In particular the strategy highlights that:

"All people approaching the end of life need to have their needs assessed, their wishes and preferences discussed and an agreed set of actions reflecting the choices they make about their care recorded in a care plan" (p12)

End of Life Care aims to:

• Affirm life and regard dying as a normal process
• Provide relief from pain and other distressing symptoms
• Integrate the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care
• Offer a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death
• Offer a support system to help the family cope during the patient's illness and in their own bereavement.

(National Council for Palliative Care, 2006)

The aim of the End of Life Care pathway is to enable practitioners to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the aims of palliative care outlined above, by developing a dynamic, flexible programme. This programme will allow for exploration of the wider aspects of suffering by addressing issues relating to psychological, spiritual and social care, as well as those associated with physical problems and symptom relief.

The End of Life Care pathway comprises two modules:

• End of Life: Principles of Care - NA2117 (level 2) and NA3143 (level 3)
• End of Life Care for People with Chronic and Long-term Conditions - NA2116 (level 2) and NA3142 (level 3)

This pathway consists of two 20 credit modules and facilitates the registered nurse to develop the knowledge and skills for patient-centered, end of life care, regardless of the setting in which it is being provided.

End of life care is recognised as not being unique to those suffering with terminal cancer. Therefore the module ‘End of Life Care for People with Chronic and Long-term Conditions’ focuses on the application of the principles of end of life care to the specific needs of those people living with and dying from chronic and long term conditions. This will consider the physical, social, spiritual and emotional needs of those people at the end of life. There will be a focus on the care of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) heart disease, neurological conditions and renal failure. A sound theoretical underpinning will be provided regarding key issues/concepts which affect practice enabling students to develop knowledge and competence. The module is taught by a broad spectrum of both academic and clinically focused speakers and is delivered once per year during semester 1 (October – January).

The module 'End of Life: Principles of Care' focuses on the underpinning principles of palliative care and management of people who are dying. The module will consider the concepts and definitions of palliative care and the nature and relief of suffering from a physical; emotional; psychological; and spiritual perspective. In so doing, the common core competencies and principles for end of life care will be addressed. This will include the importance of effective assessment, pain and symptom management, nutrition, communication, comfort, complementary therapies, sexuality, law and ethics and grief and bereavement. It will also acknowledge the importance of caring for ourselves, and the significance of multi-professional working. A sound theoretical underpinning will be provided regarding key issues/concepts, which affect practice, enabling students to develop knowledge and competence. The module is taught by a broad spectrum of both academic and clinically focused speakers and is delivered once a year over semester 2 (February to June).

The pathway can be either a level 2 award towards the Diploma in Professional Practice or a level 3 award towards the Professional Practice BSc.

Any registered nurse who regularly provides care within the domain of end of life care as defined by the criteria outlined above is eligible to apply for this pathway. This will include those working in hospices, hospitals, nursing homes as well as in the community.

Completion of the end of life care pathway will be evidence of progression in terms of the professional journey towards specialist and advanced practice.

• Concepts and definitions of palliative care (formed by current political and sociological thinking)
• The nature of suffering
• Relief of suffering- physical; emotional; psychological; spiritual
• Pain and symptom management
• Grief and bereavement
• Comfort
• Spiritual care
• Sexuality
• Complementary therapies
• Communication - e.g. breaking bad news
• Caring for ourselves
• Multi-professional working
• Assessment and planning of care
• Law and ethics
• Nutrition
• Philosophy and principles of palliative care
• Reflective practice
• Equity, choice and justice: the disadvantaged dying
• Governmental initiatives/political dimension
• Palliative care pathways
• The sociological perspective
• Spirituality: meaning and impact
• Symptom management - Advanced COPD, heart disease, neurological conditions and renal failure
• Service user involvement: the patient/carers' voice
• Care of the carers/support groups
• Resource allocation

For an information pack, including application form please contact the CPE admissions team on namcpeadmissions@brighton.ac.uk or 01273 644016.

For an informal discussion contact the Pathway Leader:

Diane Collins
01273 643833
D.P.Collins@Brighton.ac.uk