Transforming End of Life Trajectories HEA4219

Overview

This module will provide enhanced knowledge and skills for frontline healthcare professionals in equipping them to enhance care provision for patients with advanced disease and chronic conditions. It will review the benefits of early identification of patients with palliative care needs and compare the end of life trajectories associated with advanced chronic illnesses. The module will consider the team approach required to provide optimal individualised palliative and end of life care for patients and those important to them, based upon current evidence.

This module can be studied standalone. For those undertaking the PGCert or MSc Integrated Palliative & End of Life Care this is the preferred, although order not essential, second core module for developing the knowledge base.

Module code:	HEA4219
Level:	7
Module credits:	20
Cost for new students:	£1000 for 2024/25 academic year

If you are an existing student who is undertaking this module as part of a programme, your fee will have been advised to you by email. You can also check your fees online. For any queries, please contact [email protected]

If your tuition fee is being paid by a sponsor or you are a sponsor paying a student’s fee, you are required to send a copy of a purchase order to [email protected].

For further guidance please visit: Sponsored students – Edge Hill University

Who is this module for?

This module is aimed at frontline clinicians, providing core level palliative care. It will be of particular interest to District Nurses and General Practitioners, hospital ward nurses and trainee/SAS doctors, all specialist nurses, hospice nurses and doctors, some allied health professionals dependent upon role such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paramedics, pharmacists – all whose work encompasses interaction with those approaching the final months and year of life.

What are the key aims of the module?

This module aims to provide enhanced skills and knowledge for health and social care professionals in equipping them to provide optimal palliative and end of life care for patients and those important to them, based upon the current evidence:-

• Knowledge and skills to be competent and confidently educate, support and empower patients approaching the end of life, along with those important to them, carers and health professionals.
• Able to identify those approaching the end of life and co-ordinate their care effectively, liaising with other professionals and teams to provide seamless care.
• Enable those living with advanced progressive disease to enjoy what they regard as quality of life for as long as possible
• Confidence and knowledge to cascade learning to those working with them

How will I study?

Regular weekly face to face teaching including lectures, interactive workshops, group work and peer presentations. Regular weekly online activities in which students are expected to take part. Regular group tutorial time and each student is entitled to 1 hour of individual tutorial time. Individual study, reading and preparation for sessions. Hybrid learning is an educational approach where some individuals participate in-person and some participate synchronously online. The tutor delivers the session in the classroom and teaches the remote and in-person learners at the same time using virtual technology so all the students are taught together in ‘real time’. The course you are about to undertake uses a hybrid model. This means that some of the group may be online (Zoom) and some in person, for part or all of the module.

What will I study?

The module includes:-
• Trajectories of end of life in different diseases/conditions.
• Recognition of those approaching the end of life in specific diseases groups, frailty & multiple morbidity.
• Recognition, assessment & management of common symptoms in all diseases towards the end of life.
• Co-ordination of care where large numbers of different services are involved towards the end of life.
• Advance care, and anticipatory clinical management, planning in different disease groups.
• Resources and services available to patients and families.
• Dealing with, and communicating, uncertainty in the deteriorating patient.
• Managing changing multiple co-morbidities in association with a terminal illness.
• Complex medicines management and prescribing towards end of life.
• Carer, family and bereavement needs in specific disease groups.
• Principles of learning theories and teaching in healthcare settings.

How will I be assessed?

Students will have opportunity to undertake informal peer presentations and case discussions during their study to prepare them for the summative assessment.

The module is summatively assessed by the submission of a bespoke evidence based teaching pack for their practice setting, which meets all the learning outcomes. Notional 4,000 words.

On successful completion you will:

Critically examine the need for a proactive, palliative care approach and management of end of life care in an advanced progressive illness, deteriorating chronic condition or multiple comorbidity.

Critically appraise the evidence, expected skills, strategies, resources, clinical, ethical and legal issues arising from effectively managing end of life care in those dying from advanced progressive illness, deteriorating chronic condition or multiply morbidity.

Critically present a concise summary of the essential knowledge and skills required to support patients with various disease processes approaching the end of life, and those important to them.

Study dates and venues

How to apply

Module availability varies from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Due to the popularity of some modules it may be that the module is fully booked when your application is received. We will include your details on a waiting list and allocate you a place on the next available intake.

We encourage you to apply as early as possible to give you the best chance to obtain a place on your preferred cohort, module applications will close as soon as the module is full. Applications received within two weeks of the start date may have to be considered for a later cohort.

For details of how to apply, please visit the apply page.

This module will take place at the Terence Burgess Education Centre at Queenscourt Hospice, Southport.

Contact us

For further module information, please contact the Module Co-ordinator

Barbara Jack: email [email protected].

Or CPD Enquiries email [email protected].

Or you can contact the Medical School email on [email protected].

Pathways

This module can be taken as standalone or is a core module for:

• PGCert Integrated Palliative and End of Life Care
• MSc Integrated Palliative and End of Life Care

This module can be an optional module for:

• MSc Leadership Development
• MSc Advanced Clinical Practice