Palliative care: medical intensive courses  
 
 
Our fall course is being held November 17-21, 2008 in Victoria.  Contact us to find out more about this one-week course or print the fall 2008 brochure.  The spring course will held March 9-13, 2009 in Richmond, BC.
 
 

      Download Adobe Acrobat to read documents on this page.        The fee for this one-week course is $850.

This Victoria Hospice course covers basic and some advanced aspects of palliative care.
It provides an excellent foundation in palliative care for:
• family physicians or new palliative care physicians
• new palliative care nurses
• family practice residents
• nurses from home care and long term care facilities
• pharmacists

This program meets the accreditation criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and is accredited for 27.5 hours MAINPRO-M1 credits.  (Our Psychosocial Care of the Dying and Bereaved course is accredited for 28 hours MAINPRO-M1 credits).  In addition, course graduates can earn valuable MAINPRO-C study credits by conducting an evidence-based practice reflection exercise after the course.

Course Goals:
  • To increase awareness of and sensitivity to death and dying issues
  • To increase understanding, skills and knowledge in order to apply a palliative approach to both cancer and non-cancer disease
  • To increase specific medical and nursing skills in the assessment and management of distressing symptoms associated with advanced disease
  • To increase understanding of psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients and families including grief and bereavement
  • To enhance understanding of the role of the interdisciplinary team in palliative care
Course Content:
  • Introduction to Death and Dying
  • Ethical Aspects of End of Life Care
  • Hope and Breaking Bad News
  • Prognosis
  • Pain Assessment and Etiology
  • Basic and Advanced Pain Management
  • Gastrointestinal Issues
  • Neurological Issues
  • Respiratory Issues
  • Cardiovascular Issues
  • Sexuality and Intimacy Issues
  • Team Issues
  • Pediatric Care
  • Spiritual Care
  • Care Through Death and Death at Home
  • Grief and Bereavement

Teaching Format:

  • Course textbook, 4th edition Medical Care of the Dying, is included in registration fee
  • Topic reviews and discussions
  • Multimedia presentations
  • Large and small group discussions
  • Case-based problem solving sessions

Course Fee:

The course fee is $850 and includes registration, a copy of the textbook, lunch on Monday and Friday, and refreshment breaks.

Participants are urged to register early as space is limited and courses fill quickly.

   

 For more information, contact Education Services at (250) 370-8283 or print the fall 2008 brochure.

 

      Download Adobe Acrobat if necessary          .
 

The Victoria Hospice Palliative Performance Scale, version 2 (PPSv2) is a useful 11-point scale designed to measure a patient's performance status in 10% decrements from 100% (healthy) to 0% (death) based on five observable parameters: ambulation, ability to do activities, self-care, food/fluid intake, and consciousness level.  You can download the PPS here in either English, French,  Japanese or Thai or find out more about other Victoria Hospice  clinical tools.

 

The Victoria Hospice textbook, Medical Care of the Dying, is included in the course registration fee for the Victoria Hospice Palliative Care: Medical Intensive one-week course.  You can also order your copy now directly from Victoria Hospice, or read an excerpt from the Neurological chapter on Confusion, Delirium, and Dementia at the end of life. 

 "I recommend this book highly.  It is helpful for people in palliative care, but its clarity and practicality are such that I hope it finds a home on general acute care wards, the offices of primary physicians, and hospital out-patient departments."                     Journal of Palliative Care