WCGH People Development Centre Online School

The following topics are covered in this course:

Chapter 1: Introduction and Client Entry

• Introduction & Background:

  • Background and Principles

  • The South African context

  • Terminology

  • The palliative care team

• Entry to Palliative Care:

  • Identification of patients who need palliative care

  • The SPICT-ZA tool

  • Where and who provides palliative care services

  • Overview of patients entering palliative care

Chapter 2: Communication and Key Conversations

• Foundations for Effective Conversation:

  • Importance of communication and the client-centred approach

  • Family meetings

  • Communicating with honesty and hope

  • Key communication skills (adapting communication, overcoming language barriers, cultural/spiritual sensitivity)

  • Communicating across the multidisciplinary team

• Key Conversations in Palliative Care:

  • Introducing and discussing palliative care

  • Delivering life-changing news (6-step process)

  • Establishing Goals of Care

  • Discussing Advance Care Planning

Chapter 3: Ethical and Legal Foundations in Palliative Care

• Legislative considerations and Client rights in palliative care

• Advance Care Planning

• Power of Attorney and medical decision-making

• Withdrawal of care and transition to comfort care

• Neglect and abuse

Chapter 4: Psychosocial Care

• Emotional Distress:

  • Defining psychosocial distress and understanding emotional responses

  • Recognising distress and its impact on identity, roles, culture, and spirituality

  • Supporting the client’s psychosocial well-being through compassion

• Supporting Loved Ones:

  • Expanding the focus of care to the family and caregivers

  • Understanding family dynamics, the influence of culture/context, and multiple roles

  • Recognising and identifying caregiver distress and burnout

  • Psychosocial support strategies for families and caregivers (facilitation and practical strategies)

Chapter 5: Pain Management

• Background and Assessment:

  • Definition and Pathophysiology of pain

  • Assessment of pain

  • Holistic view of pain management

• Pharmacological Management:

  • Core principles of Non-opioid, Opioid, and Adjuvant analgesics

  • Detailed Opioid prescribing, conversion, side-effects, safety, and addressing concerns

• Non-Pharmacological Management:

  • Definition and the role of the Multidisciplinary Team

  • Non-pharmacological interventions (Physical & psychological)

  • Complementary therapies (Role of doctors & nurses, common therapies in SA)

Chapter 6: Symptom Management and Care

• An Overview of Physical Symptoms:

  • Introduction to symptom management

  • Gastrointestinal symptoms (constipation, nausea and vomiting, anorexia and cachexia, dysphagia)

  • Respiratory symptoms (dyspnoea, cough)

  • Other general physical symptoms (fatigue, insomnia, pressure injuries, seizures, lymphoedema, treatment-related toxicities and symptoms)

• Physical Symptoms Management:

  • Holistic, client-centred approach & role of assessment

  • Management of Gastrointestinal and Respiratory symptoms

  • Management of other general physical symptoms

• Essential Care for Bedbound Clients:

  • Introduction to bedbound client care

  • Wound prevention (skin integrity, pressure injury prevention, mobility, nutrition, and hydration)

  • Additional considerations (pain management, psychosocial and spiritual support, end of life care)

• Addressing Mood and Psychological Symptoms:

  • Neuropsychiatric symptoms (overview) and Total pain

  • Assessment challenges

  • Common conditions (anxiety, depression, fatigue, delirium)

  • Psychosocial impact and support strategies

Chapter 7: End-of-Life Care and Bereavement

• Fundamentals of End-of-Life Care:

  • Defining end-of-life care and its goals

  • Preparing for the end-of-life (Key principles, role of professionals, different care settings)

  • Recognising the final stages of life (Indicators, active dying vs. reversible illness, communication, documentation)

  • Physical signs during the end-of-life (Common symptoms, stages of dying)

  • Clinical care and symptom management in the final phase

  • Psychosocial and spiritual end-of-life care

• Death, Grief, and Essential Bereavement Care:

  • Understanding death, Verification of death, and immediate post-death care

  • Administrative processes (death certification and notification)

  • Understanding loss, grief, and bereavement

  • Providing bereavement support

Chapter 8: Healthcare Worker Well-being

• Understanding professional and systemic challenges

  • Professional stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, moral distress

  • Recognising the signs in yourself and in colleagues

• Essential self-care strategies (the basics, psychological care, self-care at work, coping competence)

• Building a supportive environment (peer support, formal support, seeking help, workplace culture)