Specialist Approaches to Palliative Care and Symptom Management

HEAB344DL Level 6 BSc (Hons) 20 credits – Part Time

APP783DL Level 7 MSc 20 credits – Part Time

2025 dates

Cost: £1280

Day 1: 16 September 2025

Day 2: 23 September 2025

Day 3: 30 September 2025

Day 4: 7 October 2025

Day 5: 14 October 2025

Day 6: 21 October 2025

Tutorials: 4 November 2025

Closing date for applications is 15 August 2025

Your feedback

Here is what some of our multi-professional students, who work in a range of palliative and end of life care settings, have to say:

“The level of teaching and support on this course so far has been excellent. I am learning so much and it has already informed my practice making me a more confident nurse.”

“I really enjoy the sessions and expanding my knowledge and all information is easy to understand and able to ask questions if we do not understand anything.”

“Loved this course. I learned a lot more that I was expecting to, and it was made all the more interesting by the way it was delivered and the people who delivered it.”

“It was really interesting and useful for my professional work.”

Symptom-Approaches-to-Palliative-Care-&-Symptom-Management-Features-1-4-25

Module information

Level 6
This module will allow practitioners to develop an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to enhance palliative care for patients with a life-limiting condition and their carers, and to develop strategies for symptom control.
At the end of the module you will be expected to be able to:

• Assess health and holistic nursing/therapeutic needs of patient, their families and other carers by initiative and critically evaluate the appropriate steps for effective specialist palliative care for individuals and groups.

• Support and empower patients, their families and other carers to influence and participate in decisions concerning their care by providing information on a range of specialist palliative care services.

• Critically evaluate the medical and non-medical management of symptoms in palliative care to promote quality of life.

• Critically analyse multidisciplinary therapeutic strategies designed to promote and improve health and prevent disease in individuals and groups by identifying and selecting from a range of health and social agencies that will assist and improve care.
More information

Level 7
This module aims to enable health care practitioners to apply a systematic understanding of the patho-physiology and pharmacological management of palliative care conditions and further develop a critical, analytical, and reflective approach to the complexities of holistic symptom management, multi-professional working, empowerment, and specialist decision making.

At the end of the module you will be expected to be able to:

• Act autonomously to apply a systematic understanding of pathophysiology of palliative care symptoms to effectively assess the complex holistic palliative care needs of patient or clients, their families, and other carers.

• Systematically and critically analyse and evaluate the non-pharmacological management of symptoms in palliative care to meet the holistic health and social care needs of patients.

• Applies an in depth knowledge of pharmacological interventions in palliative care symptom management, including a critical and individualised approach to their selection in practice

• Critically explore the complexities of multi-professional working to enable a holistic symptom management approach and improve care outcomes.

• Apply in depth knowledge and critically evaluate ethical, legal, professional, and best practice frameworks to support and empower patients/clients, their families, and other carers to participate in decision making concerning symptom management and access to specialist care services.
More information

Funded places

Please speak to your Practice Educator regarding any HEE CPD funding available within your organisation.

Non-funded places

To apply for a self-funded place please click to complete the application form and send to education@stlukes-hospice.org.uk or post to St Luke’s Education Team, St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, Stamford Lane, Turnchapel, Plymouth, PL9 9XA.

Both Level 6 & 7 modules can be studied as stand-alone CPD short courses or masterclasses. Please contact education@stlukes-hospice.org for further information.

Payment can be made via credit card or invoice request. To make payment by credit card please contact the St Luke’s education administration team on 01752 964250, for invoicing, please submit details with your application form at least four weeks prior to the start date. Please note that payment is required prior to the course start.

Venue: This module is being run online via Zoom. Participants are required to use a computer or laptop with a camera and microphone.

Self-funded application form Study support resources