End of Life Challenges and Palliative Care

Around the world, there is growing interest in palliative care, end of life issues, and the cultural values that surround dying, death, and bereavement. Meanwhile, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become obvious how necessary end of life skills are for all health and social care providers.

On this ten-week microcredential from the University of Glasgow, you’ll be introduced to new critical perspectives from within the social sciences, humanities, and clinical disciplines. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that encourages new ways of thinking, you’ll gain the tools to reflect on your own professional and personal encounters with dying, death, and grief.

Understand historical and cultural expectations of ageing and dying

The way we view death is bound up with its presentation throughout history and in each culture and religion. That means that death is as much a social and cultural as a biological phenomenon.

You’ll start the microcredential by exploring the social construction of death, and different historical and cultural expectations around ageing and dying. You’ll learn how cultural attitudes towards dying and old age influenced policy and clinical responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examine the difficulties of diagnosing dying

Diagnosing dying is not as easy as you might think. You’ll look at difficulties surrounding diagnosis in social and clinical settings, and the implications of these for initiating end of life conversations and planning for death.

You’ll also discuss frailty, dementia and end of life care, examining what the current healthcare system can offer in terms of treatment and understanding.

Investigate evolving approaches to palliative care, assisted dying, and grief

The overarching focus of this microcredential is on how people and healthcare systems are responding to the challenge of delivering end of life care in an ageing world, with a growing global population.

You’ll investigate how end of life practices are evolving, comparing approaches in different countries around the world. You’ll also explore theories of pain, the development of palliative care, and the thorny area of assisted dying.

Last but not least, the tenth week of the programme will look at bereavement care and its connections to palliative care delivery. You’ll examine shifts in the psychology of grief over the last century, and discuss cultural variation in how grief is expressed and understood.

Gain essential skills from health and social care professionals

End of Life Challenges and Palliative Care is led by the University of Glasgow’s End of Life Studies Group, a research and teaching team dedicated to examining end of life issues. This course is supported and approved by the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh (RCPE), and learners who are members of the RCPE will earn 50 CPD Credits upon completion of this microcredential.

By the end of the 10-week programme, you’ll have deepened your own thinking on a range of end of life issues, while gaining the training and credentials you need to work in palliative care.

How will this microcredential help to develop my career?

“Managing end of life and applying palliative care skills” has been recognised as a vital skill for postgraduate medical training. This means there is an increased demand for clinicians in the UK and abroad to gain additional skills in this area.

You’ll gain in-depth knowledge and demonstrable expertise in an increasingly crucial medical and social field. You’ll also enhance your communication skills and your ability to discuss the complex ethical issues around dying, death, and bereavement. Finally, you’ll be better able to think critically about how the dying are treated socially and clinically, and the importance of meaning-making at the end of life.

These crucial critical thinking and communication skills will help to inform your clinical practice and heighten your understanding of global inequalities relating to the relief of suffering at the end of life.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a single assignment at the end of the course (Week 10): a 2000-word reflective report. In the report, you will draw on course materials and on your professional and/or personal experience to critically reflect on and connect ideas presented in the course. This will be worth 100% of the grade.

What will I receive after completing this microcredential?

Upon successful completion of this microcredential, you’ll receive 10 postgraduate level academic credits and a HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Record) from the University of Glasgow. Members of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh (RCPE) will receive 50 CPD credits upon completion.