HPCA course bookings for the online version of 'Introduction to Palliative Care for Professionals' are open for 2022

The 14th February course however is now open for bookings.

The eLearning format encompasses a 10-week online interactive experience. The areas covered include overviews of palliative, respite, end of life and hospice care together with the fundamentals and principles of palliative care, identification of patients requiring palliative care, pain and symptom management, caregiver attributes, values and self-awareness and ethics, et al. The course cost is R6,200 and is relevant for medical officers, registered professional nurses, social workers and allied healthcare workers.

The content has been generated with adult education principles in mind and provides a basic overview of palliative care and to orientate and introduce health care providers to palliative care processes and principles. It encompasses the identification and treatment of symptoms that can be physical, emotional, spiritual or social. 


The training is accredited by the Health Professionals Council of South Africa, registered at the University of Cape Town as an attendance short course (NQF Level 7) and endows 30 CPD points (including 5 ethics CPD points). All delegates who complete the course successfully will be awarded with a certificate of completion.

The course is ongoing, with each training session commencing as soon as a minimum of 10 (maximum of 20) participants are registered.

Some of the feedback received from current students: “The course provided insight both academically and personally by expanding my knowledge into the field of life, death and the dying process,” and “…I want (colleagues) to know about palliative care because in the unit we admit patients who need to be referred for palliative care and although we have palliative facilities, my colleagues are not aware of how this facility functions. In this year, there are a lot of patients who have been diagnosed with palliative related disease.”


“We are committed to growing the reach of palliative care within South Africa,” says Ewa Skowronska, CEO of the HPCA. “To do so requires advancements and increases in many areas particularly funding. However, another critical component is that of professionally qualified resources who both understand and are able to deliver the life enhancing palliative care so desperately needed by so many diagnosed with life threatening or life limiting illnesses. We are honoured to be able to offer this course to the many professionals who wish to expand the reach of this vital care nationwide.”

For more information, please contact Ms Amanda Sables on az.oc.acph@adnama or click here to get more detailed information or send an enquiry.