Date: 6 February 2025 to 18 September 2025
Venue: contact teaching and e-learning 
Time: refer to full programme

Final Written Examination: 14 October 2025

 Contact Certificate Course in Palliative Nursing 
 E-Learning Certificate Course in Palliative Nursing

Course fee is
R 30, 000.00 (Inclusive of VAT)
• A non-refundable deposit of R1000 payable on registration
• The balance of R29, 000.00 is payable by 31 March 2025

Closing date for registration is: Friday 29 November 2024

This course is open to all professional and enrolled nurses currently registered with the South African Nursing Council.

It is recommended that the blended e-learning student have access to computers and is computer literate.

Course content:

Course work is divided into 4 modules.

  • Module 1: Principles and practice of palliative care.
  • Module 2: Theory and practice of symptom control.
  • Module 3: Communication skills in palliative care.
  • Module 4: Theory and practice of psychosocial, spiritual and supportive care.

In order to receive a certificate of competence learners need to meet the following requirements:

Contact sessions and on-line learning

• Attend 3 contact sessions at a hospice training centre.
o One full day of orientation. If unable to attend orientation day, alternative arrangements will be made to communicate via skype or teleconferencing.
o One compulsory oral assessment OSCE at the nearest Centre of Palliative Care Learning by arrangement with the student's Educator.
o One compulsory day of final summative exam.
• Must engage in a minimum of 80% of all forum discussions on-line according to each of the four modules.
(The course content will be available on-line and the learners will receive hard copy manuals (1-4), an assessment guide and a workplace task booklet.)

Clinical Work

  • 60 hours of clinical work must be completed at approved sites. These hours are in addition to the contact and on-line learning time. (Learners are advised to discuss this with their employers.)

Learner assessments

  • Assessment of learning is integrated into the course.
  • Assignments are submitted to Nurse Educators electronically, by mail or by hand where feasible.

Workplace tasks

  • Learners are required to complete prescribed palliative nursing tasks within their own work environment

Communication assessment

  • A role play interview is used to assess communication skills and attitudes.

Final written examination

  • This is an examination conducted nationally.
  • Learners must successfully complete prescribed minimum standards in order to write the examination.

A digital certificate of completion will be issued to participants on successful completion of the course.

For more information or to register email ce.administration@uct.ac.za