CURRICULUM
Learning Outcomes
- Communication Skills
The PC Community Specialist demonstrates expertise in relationship centered communication theory and skills to gather and share information, negotiate shared decision making and plans of care, and sustain relationships with palliative care patients/families and healthcare providers.
- Expert Symptom Management Skills
The PC Community Specialist demonstrates expert clinical judgment in performing a comprehensive patient assessment, leading to diagnosis development, implementation, and ongoing reassessment with modification of effective, evidence-based care plans utilizing the skills and expertise of the interdisciplinary team (IDT), for all distressing symptoms experienced by patients with any serious illness.
- Ethics, Advocacy, and Legal Aspects of Care
The PC Community Specialist incorporates knowledge of ethical and legal aspects of palliative care into practice by exhibiting the highest professional standards and by advocating for the rights of patients/families to access optimal palliative care.
- Spiritual, Religious and Existential Aspects of Care
As part of the IDT, the PC Community Specialist demonstrates and promotes spiritually sensitive care, respecting diversity in all forms, for patients/families and other health care professionals.
- Social and Cultural Aspects of Care
As part of the IDT, the PC Community Specialist demonstrates respect for diverse communities through culturally sensitive skills, recognizing how social and economic barriers and challenges impact the delivery of health care services.
- Psychological Aspects of Care
As part of the IDT, the PC Community Specialist effectively addresses psychological concerns, and promotes access to expanded resources for all patients/families living with any serious illness.
- Integration of Palliative Care for patients throughout the course of any serious illness in all venues
The PC Community Specialist effectively advocates to provide evidence-based palliative care for patients/families and supports and develops expanded resources for all patients/families living with any serious illness.
- Effective Palliative Care Educator
The PC Community Specialist demonstrates knowledge, skills, and applies adult learning principles when providing palliative care education to patients, families, healthcare professionals, and the community.
- Systems Thinking
The PC Community Specialist demonstrates understanding of the healthcare system to effectively manage and utilize resources to support patients/families living with any serious illness and advocates for the reform of healthcare systems to provide optimal palliative care.
Courses
To fulfill the requirements for a Master of Science in Palliative Care, students must successfully complete 36 credit hours over a minimum of 2 years but not to exceed 7 years (although students may choose a pace that fits their lifestyle). Students seeking the Interprofessional Graduate Certificate will complete the first 12 credit hours.
YEAR ONE: 15 CREDIT HOURS (PALLIATIVE CARE CERTIFICATE AWARDED UPON COMPLETION OF INITIAL 12 CREDITS)
Fall
Online Instruction and Intensive
Core Concepts, Principles, & Communication Skills
Basic Pain Assessment & Management: IDT Care
6 credit hours
Spring
Online Instruction
IDT symptom management: Part A
IDT symptom management: Part B
6 credit hours
Summer
Online Instruction and Intensive
Communication Skill Refinement: IDT Collaboration
3 credit hours
YEAR TWO: 15 CREDIT HOURS
Fall
Online Instruction
Advanced Illness in Special Settings: Part A
Advanced Illness in Special Settings: Part B
6 credit hours
Spring
Online Instruction
Advanced Illness in Special Settings: Part C
Advanced Concepts in Pain Management
6 credit hours
Summer
Online Instruction and Intensive
Palliative Care Integration & Advanced Communication
Capstone (See Capstone Preparation)
3 credit hours
CAPSTONE PREPARATION: 6 CREDIT HOURS
Two courses offered all year: Capstone Project Preparation, Capstone Project & Presentation
Description of Courses
Technology Requirements
MSPC Program Computer Requirement
The program highly recommends that each student have a laptop computer with the following specifications:
- 64-bit quad core CPU
- OpenGL-compatible graphics card (with at least 1 GB RAM)
- SSD drive (solid state drives are much faster than ordinary drives, but hold less data)
- Assess to reliable high speed internet
- Camera, speaker and microphone for participation in on-line seminars
Computer Operating Systems and Internet Browsers
Didactic coursework is managed through the Canvas program connected to CU Online. Canvas is designed to work on either PC or Mac computers and supports Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Software
Microsoft Office® software version 2003 or later is required, including Microsoft Word® and PowerPoint®. Many of the courses use slide shows developed using PowerPoint. Having the full program makes it possible to modify slides to black and white for printing, to reformat the slides as note pages or handout formats, and to make other helpful modifications. Students will be required to prepare PowerPoint slides in at least one course. Microsoft Office software is available at discounted rates through the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Bookstore as either the standard or professional version. Other software in the Microsoft Office package is not required.
Adobe Acrobat® is required to read and print some of the handouts and papers students receive as PDF files. A free downloadable version is available on Adobe's web site.
Internet Access
High-speed access, such as cable or DSL, is not absolutely required but highly recommended. Students will download many large files from the Internet to the computer and access video conferencing.
Attendance to the program is dependent on internet access. Because the online course work is available wherever there is Internet access, it is usually possible to accomplish coursework, even when away from home.