POPLPRAC 772 : Symptom Management in Palliative Care
Medical and Health Sciences
2025 Semester One (1253) (30 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This 30 point course is one of four core courses in the postgraduate Palliative Care specialisation. Due to its strong focus on clinical pain and symptom management it is specifically aimed towards clinically based health professionals who work with patients living with life threatening disease and those who are dying e.g palliative care nurses, aged-care nurses, GPs etc. The overall aim of the course is to provide students with a good understanding the principles of palliative care, and of the key issues around the assessment and management of common symptoms within this population. The course seeks to assist students to become effective advocates for palliative care and symptom management in their respective areas of practice.
Course Contacts
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an ability to effectively manage pain using a recognised holistic palliative care approach when reviewing and writing up a clinical case. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Evaluate and critically reflect on care and treatment with regard to a patient case. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Demonstrate knowledge and application of current best practice and treatment options for common symptoms within the palliative care population. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Demonstrate the application of an holistic palliative care assessment mode, leading to a recognised treatment, and best practice decision. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Evaluate and critically reflect on his or her own personal and/or professional role and practice with regard to a patient case. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Demonstrate appropriate application of cultural safety within your practice. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Case Studies | 7.5% | Individual Coursework |
| Case Studies | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Case Studies | 12.5% | Individual Coursework |
| Oral and written exam | 30% | Group & Individual Examination |
| Assignments | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Assignments | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| 6 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Case Studies | ||||||||||
| Case Studies | ||||||||||
| Case Studies | ||||||||||
| Oral and written exam | ||||||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
On day three there will be an oral and written examination incorporating all that the student has learnt over the preceding seminar days.
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 16-20 hours per week involved in each 30 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect a block of two and half days of lectures, plus half day examination, 16-20 hours per week of reading and thinking about the content and work on assignments.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Lectures will be available as recordings.
Attendance on campus is required for the exam (Day 3).
The activities for the course are scheduled as a block delivery.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
This 30 point paper has been generated from student feedback in previous years.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.