The ICPCN has recognised the need to make training on children’s palliative care accessible and affordable to all who need training. Thus we have developed several short courses as part of a longer term strategy of providing e-learning programmes on children’s palliative care.
The first ICPCN VLE, launched in 2011, provided both members and non members with the opportunity to learn more about children’s palliative care by taking the ‘Introduction to Children’s Palliative Care’ course. In addition a pilot course on the then newly released World Health Organization’s Guidelines on the Treatment of Persisting Pain in Children provided those taking the course with the perfect opportunity to learn more about the guidelines. These courses were offered without charge.
The motivation for the move to the new site at http://www.elearnicpcn.org was twofold. The most significant change and improvement is that working on these online courses no longer requires high speed internet as did the former VLE. In addition, the new website is more cost effective in the long term.
Additional courses on offer
Our new website now has a number of recently developed courses to offer potential students, and for now they can still all be accessed without charge. There are also additional requirements for students to complete the courses and receive their certificate. These include reflective exercises for submission; a series of multiple choice or True/False questions that need to be answered after each module within the course and, of most significance, before a certificate will be issued for some courses, the need to undertake practical experience or placement within an ICPCN approved institution in numerous countries around the globe. Courses on offer include:
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Introduction to palliative care for children
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Pain assessment and managment for children: A training module linked to the WHO guidelines for persisting pain
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Communicating with children and emotional issues
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Child development and play in children’s paliative care
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End-of-life care in children’s palliative care
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Grief and bereavement in children’s palliative care
On the successful completion of these courses a certificate of competence is issued. At present the courses are not accredited, however the ICPCN is looking into a number of options to begin the process of gaining accreditation.
Additional languages
To increase relevance and access to the training, a selection of the courses have been translated into a number of languages and this translation process is ongoing. Courses are now available in English, French, Russian, Serbian, and Portuguese. The Spanish translations of courses are close to completion.
Visit the ICPCN website to learn more.
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