Overview
The Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care is a nine‑month academic program consisting of three sequential 5‑credit courses offered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.
Presented by the UW Palliative Care Training Center, it is jointly sponsored by the University of Washington Schools of Nursing and Medicine.
Our curriculum supports participants in developing their expertise in three key areas of palliative care practice: person-centered communication, interprofessional team training, and program sustainability.
Program collaborators include Cambia Health Solutions, Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, and VitalTalk®
Palliative Care students register using the course prefix they would like recorded on their transcript:
- NSG: Nursing
- BH: Bioethics and Humanities
- FAMED: Family Medicine
Autumn
Introduction to Person Centered and Interprofessional Palliative Care
NSG 526/BH 566/FAMED 531 - 5 credits
This course presents the student with the foundational concepts and skills needed to deliver high quality integrated person‐centered palliative care within an interprofessional team. Content includes foundational skills in narrative and person‐centered care in the context of advance care planning and initial palliative care assessments as well as pain and symptom management. Interprofessional practice topics include supporting your team to deliver team based care, and promoting resiliency.
Winter
Advanced Topics in Person Centered and Interprofessional Palliative Care
NSG 527/BH 567/FAMED 532 - 5 credits
This course builds on the foundational skills developed in the first quarter to increase competency in the concepts and skills needed to deliver high quality, integrated, person-centered palliative care within an interprofessional team. Content focuses on advanced skills in narrative and person‐centered care across the continuum of palliative care needs, including facilitating family conferences, caring for the imminently dying patient, and responding to patient/family grief and bereavement. Advanced interprofessional team topics include defining and understanding professional identity, managing conflict, interfacing with non-palliative care teams and recognizing implicit bias.
Spring
Palliative Care Quality Metrics and System Integration
NSG 528/BH 568/FAMED 533 - 5 credits
This course prepares the student to integrate team-based palliative care into a larger system. Specific content includes identifying stakeholders, engaging leadership to support palliative care, and using quality metrics to leverage support and ensure quality of care. Students focus on developing as palliative care champions and leaders. Throughout the program, students identify a change they want to pursue in their practice, workplace, or community. These ideas typically relate to career development, educational initiatives, process improvement, or policy change.