96827 Optimising End-of-life Communication within Complex and Diverse Situations
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Credit points: 3 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksDescription
This subject prepares students with specialised knowledge and skills to engage in complex end-of life communication within complex and diverse situations or populations. Students develop advanced communication skills to improve and strengthen partnerships critical to optimal end-of-life care and service development. Elements of the subject prioritise the palliative care considerations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This subject is centred around creativity, innovation and advocacy, supported by evidence-based frameworks, to enable optimal end-of-life care, irrespective of care setting inclusive of hospital, aged care, community, prisons and disability services.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Demonstrate effective communication and advocacy for patients with complex palliative care needs, and their families/carers irrespective of care setting or diversity of needs |
|---|---|
| B. | Justify optimal considerations for delivering culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with palliative care needs and services engaged in such care provision |
| C. | Argue the importance of inter-disciplinary collaborative teamwork, partnerships and service development based on principles of collaboration, openness, respect and empowerment to optimise palliative care provision across the health system |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Work creatively to optimise the provision of person-centred care (1.3)
- Communicate expertly to ensure optimal palliative care practice, research, policy and education outcomes (2.1)
- Demonstrate effectiveness and sensitivity when communicating with diverse populations (2.2)
- Develop and strengthen partnerships critical to palliative care delivery and service development (2.3)
- Create models based on principles of collaboration, openness, respect, empowerment, and shared decision-making (3.1)
- Design, participate in and evaluate inter-professional collaborative opportunities (3.2)
- Work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) leaders and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to develop culturally empowered, equitable and responsive palliative care (6.4)
Teaching and learning strategies
Class Preparation
Learning the specialised knowledge and skills involved in optimising complex and diverse communication at the end-of-life will occur through engagement with online modules and Zoom meetings with a focus on knowledge development, practice and consolidation. The online learning platform ‘Canvas’ will be used to facilitate the delivery of two online modules, with expert videos interspersed throughout and subject announcements. There will be regular online Zoom meetings where the team of interprofessional tutors and students meet for up to an hour. To enable a richer learning experience when interacting with other students and speakers, students will be required to prepare for Zoom sessions in advance by reading, watching videos, and completing online tasks prior to attending.
Enquiry-based Learning
Students will be engaged in interactive learning activities, such as communication skills activities, simulated discussions with patients, families/carers and/or inter-professional colleagues and review of complex scenarios via discussion boards and Zoom forums. Clinically realistic case studies and scenarios, drawn from practice and reflecting complex end-of-life care and diverse population needs, will be provided to facilitate learning. Activities will include collaboration with other students in problem-based learning activities, working in small groups to ‘practice’ complex communication within a safe environment supported both by peers and academic staff as well as interactive online activities to assist students to review and appraise different approaches to communication. Particular focus on enabling cultural safety within this learning environment will be prioritised as the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders for optimal end-of-life care is explored. Feedback will be provided for small group Zoom activities, assessment activities and written work.
Developing Communication Skills
Students will clarify complex concepts during Zoom sessions and via engagement in interactive online activities. Case
studies and real examples from practice will be used to facilitate discussion, learning and development of toolkits for each student to use within their own scope of practice.
Critical Appraisal
Students will critically appraise their own knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, practice, and communication during Zoom sessions and via engagement in interactive online activities.
Indigenous Graduate Attribute
Consultation and collaboration with academic colleagues (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) working to enable the development of the Indigenous Graduate Attribute within a strengths-based approach and founded with the framework of Respect, Engagement and Sharing and Moving Forward (REM) informs all online learning activities and related assessment work.
Content (topics)
Online Modules
The content of this subject has been organised to enable development of knowledge in relation to optimal communication with and advocacy for people with end-of-life care needs, and their families/carers across a diverse range of care settings. Module 1 focuses on diversity of need and module 2 on diversity of care setting. The opportunity to discuss and consolidate skill development in relation to complex communication approaches for patients with palliative care needs, their families/carers and with interdisciplinary colleagues across diverse settings is prioritised.
Subject content will be structured within two modules as follows:
- Module 1 – Optimal communication at the end-of-life for people with diverse needs
- Module 2 – Optimal communication at the end-of-life for people within diverse care settings
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Developing an action plan for change: optimising end-of-life care for Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
| Intent: | This assessment contributes to student learning by enabling students to consider learnings from key resources, contextualise these to their local work environments and develop an evidence-based action plan to optimise end-of-life care for Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B and C This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 and 6.4 |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 1500 words |
Assessment task 2: Effective end-of-life communication
| Intent: | This assessment contributes to student learning by confirming their ability to effectively communicate with and advocate for patients with end-of-life care needs, their families or interdisciplinary colleagues to enable optimal care, irrespective of care setting or identified need. In addition, this assessment assists students to appraise their learning across the subject and identify opportunities to strengthen this informed by the principles of lifelong learning. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A and C This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.3, 2.1, 2.2 and 3.2 |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | Maximum 10-minute role play and 400-word critical appraisal of subject learning. |
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