Studying for the European Certificate of Essential Palliative Care at St Gemma’s Hospice
At the St Gemma’s Hospice Academic Unit of Palliative Care, we run educational programmes in a range of palliative care topics for healthcare professionals in Leeds and further afield, including training courses for GPs and district nurses. One of our most popular courses is the European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care (ECEPC), an eight week course of home-based study programme. We are one of only six UK Hospices to host the ECEPC that was developed by Princess Alice Hospice in 2001.
The course is designed to meet the needs of doctors, nurses or allied healthcare professionals who are new to specialist palliative care services or have direct contact with patients requiring a palliative care approach within a generalist setting. The course covers a breadth of topics concerning palliative and end of life care including symptom management, communication skills, ethical issues, and bereavement support.
Jenna’s Story
The ECEPC study programme is also ideal for anyone working in palliative care looking to build their knowledge and progress in their career. Jenna Tate, Nurse Practitioner at St Gemma’s Hospice, recently completed and passed the course.
Jenna explains: “The European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care has proven to be truly invaluable for my clinical practice, helping me to develop my knowledge around the various conditions and diseases that we admit patients with and manage on a daily basis. It has equipped me with the skills and understanding needed to deliver high standard palliative care in a holistic manner.
The course was well suited to my role at the time, and I’d recommend it to any practitioner working in palliative care or in an area where palliative care is undertaken. It has also supported my career progression; my role has changed since completing the course and my learning from the programme has had a truly positive impact on the care I deliver.”
Congratulations Jenna!
How to Apply
If you’d be interested in applying for a place on the ECEPC, there are two cohorts a year commencing in April and September respectively. All candidates are provided with an extensive course handbook, access to a comprehensive virtual learning site, and a facilitator to support you through the eight weeks of study and in writing a portfolio. Apply for the next European Certificate of Essential Palliative Care training course at St Gemma’s Hospice and view our other palliative care courses in Leeds.
Candidates are then required to attend an exam day at St Gemma’s Hospice. The ECEPC award is recognised in national end of life documents.
If you are currently working in a hospice or care home in the UK, you can apply to the Wolfson Foundation (via Hospice UK) to cover part of the cost of this programme. See https://www.hospiceuk.org/what-we-offer/grants/open-grant-programmes for full details.