Hospice Africa Uganda Courses Offered

  Diploma in Clinical Palliative Care
The diploma in clinical palliative care is a one year full time course that provides clinical officers and nurses with the skill set needed to prescribe morphine and provide palliative care. This course combines theoretical course work with an intense field training. This course is key to educating experienced health workers in the field of palliative care that they become focal persons for the provision of this vital care in their communities.

Programme Content

The one year course based at IHPCA with students gaining extensive practical experience in assessing and managing pain, symptom management and providing psychosocial support. This experience includes time spent at HAU hospices, which are located in both urban and rural settings. In the last two months of this course, students return to their districts to conduct palliative care using their newly acquired skills. This includes advocating within their communities, informing and educating colleagues about palliative care and conducting an approved research project. At the end of this two month period students will have created a plan for the continuation and expansion of palliative care provision in their area. Upon completion of the required elements students will graduate as accredited palliative care providers able to offer holistic care, including the prescription of needed medications.

Admission requirements

Health professionals including Medical Clinical Officers, Clinical Ophthalmic Officers, Dental Officers, Psychiatry Clinical Officers, Pharmacy Technicians, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Medical Officers, Registered Nurses/Midwives, registered Comprehensive Nurses and other related health science courses.

Applicants must:

• Provide certified copies of required professional and academic qualifications.
• Have a minimum of two years post professional qualification.
• Possess an Ordinary Level Certificate of Education or its equivalent with at least five passes obtained at the same sitting.
• Possess an Advanced Level Certificate of Education or its equivalent with at least one principal pass and two subsidiary passes obtained at the same sitting.
• Provide two recommendations, one of which should be a current supervisor.

Tuition

The tuition for this one year course is $4,500 and covers:

• Registration
• Tuition
• Examination fees
• Accommodation and meals during residence

  Diploma in Palliative Care
The diploma in palliative care is a one year distance learning diploma programme open to clinical practitioners with an interest in palliative care. It targets a diverse audience and attracts students from across Africa. This one year program has been a highly successful effort to expand knowledge about palliative.

Key to this programme is for graduates to not only understand the clinical components of palliative care but to have the ability to train others, advocate within their communities and develop palliative care services where none currently exist.

Programme Content

The diploma programme is a one year course with two semesters and a recess term. There is a residential four week face-to-face session in Uganda at the beginning of the year, a four-week clinical placement in their respective countries within the year, and an examination week at the end of each semester. The remaining time is spent in distance learning where the students use an online platform (moodle) to access materials, communicate with lecturers and submit assignments.

Admission Requirements

Bachelors and Diploma holders including Clinical Officers, Clinical Ophthalmic Officers, Clinical Dental Officers, Psychiatry Clinical Officers, Pharmacy Technicians, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Medical Officers, Social Workers, Registered Nurses/Midwives, Registered Comprehensive Nurses and other with relevant health science qualifications are welcome to apply.

Applicants must:

• Provide certified copies of required professional and academic qualifications.
• Have a minimum of two years post professional qualification.
• Possess an Ordinary Level Certificate of Education or its equivalent with at least five passes obtained at the same sitting.
• Possess an Advanced Level Certificate of Education or its equivalent with at least one principal pass and two subsidiary passes obtained at the same sitting.
• Provide two recommendations, one of which should be a current supervisor.

Tuition

The one year diploma in palliative care course costs $5,400 per year and includes:

• Registration
• Tuition
• Examination fees
• Accommodation

Students are encouraged to seek for support to secure funds for tuition. There are limited scholarships available through IHPCA for students in need of financial support.

   Bachelors of Science in Palliative Care
The Bachelor of Science in palliative care is a three year distance learning programme open to clinical practitioners with an interest in palliative care. It is aimed at a diverse audience and attracts students from across Africa. This programme is offered by IHPCA in affiliation with Makerere University; IHPCA teaches this programme with Makerere University conferring the degree, upon successful completion of the course works.

Key to this programme is for graduates to not only understand the clinical components of palliative care but to have the ability to train others, advocate within their communities and develop palliative care services where none currently exist.

Programme Content

The Bachelor of Science programme is a three year course with six semesters and two recess terms. There are residential four week face-to-face sessions in Uganda at the beginning of each year, a four-week clinical placement in their respective countries each year, and an examination week at the end of each semester. The remaining time is spent in distance learning where the students use an online platform (Moodle) to access materials, communicate with lecturers and submit assignments.

A research project is carried out by each student in the third year which is in line with the research requirements and practices of IHPCA and Makerere University.

Admission Requirements

There are two levels of entry onto this programme.

Entry at year one:

Bachelors and Diploma holders including Clinical Officers, Clinical Ophthalmic Officers, Dental Officers, Psychiatry Clinical Officers, Pharmacy Technicians, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Medical Social Workers, Registered Nurses/Midwives, Registered Comprehensive Nurses and other relevant health science qualifications.

Entry at year two:

• Holders of a diploma in palliative care from Makerere University/IHPCA.
• Holders of a diploma in palliative care from a recognized institution of higher learning.

Applicants must:

• Provide certified copies of required professional and academic qualifications.
• Have a minimum of two years post professional qualification.
• Possess an Ordinary Level Certificate of Education or its equivalent with at least five passes obtained at the same sitting.
• Possess an Advanced Level Certificate of Education or its equivalent with at least one principal pass and two subsidiary passes obtained at the same sitting.
• Provide two recommendations, one of which should be a current supervisor.

Tuition

The three years Bachelor of Science in palliative care course costs $5,400 per year and this includes:

• Registration
• Tuition
• Examination fees
• Accommodation