This course focuses on teaching health care professionals how to recognize and assess the impact of grief and loss on their practice, and apply effective communication and coping mechanisms to reduce the risk of empathy fatigue.

The main mechanisms to facilitate learning in this course will entail eLearning and six 1.5 hour weekly real time videoconference sessions. Lecture and case based interactive learning will allow participants to explore a variety of key learning themes.

Course Syllabus

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the types of grief experiences and their specific impacts on health care professionals;
2. Apply tools for self-assessment to recognize indicators signaling difficulties in coping and managing grief and loss;
3. Plan communication strategies to facilitate coping and build a support systems to facilitate work life balance.

Course Requirements

To receive your certificate and a 0.25 credit toward your de Souza designation, you are required to:

1. Complete a pre-course evaluation
2. Submit a personal Clinical scenario
3. Participate fully in at least 4 out of 6 live sessions
4. Complete the final assignment
5. Complete a post-course evaluation

MODE OF LEARNING

The main mechanisms to facilitate learning in this course will entail eLearning and Six 1.5 hours "Live" sessions with a faculty facilitator once each week using real time video conference (e.g. Zoom) (“Live Classroom”) starting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30  p.m. EASTERN TIME (Toronto Canada)  Live sessions are mandatory for this course. We realize that being available for all six live classroom sessions may be difficult due to unforeseen circumstances so we allow up to 2 missed sessions.  The live sessions are recorded for you to review at any time after the session.

• Monday, March 31, 2025 – Access to the eLearning Centre and on-line course material
  
  
• Tuesday, April 8, 2025  – 1^st live session 
  
  
• Tuesday, April 15, 2025 – 2^nd  "Live Session"
  
  
• Tuesday, April 22, 2025 – 3^rd "Live Session"
  
  
• Tuesday, April 29, 2025 - 4^th “Live Session”
  
  
• Tuesday, May 6, 2025 – 5^th "Live Session"
  
  
• Tuesday, May 13, 2025 – 6^th "Live Session"
  
  
• Monday, May 26, 2025 – e-Learning closes

To be successful in completing this course, you are encouraged to set aside 2 to 3 hours each week to participate in live sessions and complete weekly readings and discussion form postings. The total learning hours for this course is 13 hours.

To view the full course syllabus and course timeline, please click HERE

Eligibility

This course is designed for regulated health care professionals in hospitals, cancer centres and the community who provide care to those expe­riencing cancer, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, spiritual care providers and others.