Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE IHC3016

 
TITLE Death, Dying and Care

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Faculty of Health Sciences

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit focuses on current attitudes to death and dying and developing an awareness of how historical and cultural factors have shaped our personal understanding of death, as well as influence our professional practice. It will also introduce the student to a palliative approach to end of life care, which aims to improve quality of life and places an equal emphasis on the patient's physical, psychosocial and spiritual comfort. Additionally, relevant ethical and legal issues will also be explored, as will the role of the family, the community and the concepts of loss, grief and bereavement. The teaching approach utilized will attempt to enhance both the affective, as well as the cognitive dimension of the learners, through a combination of lectures and online activities, such as discussions, reflection exercises and problem-based learning.

Study-unit Aims:

The aim of this study-unit is to enable the students to develop the knowledge and skills that would allow them to provide humane and compassionate end of life care, through a consideration of the various personal and professional dimensions of death and dying and an understanding of a palliative approach to care.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of death and dying and related issues;
- Demonstrate a self-awareness of one's own attitude to death and how this has been shaped by historical and sociocultural factors; and
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the principles that guide a palliative approach to care and the associated practice.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Assess how one's own attitude affects their end of life care provision, through the process of reflexivity;
- Utilise the learnt interpersonal skills to carry out a comprehensive and holistic assessment of patients with life-limiting disease, and their families; and
- Devise and implement an individualized care plan that addresses the patient and loved ones’ physical, practical, psychosocial and spiritual domains.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Recommended Reading

- Earle, S, Komaromy, C & Bartholomew, C (Eds) (2009). Death and Dying: A Reader. London, Sage Publications.
- Gawande, A. (2015) Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and what Matters in the end.
- Faull, C & Woof R (2002). Palliative Care. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- Kalanithi, P. (2016). When Breath becomes Air.
- Addington-Hall, J.M & Higginson, I (Eds) (2001). Palliative Care for Non-Cancer Patients. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- Jansen LA (2006). Death in the Clinic. USA, Rowman & Littlefields Publishers Inc.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES **September Assessment Session: Students may be allowed to sit for this assessment in September as long as they do sufficiently well in the actual online discussions.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture & Independent Online Learning

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Online Moderated Discussions and Postings SEM2 ** 50%
Assignment SEM2 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Joanna Depares

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit