Department of Health

Education and training

Education and training

Education and training of clinicians includes:

  • the acute health service’s commitment, at orientation, to ongoing education in end of life and palliative care for all clinicians
  • orientation to mortality and morbidity review processes, with a focus on end of life care
  • identification of patients in their last 12 months of life or less
  • identification and review of goals of care
  • communication skills
  • advance care planning
  • escalation process for staff who have concerns about the a patient's end of life care
  • ethical and legal issues related to end of life care
  • managing the distress of patients, their families, and carers
  • self-care and care for other health professionals
  • appropriate prescribing and de-prescribing, based on prognosis and the ‘burden or harm versus benefit’
  • cultural competence, for example, relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LBGTI) community
  • skilled clinicians modelling good practice and mentoring staff.

Training methods might include face-to-face and online techniques, reflective learning, case studies, death reviews and supervised clinical practice.

Health services should ensure appropriate education and training through means including:

Education of all new staff, particularly rotating junior medical staff, honorary medical officers, and visiting medical officers (general practitioners), occurs:

  • at orientation
  • through the annual review of scope of practice
  • during accreditation.

Reviewed 19 April 2024

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