Graduate Certificate - Gerontology and Palliative Care – Interprofessional Practice (GPCN)

The Gerontology and Palliative Care – Interprofessional Practice (GPCN) program is designed to assist Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) to work as part of an inter-professional healthcare team in geriatric and palliative care settings. Students acquire the knowledge and expertise to enhance an individual’s quality of living and dying as part of an end of life process. To meet the individual needs of the client during this transitional phase of their life, students examine current theories and explore best practices to build skills in assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation. Through a combination of classroom instruction and lab, students focus on the importance of communication, spirituality, ethics, law and culturally responsive nursing care for an aging or end-of-life population. Students will have an opportunity to consolidate their classroom learning with one practicum placement in a variety of settings that may include hospital, community, home care or long term care.

Graduates of this program are able to work within their scope of practice in the area of geriatric and palliative care and may find employment opportunities in acute care settings within general hospitals, specialized hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, hospice, palliative care units, and clinics and/or community health services.