[NP-ADPCN] Advanced Diploma in Palliative Care Nursing (ADPCN)

Offered by School of Health Sciences

Advanced Diploma

About Course
Course Structure
Entry Requirements
Financial Matters

About Course

Course Objectives

The Advanced Diploma in Palliative Care Nursing (ADPCN) is a part-time CET course, consist of the following modules:
1) Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making (45hrs)
2) Applied Pathophysiology and Pharmacology (60hrs)
3) Evidence-Based Practice (45hrs)
4) Principles and Practice of Palliative Care (60hrs)
5) Serious Illness Management (60hrs)
6) Symptom Management in Serious Illness (60hrs)
7) Communication and Psychosocial Skills (60hrs)
8) Advanced Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care Nursing 1 (80hrs)
9) Advanced Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care Nursing 2 (320hrs)

Course Description

The main objective of the course is to upskill RNs with palliative care nursing knowledge and skills and prepare them for the job roles of RNs specialising in palliative care nursing at the advanced level. The course objectives of ADPCN (Annex A) are to deepen the knowledge and skills of SDPCN (Annex B) by including pathophysiological, pharmacotherapy and evidence-based nursing management to optimise the care to palliative patients by integrating ethical, social and legal factors.

The proposed ADPCN has three Post-Diploma Certificates (PDCs) with a total of 390 theory and 400 clinical practicum hours. These hours have been mapped to align with the Palliative Nursing Competency Framework (PNCF) and the 2023 National Strategy for Palliative Care (NSPC). This alignment ensures that graduates would acquire the professional palliative nursing competency to achieve optimal patient outcomes through integration of evidence-based practice in the delivery of palliative care. The training hours of the proposed ADPCN are guided by the SNB.

Trainer's Proflle

Jennifer Bao Zhenyuan

Jennifer is a highly skilled nursing professional with extensive expertise in perioperative nursing care, research, and education. She holds a diverse array of qualifications, including a Master of Clinical Research, an Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment, a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education, an Advanced Diploma in Business Management, an Advanced Diploma in Perioperative Nursing, and a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing).

Jennifer honed her clinical skills as a perioperative nurse at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, where she provided exceptional care to patients undergoing surgical procedures. She managed the complexities of the perioperative environment, ensuring patient safety and delivering high-quality care throughout the surgical process.

With over a decade of experience in education, Jennifer seamlessly integrated her clinical expertise with academic rigour, enriching the classroom with real-world insights. Her advanced qualifications in clinical research and business management further enhance her ability to contribute to evidence-based practices, Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses and business development.

Passionate about lifelong learning and professional development, Jennifer is committed to preparing learners to meet the evolving challenges of the healthcare industry, particularly in the fields of perioperative nursing and research.

Tan Hong Yong

Dr. Tan is a medical professional and educator with a unique blend of expertise in both medicine and economics. Holding an MBBS and a Bachelor of Science in Economics, he has developed a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare and education.

With nearly a decade of medical work experience, Dr. Tan understands the complexities and demands of the changing healthcare environment. This extensive clinical background allows him to bring practical insights and real-world applications into his teaching. He teaches full-time and part-time nursing and healthcare-related courses, focusing on health assessment, anatomy and physiology, human biosciences, applied pathophysiology and pharmacology, and biology. His teaching approach lays the foundational knowledge that encourages his learners to think critically and reason so they can provide better care in a dynamic healthcare environment.

He has applied his leadership skills and economic acumen to be instrumental in aligning educational strategies with industry needs, ensuring the modules he is leading are both relevant and forward-thinking.

Dr. Tan’s educational philosophy integrates clinical expertise, economic understanding, and strategic management to prepare students for the multifaceted challenges of modern healthcare. He is committed to fostering a learning environment that encourages critical thinking, innovation, and continuous professional development.

Hazel Lim Wai Ling

Hazel is a nursing professional and educator with a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing). She brings academic nursing foundations and research-related experiences to her role as a polytechnic lecturer, where she has been shaping the minds of future nurses since 2011.

With a five-year diverse work experience in dermatology, renal, and general wards as a nurse, and completed later by several years of research as a research nurse and research assistant, Hazel contributed to impactful studies that have advanced her understanding of various healthcare fields.

Hazel has made contributions to research, particularly in the areas of dementia and healthcare technology. Her published works include "Knowledge and Attitudes towards Dementia among the General Public in Singapore: A Comparative Analysis," featured in Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders in April 2023, and "Introducing a Healthcare-Assistive Robot in Primary Care: A Preliminary Questionnaire Survey," published in Frontiers in Robotics and AI in May 2023. These publications reflect her dedication to exploring innovative solutions and addressing public health issues.

In her teaching role, Hazel provides students with hands-on experience and bridges the gap between theory and practice. Hazel’s combination of clinical experience, research expertise, and teaching excellence makes her an invaluable asset to both her students and the broader healthcare community.


Sabita Zakir Husain

Dr. Sabita is a seasoned medical professional with a rich background in both clinical practice and healthcare education. She holds an MBBS and advanced qualifications, including a Specialist Diploma in Biotechnology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education, and an Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance, combining her medical expertise with strong educational skills.

With over a decade of clinical experience as a medical officer in three different countries, Dr. Sabita has provided comprehensive care to patients across multiple specialties, serving both adult and pediatric populations in various healthcare settings.

In her role as an educator, Dr. Sabita is passionate about sharing her extensive knowledge and experience with future healthcare professionals. She teaches full-time and part-time courses, specialising in anatomy and physiology, applied pathophysiology, pharmacology, and human biosciences. Her teaching approach focuses on building foundational knowledge while encouraging learners to develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills essential for effective patient care.

Dr. Sabita’s diverse experience in medicine and education uniquely equips her to play a significant role in shaping the development of aspiring healthcare professionals, fostering their growth and preparing them for the challenges of the healthcare industry.

Course Structure

TPG course reference No.

TGS-2024048089

Advanced Diploma in Palliative Care Nursing

Post-Diploma Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care Nursing
Advanced Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care Nursing 1 (NP-AACPPCN1)
This module provides the learners with the opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills they have learnt during a 2-week clinical posting at the palliative healthcare setting. The practitioners at the hospices and palliative care settings will guide the learners.
Advanced Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care Nursing 2 (NP-AACPPCN2)
This module provides the learners with the opportunities to further deepen their clinical skills while synthesizing and applying their knowledge and skills at various hospices and in-patient palliative care settings during a 8-week clinical posting. The practitioners at the hospices and palliative care settings will guide the learners.
Post-Diploma Certificate in Advanced Palliative Care Nursing
Communication and Psychosocial Skills (NP-ACPS)
This module examines the psychosocial perspectives in palliative care; focusing on commonly encountered psychosocial needs, including caregiver and bereavement support. Students will explore the challenges of communication with patients of advanced diseases, and the role of nursing in accordance to their preferred care plans.
Principles and Practice of Palliative Care (NP-APPPC)
This module introduces the principles of palliative care, encompasses the knowledge of palliative care services in Singapore and the seamless transition of care across settings through understanding the multi-disciplinary roles. It also aims to ensure the students are able to demonstrate comprehensive history taking and systematic physical assessment of palliative care patients.
Serious Illness Management (NP-ASIM)
This module covers the current understanding of palliative care in common cancers and end stage organ diseases. It includes cancer biology, the diagnosis of common cancers, cancer screening, pathophysiology of non-cancer progressive diseases, general principles, and modalities of treatment for both cancers and non-cancer advanced diseases; focusing on nursing management of patients' unique response and needs.
Symptom Management in Serious Illness (NP-ASMSI)
This module covers the pathophysiology, assessment, and management of common symptoms in serious life- limiting illnesses including common emergencies encountered in palliative care. Students will be able to apply medical and nursing knowledge and skills, in caring for patients with serious life-limiting illness.
Post-Diploma Certificate in Applied Sciences in Advanced Nursing
Applied Pathophysiology and Pharmacology (NP-AAPPX)
This module aims to provide students with knowledge and understanding of pathophysiologic and pharmacologic considerations. This module will enable the students to gain a better understanding of underlying disease processes and relate the basic principles of pharmacology and the nursing process to selected drugs and their therapeutic use.
Evidence-Based Practice (NP-012126)
This module aims to provide the students with the knowledge and application underpinnings the evidence-based practice. Based on the 5 steps of evidence-based practice, the students will learn to convert information into an answerable clinical question (ask), track down best evidence for answering the question (acquire), critically appraise evidence (appraise), integrate evidence into clinical decision making (application), and evaluate and seek ways to improve the next time (audit).
Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making (NP-012124)
This module aims to provide the students with comprehensive foundation and principles of health assessment in clinical nursing practice. It will also provide comprehensive skills necessary to obtain data through complete health history taking and physical examination. Emphasis will be placed on the holistic and comprehensive approach of assessment. Variations of normality in the older persons will be taken into considerations in the assessment findings. Together with the relevant laboratory data, this module also equips the students with necessary knowledge underpinning the skills to make informed clinical decisions.

Entry Requirements

Condition 1

Highest qualification

Polytechnic Diploma And Working experience:Full-time; Health & Social Services; Duration: 2 years
or

Condition 2

Highest qualification

Bachelor's Or Equivalent And Working experience:Full-time; Health & Social Services; Duration: 2 years

Financial matters

Course fees payable (incl. GST & excl. supplementary fee)

Description Post-Diploma Certificate in Applied Sciences in Advanced Nursing Post-Diploma Certificate in Advanced Palliative Care Nursing Post-Diploma Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practicum in Palliative Care Nursing Total course fee
Full Course fee $3,727.80 $5,964.48 $9,940.80 $19,633.08
PR Sponsored by SME $388.17 $621.07 $1,035.12 $2,044.36
Singapore Citizen Sponsored by SME $388.17 $621.07 $1,035.12 $2,044.36
Singapore Citizen Aged 40 & Above $388.17 $621.07 $1,035.12 $2,044.36
Singapore Citizen Aged Below 40 $559.17 $894.67 $1,491.12 $2,944.96
Singapore PR $1,491.12 $2,385.79 $3,976.32 $7,853.23
Long-Term Visit Pass Plus $3,727.80 $5,964.48 $9,940.80 $19,633.08

GST rate

The course fees payable above are inclusive of 9% GST rate.

Payment option

The first payment needs to be made after accepting the offer.

Allowed payment by

Post-Secondary Education Account (Adhoc withdrawal form);SkillsFuture Credits (SFC);Credit card (e-payment);Debit card (e-payment);PayNow (e-payment)

Refund and withdrawal policy

  • Please note that a 100% refund will be available if the withdrawal request is submitted more than or equal to 14 days before the course start date.
  • Please note that a 50% refund will be available if the withdrawal request is submitted less than 14 days before the course start date.
  • Please note that no refund will be available if the withdrawal request is submitted on or after the course start date.