CPD Points
This course is accredited by CMSA with 8 CPD points being 4 General & 4 Ethics
What is covered in the course?
Children’s Palliative Care for EMS Providers equips emergency medical services professionals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to provide excellent emergency care for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions receiving palliative care. The course covers core principles of children’s palliative care, pain and symptom assessment and management in the pre-hospital and out-of-hospital setting, communication with children and families during crises, ethical decision-making (including advance care plans and DNAR orders), and navigating complex situations where palliative and emergency care intersect. Grounded in real-world South African contexts, the training empowers EMS providers to deliver compassionate, appropriate, and child-centred care, even in high-pressure environments.
Importantly, the course also includes a dedicated module on self-care for EMS providers. Recognising the emotional toll of caring for seriously ill and dying children, this module explores practical strategies for building resilience, preventing burnout, managing moral distress, and accessing peer and organisational support.
Course Review
Why take the course on Children’s Palliative Care for EMS Providers?
“Managing a child with palliative care needs as an EMS provider is one of the most complex and emotionally demanding situations we encounter. These calls challenge us clinically, legally, ethically, and personally. We must navigate unique physiological considerations, unclear legalities, distressed and grieving family members, and high-stakes decision-making without training or clear guidance. We feel uncertain, out of our depth, and outside of our comfort zone. And yet we are still expected to handle these situations. Children’s Palliative Care for EMS Providers equips us to do just that. This course provides clear, practical, easy-to-follow guidance tailored to EMS providers. It clarifies your legal responsibilities, strengthens your clinical decision-making and helps you communicate with compassion and confidence. EMS have a major role to play in palliative situations. When handled well, these deeply challenging calls can become moments of profound impact, where we reduce suffering, support families in crisis, and provide care that truly makes a difference.”
Caleb Gage
BTEMC
MPhil EM
PhD EM