Advanced Palliative Practice Skills – APPS

Online Course

The Advanced Palliative Practice Skills (APPS) program includes up-to-date, best practice and evidence-informed palliative care knowledge, utilizing the innovative Partnering for Palliative Education learning environment, powered by D2L Brightspace

Due to continuous changes in hospice and palliative care, we recommend re-taking APPS every five years.

New Online Format

Learners work at their own pace within an 8-week timeframe!

Learners will read and interact with the course modules, and they must achieve 100% on each module’s quiz for the subsequent modules to become visible and accessible to them.

Once learners have completed the eight Learning Modules and Quizzes, they will be eligible to apply for the APPS Culminating Session via Zoom. The mandatory Culminating Session provides case-based learning opportunities for applying knowledge and skills to practice.

Eligibility & Pre-requisites

Learners must:

  • be Personal Support Workers (PSW) or a Health Care Aides to register. APPS is designed for PSWs & Health Care Aides who have an interest in enhancing their knowledge and skills related to palliative and end-of-life care.
  • have completed Fundamentals of HPC (or Equivalent ) within the past five years.  Proof is required – please submit your Fundamentals certificate here.

Not sure if APPS is for you?

There is a significant amount of course work required in APPS.  Please review the following in detail:

Course Content

Click on the “+” signs below to reveal more course details.

The online APPS course builds upon the Fundamentals of HPC Program, and focuses on the PSW’s scope of practice as it relates to the foundational concepts of HPC.. Participants will learn/develop skills and strategies for:

  • enhancing communication with the person, family, and team members
  • effective team functioning and self-care
  • relieving common end-of-life symptoms.
    • APPS is designed for PSWs & Health Care Aides who have an interest in enhancing their knowledge and skills related to palliative and end-of-life care.
    The new APPS curriculum includes: Learn more

    • Eight Learning Modules
      • Interactive Activities
      • Case Studies
      • Self-Checks & Quizzes
    • One Virtual Culminating Classroom Session (2.5 hours)
    Learners will read and interact with the course modules, and they must achieve 100% on each module's quiz for the subsequent modules to become visible and accessible to them. Once learners have completed all modules and quizzes, they will be eligible to attend a 2.5-hr Culminating Classroom Session on Zoom.
    $40.00 This course fee is non-refundable and non-transferrable.

    We are able to offer affordable, quality, and high-value palliative care courses for health care providers, in Waterloo Wellington, due to government subsidies received by our program.

    • Certificates will be issued upon successful completion of all course components. Incomplete attendance or non-participation (e.g., camera off, multitasking) may affect the issuing of the APPS learner certificate.
    • Course/Class Cancellations/Changes - see Education Alerts page
    • Course IPAQ Requirements - see Education Alerts page
     

    Course Availability & Registration Information

    Printable Flyer  Due to summer vacation schedules, no courses are scheduled to begin June-August

    • Please review all details above prior to signing up for APPS!
    • Learners will have approximately six weeks to complete all the required course components.
    • Learners must complete all online course work and attend one Culminating classroom session to receive an APPS Certificate of Completion.

    APPS Courses

    On the course start date, learners will be contacted by Brightspace with login details for the learning platform. 

    Course Offerings Course Start Culminating Sessions
    Fall 2026
    Register Now    		 Sep 8, 2026 Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026
    Winter 2027
    Register Now    		 Jan 11, 2027 Feb 22-Mar 8, 2027
    Contact Us

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