Elderly person in a wheelchair in a health facility hallway while a caregiver in scrubs has one hand on their shoulder and the other on their hand

Provide quality, end-of-life health care to the elderly

Gerontology and Palliative Care – Interprofessional Practice Ontario College Graduate Certificate program

Create and deliver customized treatment plans to maintain and promote physical, mental and emotional health of geriatric and palliative clients and family.

Program code GPCN
Duration 1 Year
Credential Ontario College Graduate Certificate
Program Delivery Full-time
Program delivery method(s) In person What does this mean?

Program information

Program description

This 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. 

Intake information

Start dateCampus
Winter 2025 Barrie
Summer 2025 Orangeville

Tuition and fees

Work-integrated learning

  • This program includes a clinical placement component where you’ll get clinical experience under the supervision of an experienced registered or licensed professional.
  • Learn about types of work-integrated learning at Georgian.

What are the admission requirements for the Gerontology and Palliative Care program?

Gerontology and Palliative Care – Interprofessional Practice admission requirements

Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma, Degree, or equivalent in nursing 

Selection Process
Preference will be given to applicants with the following:
 
  • Post-secondary degree in nursing from an accredited nursing education program
  • Current registration with the nursing regulatory body in their home province/state and or country (i.e. letter, membership card, etc.) 

Additionally, priority will be given to students who have graduated from Georgian’s Complex Care Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses program.

Language Proficiency Requirement

The English proficiency requirement can be met through:

Criminal Reference/Vulnerable Sector Check

Placement agencies require an up-to-date clear criminal reference check and vulnerable sector check prior to going out on placement. Students should obtain their criminal reference three months prior to placement; checks conducted earlier may not be considered current. As some jurisdictions require longer lead-time for processing, please check with the program coordinator to ensure you allow for sufficient turn-around time. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the completed document prior to placement start.

NOTE: Individuals who have been charged or convicted criminally and not pardoned will be prohibited from proceeding to a clinical or work placement.

Additional information

Students must have up-to-date immunization records in compliance with the Public Hospitals Act. Students must also have a valid mask fit test, BLS CPR and Standard First Aid. Students are to use the Clinical Preparedness Permit to document completion of these clinical requirements.

Completion and submission of this permit is required in order to ensure placement in clinical and field placement facilities.

Students will be placed in a variety of agencies in the region serviced by the campus. Students are required to provide their own transportation to the placement site.

Information about placement requirements

To help you navigate the requirements to complete the clinical placement component(s) of this program (e.g. immunization, First Aid and CPR, criminal record screening and other non-academic requirements), please review the details below.

For more information about placements, visit the Placement Offices webpage.

Placement requirementsGeorgian College Chevron

In order to provide quality practicum placements (“Placements”), students are placed in a variety of agencies, largely in the region serviced by the campus. Students are required to provide their own transportation to Placements. Placements may vary in length (e.g. six to 12 hour days) and may include weekends and evenings, with varying start and end times (e.g. day, afternoon, overnight).

Many programs, including Health and Wellness, have immunization, First Aid and CPR, criminal record screening and  other non-academic requirements that need to be met prior to Placements starting. You are responsible for carefully reviewing and meeting these requirements. The failure to meet them may mean that the host agency may refuse to accept you for a Placement or, if you have started one, that you may be prevented from continuing. The result may be that you cannot complete your program. Program-specific requirements can be found on page 2 of the Clinical Preparedness Permit specific to your program.

You are responsible for meeting all immunization, criminal screening and other requirements by the deadline provided by your program and before you start your Placement.

Notes regarding the Criminal Record Check (“CRC”) and Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS)

Individuals who have been charged or convicted criminally and not yet pardoned or who have adverse entries on their CRC or VSS will be prohibited from proceeding to a Placement. Such a student will normally be counselled to withdraw from the program because the successful completion of a Placement is a program requirement.

Obtaining the CRC and VSS usually requires a processing time of up to 12 weeks and can vary between police jurisdictions. As some jurisdictions require longer lead time for processing, ensure you allow for sufficient turn-around time. Record checks and screenings conducted earlier than six months may not be considered current and not be acceptable. Refer to your Clinical Preparedness Permit for information regarding this. A host agency may refuse a Placement if the CRC or VSS is not satisfactory to it. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the necessary completed documents prior to the start of a Placement at the designated check time, and in the format set by Georgian College and stated in the Clinical Preparedness Permit Information Package. More information can be found on the Placement Offices webpage.

The costs associated with the provision of the CRC and VSS, anything related to them (including, if applicable, obtaining a pardon), and meeting any immunization and other Placement requirements, are to be borne by the student. The non-academic requirements of clinical agencies as described in the Clinical Preparedness Permit are subject to change at any time and host agencies may accept or decline students for any reason at their discretion. Georgian College  is not responsible for any of the costs associated with the foregoing, nor for the consequences of failing to comply with, any of the requirements set out above.  

What career paths can I take in geriatrics and palliative health care?

Your Gerontology and Palliative Care graduate certificate gives you many career opportunities

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.

What courses are included in the Gerontology and Palliative Care graduate certificate program?

Course overview

11 Program Courses
1 Clinical Placement

Program-specific courses

Semester 1 courses are listed below. For a full list of courses in the program including course descriptions, view the Gerontology and Palliative Care – Interprofessional Practice program outline.

  • GPCN 1000 – Introduction to Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • GPCN 1002 – Pathophysiology of Aging
  • GPCN 1003 – Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Aging
  • GPCN 1004 – Special Topics in Geriatrics
  • GPCN 1012 – Gerontology Integrated Seminar
  • GPCN 1014 – Gerontology and Palliative Care Nursing Skills and Assessments

Your course delivery method(s)

In person

This program is delivered fully in person and requires you to attend campus.

Please note, delivery methods are based on planning for the upcoming semester and are subject to change.

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