Palliative care is the dynamic care of patients with advanced, progressive and incurable diseases. As approximately 400,000 Filipinos die each year, many have time to plan on how to cross the line pain-free.  But good palliative care is achievable only through the close collaboration of various healthcare professionals in delivering holistic and personal care to the patient suffering from a lingering illness.

To gain a wider understanding of end-of-life care and advise their students better, six senior faculty members of Southville International School and Colleges (SISC) College of Nursing spearheaded by Dean Carmel Villegas attended the International Conference on Palliative Care held at the Makati Medical Center.  Two prominent international resource speakers, Betty Ferrell, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, CHPN and Nessa Coyle, RN, PhD from the USA, shared their insights and expertise in patient care during their end-of-life experience.

Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing is part of the course requirements in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program of SISC, while there are also modules on Palliative Care Management being offered in the Master of Science in Professional Nursing postgraduate course delivered by Southville Foreign University in partnership with the University of Chester in United Kingdom.