Nursing: Children’s Palliative Care/Complex Care (MSc/PDip)

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Course Overview
Key Facts
Course Outline
Why Choose This Course?
Course Fees
Find Out More

Course Overview

The Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences (Children’s Palliative / Complex Care) is facilitated by both the teaching teams at University of Galway and UCD. The programme designed for Registered Nurses working with children and adolescents with complex or life limiting conditions. The programme aims to provide students with the necessary in-depth evidence-based knowledge, skills and competencies to provide quality care to highly dependent children as they live with life-limiting illness and may face the end-of-life.

All students will register on the full-time one-year Postgraduate Diploma. On completion of both theoretical and clinical modules for this course, students will graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma or (if they have achieved the minimum 60% average mark across these modules) they may apply to transfer to the second year of the MSc programme.

It consists of both theoretical and clinical components. A blended learning approach is adopted in the delivery of this programme.

Students are required to attend face to face workshops for a total of 12 days across the programme. Additionally, students are required to complete a minimum of 500 hours (reduced from previously-published 1,000 hours, on NMBI advice) before completing this programme. The course has a clinical focus, offering opportunities to develop specialist skills.The programme is offered through a blended learning format—a combination of online and face-to-face learning and teaching. Blended learning is an innovative and flexible approach to learning, making it possible to combine working full-time with studying. This course is approved by The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.

A Scholarship available within this programme: https://thevictoriathompsonfoundation.com/

For academic year 2023/24, HSE is providing limited number of scholarships. Priority for the scholarship will be given to those working in specialist community palliative care settings in line with recent HSE policy recommendations . Applicants are considered first come, first served basis. Please contact the Programme Director Claire Quinn (claire.quinn@nuigalway.ie) for further information.

Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships here.

Applications and Selections

Places are limited to 14 Students ONLY due to specialist placement access. Early application is encouraged.

Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System.

Please note all applicants register for the 1-year postgraduate diploma, with the opportunity to transfer to the second year of the MSc programme at the end of the first year if they meet the relevant eligibility criteria

Garda vetting is required for this programme. This will be organised by the University of Galway after you have registered for your studies. Also the following information will be sought following acceptance of your place:

7. Certificate of your immunisation status

8. Evidence of Children First certification

9. Evidence of Handwashing certification

10. Moving and Handling certification

11. Signed Confidentiality Agreement for Childrens Hospitals Ireland

Who Teaches this Course

Dr Claire Magner UCD

See full staff list here.

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Applicants must:

Be registered on the general, children’s, psychiatric, intellectual disability or midwifery division of the register maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland;
Have a minimum of one year’s post-registration experience (exclusive of post-registration courses);
Be currently working in the required specialist area, i.e., an area associated with palliative care/children’s care/children’s palliative care or allied areas (neonatal, disability, oncology) and have as a minimum six months’ clinical experience in this specialist area;
Complete additional clinical hours in a children’s palliative care/complex setting. Placement length depends on the learning opportunities available to students in their current work setting;
Provide written support from their employer that they will be able to access this client group across the programme;
Satisfy the selection panel of their ability to complete the programme;
Have an honours Bachelor’s degree at NFQ Level 8 in nursing or a comparable qualification. Applicants who do not hold an honours degree or Higher Diploma (Level 8) must demonstrate that they have successfully completed (in the previous two years) a module at Level 9. Please consult the professional credit awards at Level 9 at: www.universityofgalway.ie/medicine-nursing-and-health-sciences/nursing-midwifery/prospectivestudents/postgraduate/pca/.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

Postgraduate Diploma: 1 year full-time
Masters: 2 years full-time (if eligible for second year following Postgraduate Diploma)

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

31 May 2025

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

Course code

MHSC-CPCC

Course Outline

Full-time students will complete three core and three specialist modules in the first year (60 ECTS). Eligible students will then complete a research dissertation (30 ECTS) in their Masters year.

The student can avail of Professional Credit Awards as stand-alone modules prior to the commencement of the full PDip/Master’s.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Graduates have found employment and promotion opportunities nationally and internationally in clinical nurse specialist roles (neonatology, palliative care, paediatric palliative or specialist complex care,) specialist community home care, disability or liaison roles and/ or children’s hospice employment.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€9,390 p.a. (including levy) 2025/26

Fees: Tuition

€9,250 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€18,000 p.a. (€18,140 including levy) 2025/26

For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees.

Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant – please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,000 towards your tuition (2025/26). You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee. A P1 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa here.

Find out More

Claire Quinn
Programme Director
T: +353 91 493 580
E: claire.quinn@universityofgalway.ie
www.universityofgalway.ie/medicine-nursing-and-health-sciences/nursing/

Michelle Curtin | CNM, Resilience Care

I chose this course as it’s the only one of its kind in Ireland. Paediatric palliative/complex care in the community is a developing approach to nursing I feel extremely passionate about. I am lucky to work for a homecare provider delivering care to children in their own homes and I wanted to increase the standards of care for our child clients. NUI Galway and lecturers were extremely helpful and genuinely interested in you and your career and how to bring about not only academic success but also personal and professional growth. Everyone in NUI Galway were eager to help and clearly wanted all students to succeed. I found the course very informative and it challenged my understanding of the area. Linking with class mates and guest speakers from around the country taught me a lot and how each region follow national policy and challenged me to see what I could bring to my area and my organisation. I am now a Nurse Manager overseeing care for over 17 children with complex medical or palliative needs and coordinate a team of 45 nurses and carers. Attending NUI Galway and successfully obtaining this Postgraduate degree has definitely prepared me for this challenging yet rewarding role.

Karen Lovett | CNC for children with life-limiting conditions, HSE Kerry

I always had a passion for the care of the child and family with life limiting conditions. By undertaking the NUIG Children’s Palliative /Complex care course it gave me the knowledge and confidence to change the direction of my career. As a result of the programme, I became the Clinical Nurse Co-Ordinator for Children with Life limiting conditions in Kerry. The NUI Galway clinical placements gave me the opportunity to network and learn from the experts of the very special community of professionals supporting children's palliative care in Ireland. Initially I found the return to college daunting but with the support of The NUIG lecturers, mentors and colleagues on the course it became very manageable. I would recommend this course as education is key in the development of this very specific area of paediatric care for the future.

Orla Hammersley | Public Health Nurse

I chose to do this course because I have a background in children with disabilities and now qualified as a Public Health Nurse. I felt that there is a huge gap between children with complex needs been discharged from hospital to home without the same level of support in the community. I feel that by completing the PGD/Masters in childrens palliative care/complex care I now have a much better understanding of the needs of the child, their siblings, and the support that parents need. I found the clinical placements to be an exceptional experience and I gained both professionally and personally. I was partially supported both financially and with clinical placement access by my employer the HSE as a response to service developments in this area. In the future I hope to be involved with the delivery of home care packages for children with complex needs and also supporting community staff in providing come care packages for this group of unique children. I can highly recommend this course.

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