Palliative care on-site learning

Clinical experiences may include clinical attachments, practical learning opportunities and clinical placements. Experiential learning options identified below offer structured learning through practical experiences and reflection on the activity.

The learning outcomes for the activity should build or extend the graduate or specialist capabilities depending on your learning needs. If you are aware of a relevant clinical experience that should be included, please contact us at caresearch@flinders.edu.au.

PEPA Clinical placements

Participants undertake an observational placement of 2-5 days in a specialist palliative care inpatient, community or hospital based consultancy setting. Participants are supported to transfer learning into practice.

Target audience: All health professionals and care providers working in primary care or other non-specialist palliative care settings.


Reverse PEPA Placements

A specialist palliative care staff member travels to a health service workplace to provide customised palliative care learning for a small group.

Reverse PEPA placements can be most helpful in:

  • rural and remote settings
  • private practice and health clinic settings
  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community settings
  • residential aged care settings (see PEPA Aged Care).

Target audience: All health professionals and care providers working in primary care or other non-specialist palliative care settings where this model of learning is more appropriate.

PEPA Website


PEPA Aged Care

PEPA Aged Care provides reverse PEPA placements which involve a specialist palliative care educator travelling to an aged care service to facilitate learning. The training is flexible and designed and tailored to align specifically with an organisation’s learning needs. It can be completed as one block of 2-4 days or the same training divided into smaller blocks. For more information go to PEPA Aged Care.

Target audience: All members of the aged care workforce.


Online support for clinical placements

The above placements are supported by online learning modules aimed at preparing participants for clinical placement. Go to the PEPA LMS (Learning Management System) to find

  • online courses for PEPA/IPEPA placements and reverse placements in each state or territory
  • the PEPA Aged Care Reverse Placement learning experiences.

Once a participant has confirmation of their enrolment in a placement, they will be able to access the relevant online course.

Last updated 15 December 2023