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PACE for PSWs: Limited Time Complimentary Education Opportunity

Make 2026 the year you invest in yourself.

Join PSWs across Ontario who are strengthening their role in palliative care.

Apply Now

What is PACE for PSWs?

PACE for PSWs (Palliative Care Education for Personal Support Workers) is a comprehensive, 10-course national certificate program designed specifically for Personal Support Workers. Developed in partnership with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO), the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, and Life and Death Matters, this program equips PSWs with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide exceptional palliative care.

Delivered online, self-paced, and available in English and French, completing all ten courses earns you a National Certificate in Palliative Care.

Learn more

What you'll learn

PACE for PSWs will empower you to:

  • Deliver High-Quality Care: Provide culturally-sensitive, practical, and emotional palliative care while maintaining your own resilience.
  • Understand End-of-Life Experiences: Gain insight into how people experience the end of life and how to ensure their comfort.
  • Master Communication: Learn best-practice strategies to connect effectively with patients and families.
  • Support Those Experiencing Loss or Grief: Develop skills to care during the last days and hours, and to support those experiencing grief.
  • Work Across Cultures: Create culturally safe spaces and apply trauma-informed approaches when working with diverse groups.
  • Build Resilience: Design a personalized self-care plan to manage workplace stress and reduce compassion fatigue.
Why Choose PACE for PSWs?
  • Flexible & Supportive Learning: Ten bite-size, self-paced courses designed to fit around work, family, and commitments. Interactive tools including video tutorials, quizzes, case studies, and real-life scenarios will keep learning engaging. Learners also benefit from a supportive community and expert instructors.
  • Practical & Relevant Content: Modules are immediately applicable in healthcare and home care settings, covering symptom management, communication strategies, ethical decision-making, and grief support.
  • Skill Development& Certification: Gain Canadian and provincial palliative care competencies using best practice concepts. Enhance your career with sought-after training and a National Certificate in Palliative Care.

If you want to grow your skills, gain insights, master communication, and build resilience, PACE for PSWs is for you. Completing the program earns a nationally recognised certificate in palliative care, boosting your profile, helping you stand out, and opening new career opportunities. What are you waiting for?

Complete Your Expression of Interest Now

 
 What PACE Graduates Are Saying
Graduates consistently report increased confidence and comfort in providing palliative care:
  • 96% said the course improved their knowledge of palliative care in their role.
  • 98% would recommend the program to colleagues.
 
Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for complimentary tuition, PSWs must:

  • Live and work in Ontario.
  • Complete all 10 modules by March 31, 2026.
  • Submit and have approved an Expression of Interest for PACE before beginning the education.

 

Backfill Funding Requirements

Backfill funding is funding to support organizations in providing paid time to their staff to complete
the education.
 
  • Backfill must be applied for at the same time as complimentary tuition.
  • The learner must successfully complete and pass all 10 courses by March 31, 2026 for the organization to receive backfill funding.
  • The organizational contact must submit a Request for Backfill Payment Form (provided by HPCO) along with the learner’s Certificate of Completion to HPCO. Payments will be processed beginning in March 2026.
  • Backfill is paid directly to the organization, not to the individual PSW.

CompleteYour Expression of Interest Now

Once approved, you can start your journey toward earning a National Certificate in Palliative Care, providing outstanding palliative care, and boosting your career.

Limited – Time Offer
  • Normally $225 + tax—now free for eligible Ontario PSWs.
  • Organisations may qualify for $900 back fill funding when approved PSWs complete and pass the full program.

More Information

Expression of Interest Form

Acknowledgements

The PACE for PSWs program was developed through a partnership between The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario and Life and Death Matters. Program made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada and the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem (The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada). Special thanks to St Elizabeth Health Care for their content, advice and expertise on cultural safety and indigenous awareness.

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Courtney Murrell

PSW

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Courtney Murrell is a PSW who works in hospice palliative care.

When she is not at work, she is spending time with her family, going on hikes or writing. Courtney is a lifelong learner and loves to share her passion for writing as a wellness practice.

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