Program Overview

University of Cape Town Program Information

The University of Cape Town offers a variety of programs through its Faculty of Health Sciences. The faculty is composed of several departments and units, including academic departments, administrative departments, operational units, and the Bioethics Centre.

Faculty of Health Sciences Departments

• Academic Departments:
  • Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine
  • Family, Community and Emergency Care
  • Health Sciences Education
  • Paediatrics & Child Health
  • Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
  • Human Biology
  • Integrative Biomedical Sciences
  • Medicine
  • Obstetrics & Gynaecology
  • Pathology
  • Psychiatry & Mental Health
  • Public Health
  • Radiation Medicine
  • Surgery
• Administrative Departments
• Operational Units
• Bioethics Centre

Courses Offered

The University of Cape Town offers numerous courses, including but not limited to:

• Adolescent Health: Taking Evidence to Implementation
• Advanced Anatomy, Physiology & Pathophysiology
• Advanced Focus Assessed Transthoracic Echocardiography
• Advanced HIV and Adherence Counselling
• Advanced Training in Complete Current Procedural Terminology for South Africa
• Advanced Training in ICD-10 Coding
• Aeromedical Evacuation and Transport
• African Genomics Short Course
• Airway & Thoracic Skills
• Applied Community Counselling
• Argue Better! Ethical Reasoning for Health Professionals
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics & Policy in Africa
• Basic Anatomy and Physiology for Clinical Coding and Case Management
• Basic Clinical Auditing
• Basic Counselling Skills
• Basic Focus Assessed Transthoracic Echocardiography
• Basic HIV Counselling
• Basic Legal & Ethical Principles in Forensic Laboratory Mortuary Practice
• Basic Training in Complete Current Procedural Terminology for South Africa
• Basic Training in ICD-10 Coding
• Basics of MRI
• Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Workshop
• Case Management Workshop
• Certificate Course in Palliative Nursing
• Community Based Inclusive Development Practice
• Comprehensive HIV Testing
• Debriefing for Simulation Education
• Disabilities, Gender-Based Violence and Inclusive Health Care
• Disability Studies in Education
• Disaster Medicine
• DNA Extraction from Hard Tissue Samples
• Endurance Running Training Essentials & Program Design
• Essentials of Nursing Children with a Tracheostomy
• Essentials of Nursing Children with a Cancer or Blood Disorder
• Essentials of Nursing Critically Sick Children
• Essentials of Nursing Sick Children
• Essentials of Nursing Sick Newborns
• Essentials of a Paediatric Clinical Assessment
• Essentials of Paediatric Burns Care
• Essential Steps in Managing Obstetric Emergencies
• Excellence in Deceased Donation and End-of-Life Care Course
• Forensic Photography
• Fundamentals of Behaviour Change
• Fundamentals of Emergency Care
• Global Surgery Foundations
• Hospital Coding and Billing
• Intermediate Training in Complete Current Procedural Terminology for South Africa
• Intermediate Training in ICD-10 Coding
• Introductory Course in Laboratory Animal Science
• Introduction to Death Scene Investigations & Fingerprinting
• Introduction to Diagnoses Related Groups
• Introduction to Global Surgery
• Introduction to Health Care for Adolescents
• Introduction to Palliative Care
• Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
• Introduction to Sports Nutrition
• Introduction to using NVivo for Qualitative Data Analysis & Management
• Management of Skin Disorders in Primary Care
• Masters Preparedness Course
• Medical Practitioner Billing - Reference Price List
• Palliative Care Training for the Oncologist in Africa
• Periodisation of Football Conditioning & Fitness Testing
• PhD Preparedness Course
• Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs)
• Professionalizing Disability Inclusive Practice
• Providing Healthcare for Children with Long Term and Disabling Conditions
• Psychological First Aid
• Simulation Launchpad
• Science Communication and Power Relations in Global Health
• Swimming Training Essentials and Program Design
• The Essentials of Cycling Physiology and Coaching
• The Role of Movement in Childhood Development and Health
• Trans-Oesophageal Echocardiography
• Trauma-informed Practice
• Trauma Informed Research Methodologies
• Ultrasound Guided Vascular Access Course
• Understanding End Stage Renal Disease
• Understanding Forensic Odontology
• Understanding Simulation-based Education
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A framework for Inclusive Teaching Practice

Psychological First Aid Course Details

Course Overview

Psychological first aid (PFA) is a simple yet powerful way of helping someone in distress. It involves paying attention to the person's reactions, active listening, and, if appropriate, providing practical assistance to address immediate problems and basic needs.

Target Audience

This course is designed for individuals who work with people — whether in healthcare, education, corporate, service, or community settings. It equips participants with essential, evidence-based skills in PFA that can assist anyone encountering emotional distress or psychological crises.

Course Content

• Introduction to Psychological First Aid
• Ethics of Psychological First Aid
• Crises and Responses
• Providing Psychological First Aid: Individuals, Children, and Groups
• The ACR Framework: Acknowledge, Contain, Refer

Key Learning Outcomes

• Recognise signs of emotional distress in yourself and others
• Provide immediate, appropriate, and effective stabilising support
• Respond with calm, clarity, and confidence during psychological crises
• Practise self-care strategies to manage stress and protect your own well-being

Course Details

• Date: 12 November 2025 (Wednesday)
• Venue: Neuroscience Institute, Groote Schuur Hospital
• Time: 09h00 to 15h30
• Course fee: R 1,850 per person
• CPD points: 6