Compassion Training for Healthcare Workers - PDM1150

Compassion is known to benefit the patient but brain imaging research now shows that compassion is a positive state of mind, increasing the wellbeing of the giver and protecting against empathic distress and burnout. Although well-intentioned, empathy can accidentally turn into empathic distress for the worker. Understanding the difference between compassion and empathy is essential for healthcare worker resilience.

This award-winning course has had over 3500 participants and is now embedded in two medical degrees.

In this course, healthcare workers will learn strategies to enhance and strengthen compassion, how to avoid empathic distress, improve their wellbeing, and foster more caring and compassionate workplaces.

“This informative and engaging course is a must-have for all healthcare professionals dealing with patients. It has a great balance of the science supporting compassion, with exercises to embed learnings, and also includes great resources. It clearly explains the benefit of compassion, for both the giver and receiver, and gives useful tips on how to cultivate and sustain compassion despite busy workloads etc. I think it should be mandatory for all patient-facing staff." - Nurse

"I still use concepts that I learned in the compassion training every day in my medical practice. This course is really important. There's a lot of evidence that shows compassion is really beneficial towards patients' wellbeing and also health professionals' wellbeing" – Dr Paul Didaskalu

This course is an approved CPD activity for Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) physicians.

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At a glance

Fees

A$290 per person

Alumni discounted fees

A$240 for Students/Monash Staff/Monash Alumni

Group bulk discounts*
  • 10% discount for 1-20 participants
  • 20% discount for 21-50 participants
  • 30% discount for 51-100 participants
  • 35% discount for 100+ participants
*Enquire for separate price schedule for 200-5000+ participants

Who should attend

This course is ideal for healthcare professionals/students and anyone working in community and social services roles.

What you will learn

In this course, you will:

  • Increase understanding of compassion, how to support it and the science that underpins it.
  • Recognise how to transform empathy into compassion to avoid accidentally going into empathic distress.
  • Develop strategies for managing when compassion is challenging.
  • Recognise and enhance the five moments of compassion.
  • Strengthen the perception of common humanity to help cultivate compassion for anyone.
  • Develop routines to sustain compassion in day-to-day work for increased wellbeing, improved patient care and greater job satisfaction.

Program structure

Week 1 Introducing compassion

  • What is compassion and why does it matter
  • The science of compassion
  • Transforming empathy into compassion
  • Practice staying out of empathic distress

Week 2 Barriers to compassion

  • Compassion can be easily disrupted
  • Explore reasons for not getting to compassion
  • Mindfulness in healthcare
  • Caring for self, caring for others

Week 3 Common humanity

  • The importance of common humanity
  • The five moments of compassion
  • Forgiveness, gratitude and social connections
  • Creating compassionate workplaces

Week 4 Sustaining compassion

  • Compassion in our daily lives
  • Tips to help sustain compassion
  • Values, ethics and intention
  • Course summary

Key faculty and presenters

Dr Debbie Ling

Dr Debbie Ling is a compassion and common humanity researcher and educator at Monash University (completed PhD on compassion in 2019). Debbie has been delivering compassion training locally and internationally since 2017 and led the development of this award winning compassion training course.

Professor Craig Hassed

Professor Craig Hassed OAM is a doctor and the education director of the Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies and coordinator of mindfulness programs across Monash University. Craig also works in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Dr Richard Chambers

Dr Richard Chambers is a clinical psychologist and internationally recognised expert in mindfulness. Richard is a key contributor to the Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies.

1. What does the course involve?

Course includes videos, articles, practical exercises, resources, online discussion forum, weekly feedback videos and a live Q & A event with the course facilitators on the fourth Wednesday of the course.

2. Is there any compulsory assessment in this course?

No. There is no compulsory assessment in this course.

3. Is there an opportunity to interact with the course facilitators?

Yes. A course facilitator moderates the discussion forums and uploads weekly feedback videos. There is also a live Q & A event with the course facilitators.

4. How much time does the course take each week?

The course contains 1 hour of core content per week. There is an additional 2 hours of optional content per week which includes extra resources, readings, exercises and engaging in discussion forum posts with other participants. The course content can be done any time within the 3 month course window.

5. I don't have 3 hours per week available, can I still do the course and benefit?

Yes. The key learnings are summarised in brief downloadable PDFs, the videos have downloadable transcripts and a summary of all the resources linked to in the course is provided so that you can reflect on key learnings, strategies and practice applying them in your own time.

6. I don't work in healthcare, can I still do the course?

Anyone is able to do the course. We have had participants from education, business, leadership and the general public. You don't have to be a frontline healthcare worker to benefit from learning about compassion training.

7. Is the entire course viewable when the course commences?

Yes.

8. Do I receive a certificate at the end of the course?

Yes, after completion of an end of course survey.

9. What if I can't attend the live Q and A zoom?

It will be recorded and uploaded.

10. How long do I get access to the course content?

For the March, June, and August courses, you’ll have access to the full course content for 11 weeks.

For the November course, access is extended to 17 weeks, ending in late February the following year.

Participants who enrol after the first 4 weeks can still view the entire course content, but won’t be able to interact with course facilitators, as facilitator engagement is only available during the first 4 weeks. However, all previous facilitator interactions remain viewable within the course.

11. Is this course being run at other times in 2026?

In 2026 the course runs March 2nd, June 1st, August 17 and November 2nd.

12. Our organisation would like to have a dedicated run of the course for a large number of our staff only, is this possible?

To discuss a dedicated course where your organisation pays upfront for a bulk enrolment of 200-5,000+ participants, please email compassioncourse@monash.edu.

13. Can I claim CPD points for doing this course?

The Australian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) has given approval for their physicians to claim 4 hours CPD. Upon completion of the course physicians need to (i) email their ACEM ID number to compassioncourse@monash.edu who has to pass it on to ACEM CPD and (ii) are invited to complete an ACEM evaluation survey.