This is a core module within the MSc/PgDip Advanced Clinical Practice (Adult) and MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Adult) Apprenticeship courses offered by the School of Health and Social Care.

It is only available for students who meet the pre-requisites below and who have been successful in the course selection process.

This module builds on the students’ knowledge of physiology, advanced assessment and clinical decision making by further developing the student’s ability to use clinical reasoning and diagnostics in relation to a wide variety of health problems experienced by adult patients.  Managing clinical uncertainty will form a key theme for the module as students begin to experience the impact of the realities of autonomous practice at a more advanced level.

Knowledge and understanding of pathophysiology will form a key part of the module. This will underpin and inform symptom analysis, safe and effective evidence-based decision-making, investigation requests and interpretation, and achievement of a working diagnosis.

In addition to Nicky Bradley, the module is jointly run by Kerry Bean who can be contacted on beank2@lsbu.ac.uk.

Available as a standalone module: No, modules Physiology for Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP_7_009) and Advanced Clinical Assessment Skills (ACP_7_010) must be successfully completed first. You can find and apply for these modules through the CPPD prospectus. 

Attendance (Please note, this is subject to change for future intakes)

Dates: For attendance information, please see the top of this page and click on ‘attendance dates’. Please note, if the module is full or closed for the intake(s) this academic year, dates may not appear. 

Venue: LSBU Southwark Campus

Typical intake(s): Semester 1 and Semester 2

Entry requirements

• Successful completion of Physiology for Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP_7_009),  Advanced Clinical Assessment Skills (ACP_7_010) modules
• Professional:
• Current registration as health care professional with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• A minimum of 3 years’ post-registration experience on entry to the module
• Practice: 
• Employed* for a minimum of 30 hours per week in one relevant clinical environment, with access to appropriate clinical support and supervision for the development of knowledge and skills to an advanced level.  *This excludes students who are working in a locum or agency basis.  
•  Applicants must also be able to demonstrate employer support for all of the following (even where individuals are self-funding):
• Support for development of the applicant to an advanced level within the workplace while on the module, to enable evolution of the scope of practice and responsibilities
• Willingness to release the student to enable them to dedicate the equivalent of 3 hours per week throughout the module (in addition to attendance at the university) as protected learning time to enable the student to work in a 'supernumerary capacity' to focus on their clinical/professional development evidenced by completion of the Practice Based Learning record.
• Able to support the student to organise for a Doctor/qualified Advanced Practitioner to act as their designated "Practice Facilitator" to initially supervise and support the applicants overall clinical development and facilitate completion of specified practice-based learning activities. Sign off for specific aspects of learning is required (this responsibility can be shared with other senior experienced clinical colleagues however nomination of an overall Practice Facilitator is required).
• Provision of day-to-day supervision and support by an experienced clinical team to enable the development of the knowledge, skills, behaviours, competence and confidence commensurate with this level of practice.

Career benefits

This module facilitates achievement of a number of capabilities and competencies required by Advanced Practitioners for a flexible workforce that is able to respond to the changing patterns of service.   Successful completion of this module will therefore result in a student who can demonstrate knowledge and skills that are currently in high demand with existing and emerging markets in health care. 

Assessment

• Element 1 - Exam (2½ hours)
• Element 2 - Practice Based Learning Record

Assessment/submission date:  

• See Under Apply

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:     

• Demonstrate knowledge of pathophysiological principles, such that they are able to systematically apply this understanding to a range of patient presentations.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of common acute and long term health issues for adult patients, including the relevance of age, gender, ethnicity, psychological, socioeconomic, lifestyle, cultural aspects, co-morbidities and current treatment regimens. 

Intellectual skills:

• Analyse, interpret and synthesise information from the history, presenting signs and symptoms, physical findings, investigations, evidence-based resources, and underpinning relevant pathophysiological principles to determine and refine appropriate differential diagnoses. 

Practical Skills:

• Critically apply the clinical reasoning process to patients with a broad range of presenting symptoms, including those of a more challenging nature, to inform safe and effective patient care.
• Accurately record the outcomes of the clinical reasoning process and associated plan of action

Transferable skills:

• Critically evaluate their own practice in the light of new knowledge, skills and experience, and implement appropriate creative strategies to develop it accordingly.