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.

The module is only available for students who meet all of the pre-requisites and who have been successful in the course selection process.

High demand and on-going medical workforce challenges have proved a catalyst for enhancement of the traditional scope of practice of the non-medical health professionals within emergency care.  This has extended beyond minor injury and illness to “major” presentations. 

This led The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), Royal College of Nursing, and Health Education England (2015) to set out their vision for Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACP) with emergency care who need to be able to look after patient with a wide range of pathologies from life-threatening to self-limiting and should:

• Be able to identify the critically ill and injured, providing safe and effective immediate care
• Have expertise in resuscitation and be skilled in the practical procedures needed
• Establish the diagnosis and differential diagnosis rapidly, and initiate or plan for definitive care
• Work with all in-patient specialities as well as primary care and pre-hospital services
• Be able to correctly identify who needs admission and who can be sent home. 

Commensurate with the scope and level of advanced practice in this context is the need to demonstrate competence when presentations are complex.  Clinical complexity is a multi-dimensional concept which can stem from the practitioner, the setting, the patient and uncertainty that arises from the patients’ symptoms which can have multiple potential causes. For example, more people are living longer with multiple long-term conditions and associated poly-pharmacy.  This module will consolidate prior clinical and professional learning and focus on preparing students for these responsibilities with adult patients.

Available as a standalone module: No, the modules Physiology for Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP_7_009),  Advanced Clinical Assessment Skills (ACP_7_010), Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills (ACP_7_011) and Prescribing for Clinical Practice (V300) (NMP_7_040) or Enhancing Practice through Work Based Learning (WHN_7_015)  need to be successfully completed first. 

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 the following modules: “Physiology for Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP_7_009),  Advanced Clinical Assessment Skills (ACP_7_010), Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills (ACP_7_011) and Prescribing for Clinical Practice (V300) (NMP_7_040) or Enhancing Practice through Work Based Learning (WHN_7_015) 
• 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 competencies required for Advanced Clinical Practitioners working within Emergency Care (Royal College of Emergency Medicine and Health Education England 2015). It will also develop students who are able to meet the needs 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 - Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)

• Element 2 - Clinical Portfolio (Reflection/analysis to account for 2,500 words)

Both elements of assessment must be passed to pass this module. 

Assessment/submission date: See Under Apply