Nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists, midwives and health visitors working in primary, secondary or tertiary care settings increasingly need to expand their clinical assessment abilities to improve patient care and meet policy and service demands. This includes utilising knowledge and skills that traditionally have been viewed as belonging to the medical domain.

This module will prepare students to undertake a proficient clinical assessment of infants, children and young people up to the age of 18 to complement and enhance their existing practice. This will include taking an in-depth comprehensive history with evaluation of a range of strategies for effective communication and partnership working with parents, carers and families.

Demonstration and supervised practice for physical examination of the main body systems will be provided, with an emphasis on clinical indications that warrant further assessment and / or appropriate onward referral. The module will also introduce mental health assessment in recognition of the importance of using a holistic approach. The concept of clinical decision making will be introduced, enabling application of the range of information gathered from the assessment process.

The teaching and learning strategy enables the students to bring their clinical experience into the classroom. Strategies to ensure the delivery of safe practice and identification of future learning needs also form a key part of this module.

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

It is also available on a stand-alone single module basis.

The module is only available for students who meet all of the pre-requisites below.

Available as a standalone module: Yes

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

• Evidence of a minimum of 90 undergraduate degree level health-care related credits
• 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:
• Currently have at least 50% of their role working with infants, children and young people up to the age of 18
• 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.