Advanced Clinical Practice

Award

MSc

Key facts

Location:: Centre of Excellence Stafford
Study option:: Part-time
Duration:: 3 Years
Start date:: 26 September 2022
School:: School of Health, Science and Wellbeing

Funding available

Funded by Health Education England working across the West Midlands

Standardised curriculum

Ensures course is recognised across West Midlands and beyond

Blended delivery

Course makes use of face-to-face and online learning

The Advanced Clinical Practice MSc is for nurses, midwives, paramedics, emergency care practitioners, pharmacists, community matrons and other allied healthcare workers who are advanced practitioners or will be expected to fulfil an advanced practice role.

This course is based within the four pillars of advanced practice these being leadership, education, research and clinical practice. Whilst on the course you will develop skills in advanced health assessment and diagnosis, Clinical decision making, Leadership, Research, Prescribing and non-medical prescribing, and the application of evidence based practice within either the Dissertation or Project-Based Change modules.

By using a blended learning approach, we create a practice-focused, student-centred, flexible programme that develops your ability to:

Challenge advanced clinical practice
Engage in independent evidence-based decision making
Determine creative and innovative solutions to practice issues
Develop analytical and intellectual skills at Masters level

You’ll be linked with a Co-ordinating Education Supervisor and Work Placed Associated Supervisor, who is an expert in your clinical speciality. You’ll also receive support for personal and professional development from a senior clinical lead of the same profession who acts as your mentor throughout the award.

The course program meets the standards set out within Health Education England (2017) multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice. The course has also been accredited by Health Education England and upon successful completion of the MSc students can apply to join the National Directory for Advanced Clinical Practice.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MSc Advanced Clinical Practice

Course content

The course progresses over three years (minimum).

Professional body accreditation

Accredited by the Health Education England Centre for Advancing Practice for the purpose of providing eligibility to be listed on the Centres Advanced Practice Directory.

This programme is accredited by the Centre of Advancing Practice. Health Education England’s Centre for Advancing Practice has been established to standardise post-registration education by accrediting advanced practice courses that achieve the standards outlined in the multi-professional Advanced Practice Framework.

Practitioners who have completed accredited education programmes will be eligible to be listed on the Centre’s Advanced Practice Directory. Programme accreditation from the Centre for Advancing Practice will bring a new level of consistency to the workforce and help showcase advanced practice within health and social care.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
Advanced Health Assessment	40 credits
Clinical Reasoning And Decision Making	20 credits

Year 2 compulsory modules
Year 2 compulsory modules
Leadership Role In Quality, Innovation And Change	20 credits

Show 1 optional module

Year 2 compulsory modules
Year 2 optional modules
Independent And Supplementary Nurse Prescribing	40 credits

Show 1 compulsory module

Year 3 compulsory modules
Year 3 compulsory modules
Project Based Change	40 credits
Research Methodology And Methods	20 credits

Entry requirements

You’ll normally need:

Current nursing registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) or The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

At least three years’ post-registration experience

To be employed in a relevant clinical environment, with access to appropriate clinical support and supervision for the development of knowledge and skills to an advanced level

A minimum 2:2 honours degree from a UK University, or equivalent.

If you don’t have an honours degree you may still be admitted if you have significant appropriate experience and can provide evidence of your ability to undertake the course successfully and benefit from it. You’ll also need recent evidence of study at Level 6 (within the last two years). A professional portfolio indicating achievements is an essential tool for this purpose.

You must also be able to demonstrate employer support for the following (even where you’re self-funding).

Employers

All organisations supporting staff to undertake an Advanced Clinical Practice course will need to ensure that as part of their workforce plans the role of Advanced Clinical Practitioner is embedded within their organisation structures. Once the trainee is a qualified Advanced Clinical Practitioner, there will need to be ongoing support from the Trust.

Facilities

Clinical Training Facilities

Our labs provide the environment for you to learn fundamental skills associated with emergency pre-hospital care. This includes: advanced patient assessment techniques, airway management, obtaining intramuscular, intravenous and intraosseous access, advanced life-support skills.

Careers

After completing the course, you’ll be equipped to work as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in a variety of settings.

Eager for more knowledge? Upon completion, you’ll be ideally placed for further academic study at PhD level.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

We know that everyone learns differently. So not only do we use traditional ways of teaching like lectures, we also use problem-based learning to help you apply your skills.

For this course, you'll:

Work with others on group work
Delve deeper into subject areas in workshops
Be expected to study independently
Work with carers and family
Be expected to work in the clinical simulation laboratories
Be expected to examine real life patients/service users
Attend lectures both online and face to face.
Engage in Practice-based learning.

Our teaching is supported through our Virtual Learning Environment called Blackboard/ Microsoft teams and also virtual patient learning environments CAE Mastreo. This means you can access a range of materials to support your lectures wherever you are. We’ll also assign you a supervisor to support you throughout your research project/ dissertation, and you will be assigned an academic mentor for your whole three year program.

We’ll also assign you a supervisor to support you throughout your research project.

Assessment

A range of assessment formats offered includes essays, poster presentations, portfolio development, passing of clinical competencies, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, Examinations, and reflective assignments.

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills
Critical thinking
Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Feedback

We know that it’s important for you to be able to gauge your progress. So, your tutor will give you feedback on any practice assessments you do.

We usually give you feedback on formal assessments within 20 working days, but the format will vary for each module.

Your study time will include scheduled classes, independent learning and assessments. It will vary depending on your module choices.

Independent learning

As well as timetabled sessions, we know it’s important for you to discover things on your own terms. This could involve:

Reading journals, articles and books
Working on projects, alone or in a group
Researching in the library
Preparing coursework
Getting ready for exams

We’ve invested in state-of-the-art facilities to help you make the most of your private study time. Whether you need a library, a computer, or a lab, you’ll find it at Staffordshire University.

Fees

For the course starting on 26 September 2022 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for MSc-Part-time
Study option	UK / Channel Islands
Part-time	To be confirmed

The expected study pattern on this programme enables you to complete modules totalling 90 credits in your first year of study and the other 90 credits, in your second year of study. Following this pattern of study you will pay the same fee for each year of study.

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

Alumni discount

If you have previously completed an undergraduate degree with us, you may be entitled to an alumni discount off your course fee for any subsequent postgraduate taught course. For further information please contact Graduate Relations.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £11,222 to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. Student loans are available for many of our postgraduate degrees and are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The loan can cover a wide range of postgraduate study options; part-time, full-time and distance learning.

For more information and how to apply visit masters loan.

Our students

I focused a lot of my study time in dementia, so I found that really beneficial. [MSc Advanced Critical Practice] has moved me on clinically, certainly I’ve learned a lot and applied it. It’s opened up opportunities to work in primary care or work in the hospital sector.

Clare Simmons

Paramedic

I went from being a child nurse in A&E. I now work in a GP Practice as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner, so an independent autonomous practitioner. The course helped develop us and give us skills and knowledge that we didn’t have initially.

Michael Barnwell

Advanced Clinical Practitioner

I don’t think I could do the role I am doing now without [MSc Advanced Clinical Practice] and it’s given me not only that knowledge but the background to that knowledge and also the confidence to go forward and assert myself in areas and places and gain respect as well

Elaine Richardson

Acute Pain Nurse

Apply

Location	Award	Study option	Start date	Apply Link
Centre of Excellence Stafford	MSc	Part-time	26 September 2022	Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at Staffordshire University, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of Staffordshire University enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.

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