Course Summary

Exciting changes in healthcare provision, research, client needs, technology and practice have all had a major effect on the work of the health professional in the 21st century. Therefore, it is essential that practitioners providing care are equipped with the most up-to-date skills and knowledge in order to provide the most appropriate care to people using their services.

This course has been developed to embrace the dynamic challenges faced by advanced practitioners in a modern healthcare setting. It therefore integrates research, education and management issues to enable you to evolve a high degree of professional autonomy and independent practice.

By building on your existing knowledge base, and by providing you with the necessary advanced theoretical and clinical expertise, this course will help you become efficient at managing your own clinical case loads and undertaking advanced health assessment, as well as developing your diagnostic reasoning skills. These issues will relate strongly to the ever-changing climate within healthcare arising from Agenda for Change, the National Health Service Plan, Skills for Health, the Knowledge and Skills Framework, Nursing

and Midwifery Council recommendations for 2010 for Advanced Practice, the Royal College of Nursing and other government health initiatives and agendas such as the National Service Frameworks (NSFs).

Why choose this course?

As healthcare continues to evolve and change, it is important that practitioners are prepared to a level at which they can deliver an effective and efficient service. Alongside the development of new approaches to care, this course will provide participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop and expand advanced clinical practice roles within their organisations. On completing this MSc course, students are likely to progress into the following areas: advanced practioner roles, nurse consultant posts, managerial positions, teaching and research and development.

During the course you will:

• Be able to focus on your specialist area of clinical practice
• Experience an evidence-based approach, involving key staff who are actively engaged in clinical practice and research
• Explore relation of theory to practice and practice to theory
• Benefit from innovative and flexible learning
• Have opportunities for conference attendance and presentations
• Experience a variety of teaching methods e.g. e-learning, work based learning, problem based learning, simulation and role play

Areas of study you may cover on this course include:

• Assessment and diagnostic skills
• Managing multiple health needs
• Influencing people and organisations
• Project management in health and social care

The option units currently available in the second term include:

• Assessing and evaluating performance
• Examination of the newborn
• Human factors, environment and design in patient safety
• Personal Development Planning (PDP) learning contract
• Nurse and midwife independent supplementary prescribing
• Supervising learning and development

MSADV

Assessment

The assessment strategies are varied to maximise your potential to gain a good overall attainment. You will be guided to achieve success, with indication to your strengths and limitations. The assessment strategy is designed to assist you to acquire a robust and varied range of skills and knowledge that are equitable to all students learning styles and to prepare you for the range of activities you will engage in once you finish the course. These include presentations, written assignments, OSCEs, oral examinations and posters.

Course Learning Outcomes

Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Advanced Practice

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Work within own area of practice by exploring the current limits of knowledge.

2. Act autonomously in planning and managing the learning process and in reviewing and meeting your own learning and development needs.

3. Be aware of personal responsibility and professional codes of conduct where appropriate.

4. Enhance communication skills by developing questioning skills. Demonstrate the outcomes of the assessment process and share findings with the patient and the multi-disciplinary team and make appropriate decisions about the clients care.

5. Demonstrate awareness of interventions for relapse prevention for patients / clients who has multiple health needs within a multi-disciplinary setting.

6. Explore the dynamic features and nature of good interdisciplinary working that supports patients / clients needs.

Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Advanced Practice

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Work within specialised fields of practice which involves exploring the current limits of knowledge.

2. Act autonomously in planning and managing the learning process and in reviewing and meeting your own learning and development needs.

3. Be aware of personal responsibility and professional codes of conduct where appropriate and able to formulate solutions to ethical issues as they impact on professional practice or research through dialogue with peers, clients, mentors and others.

4. Develop effective key questioning techniques to enhance communication skills and establish professional reasoning.

5. Demonstrate and act upon the outcomes of the assessment process and share findings with the patient and the multi-disciplinary team and make appropriate decisions about the clients care.

6. Demonstrate awareness of interventions for relapse prevention and assist the development of effective management strategies for patients / clients who has multiple health needs within a multi-disciplinary setting.

7. Explore and analyse the features of good interdisciplinary working that supports patients / clients with complex needs.

8. Demonstrate confidence in your professional progress with strong leadership ability that influences and inspires others.

Master of Science (MSc) in Advanced Practice

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Work independently within complex, unpredictable specialised fields demanding innovative practice which involves exploring the current limits of knowledge.

2. Act autonomously in planning and managing the learning process and in reviewing and meeting your own learning and development needs.

3. Demonstrate critical awareness of personal responsibility and professional codes of conduct where appropriate and be able to formulate and construct solutions to ethical issues as they impact on professional practice or research through dialogue with peers, clients, mentors and others

4. Critically develop and construct effective key questioning techniques to enhance communication skills and establish professional reasoning.

5. Critically demonstrate and act upon the outcomes of the assessment process and make informed and appropriate decisions about the clients care in partnership with the multidisciplinary team.

6. Demonstrate critical awareness of interventions for relapse prevention and facilitate the development of effective management strategies for patients / clients who have multiple health needs within a multi-disciplinary setting.

7. Critically explore, analyse and synthesize the dynamic features and nature of good interdisciplinary working that supports patients / clients with complex needs.

8. Demonstrate confidence in your professional progress with strong leadership ability that influences and inspires others.

9. Undertake an extensive dissertation project that has relevance to your role and your personal and professional development.

External Benchmarking

When developing this course the following key external benchmarking documents helped shape the curriculum document:

• The Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) (DH, 2004)


• The Nursing & Midwifery regulatory framework for Advanced Nurse Practitioners (NMC, 2005)


• The domains of practice from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) (2006)


• The RCN Domains and competencies for UK Advanced Nurse Practitioner practice (2007)

Educational Aims

Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Advanced Practice

The aims of this course are to:

• Enhance participants potential to work effectively within the multidisciplinary team


• Prepare practitioners to undertake some of the skills associated with advanced practice


• Promote relevant and meaningful learning that reflects professional development needs of practitioners within health care environments


• Enhance participants capacity to evaluate research and practice including the ability to review information from a range of sources and the capacity to deal with gaps in the current evidence base

Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Advanced Practice

The aims of this course are to:

• Enhance participants potential to work effectively within and across professional boundaries


• Prepare practitioners to undertake the role of an advanced practitioner


• Promote relevant and meaningful learning that reflects the professional development needs of practitioners within health care environments


• Enhance participants capacity to independently evaluate relevant research and practice including the ability to synthesize information from a range of sources and the capacity to deal with complexity, contradictions and gaps in the current evidence base.

Master of Science (MSc) in Advanced Practice

The aims of this course are to:

• Enhance participants potential to work effectively within and across professional boundaries


• Prepare practitioners to undertake the role of an advanced practitioner


• Promote relevant and meaningful learning that reflects the professional development needs of practitioners within health care environments


• Enhance participants capacity to independently evaluate relevant research and practice including the ability to synthesize information from a range of sources and the capacity to deal with complexity, contradictions and gaps in the current evidence base


• Facilitate a greater sense of personal mastery in leading and developing advanced practice

Student support

Students will have access to all student support services from with in the University. In addition to this students will be allocated a personal tutor. For the duration of their course. They will also have a mentor while working in the practice environment. They will also have access to a BREO site that will give them further guidance.

Team working

You will be involved in group learning activities, for example, EBL, PBL and group work that involves developing effective working relationships.

Career Management Skills

The course provides a student-centered process for integrating personal, academic and career development. You are encouraged to undertake self-assessment to identify your strengths, interests and development needs in relation to external criteria e.g. the requirements of an occupation, employer organisation or industry sector. Through negotiation with your employer and personal tutor you will be enabled to identify your passions and the areas that you feel you have achieved maximum success and have the ability to excel within. You will be actively encouraged to participate in the development of your career management skills and will take the lead on accessing the Centre for Personal and Careers development.

Career/Further study opportunities

Career:

On completing this course the students are likely to progress into the following areas:

• Advanced practitioner roles


• Consultancy


• Managerial positions


• Health and social care policy development


• Teaching


• Research and Development

Further study:

This course will facilitate the acquisition of skills to enable future PDP and identification of learning needs and opportunities. Each student will be encouraged to retain a reflective journal in relation to their own Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Access to the career guidance

Each student will complete a self audit in terms of their career aspirations and opportunities available to them. This will be revisited in a tutorial at the end of each module.

Entry

Additional:

Relevant professional experience with evidence of study at diploma and or degree level.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire.

Teaching Strategy

The units available to you offer a range of different teaching strategies in order to meet the learning needs of a diverse range of students. These strategies include lectures, seminars, group work, e-learning, practicals, case studies, discussions / debates, workshops, games, role play, enquiry based learning. This ensures that all students have the opportunity to learn in an environment that suits their learning style.

Learning will take place in a variety of environments including:

• Classroom


• Practical room


• Work place


• Library Learning spaces


• Social Spaces e.g. CETL

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

N/A

Students with disabilities

Students will have access to Student Services and will be encouraged to actively seek any assistance they require in order to have needs met in relation to a disability they may have. Students will be able to access further advice and support from the Disabilities BREO site.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

• Collaborate and foster inter-professional working practices in the practical assessments and evolve consultation skills in practice by undertaking physical and psychosocial assessments

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

• Undertake a set number of hours using e-learning, tutorials and self directed learning to develop a comprehensive understanding of background literature to develop further theory and use recommended databases to access information


• Use recommended databases to access information


• Use Microsoft Word processing and Power-Point software to produce formative / summative assessments and presentations

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

• Critically evaluate the research base regarding physical and psychosocial interventions relating them to service user / clients needs and inter-professional relations with regards to Department of Health agendas

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

• Apply concepts discussed in seminars to practice


• With guidance, plan and implement interventions with patients / clients, their families and the multi-disciplinary team

Improving learning and performance

A variety of teaching sessions and workshops are offered for you to explore your self awareness and identify which modes of learning best develop you skills and knowledge whether cognitive, skill based or discussing beliefs and values that are of concern to you and others.

• You will be encouraged to participate in active discussion and offer feedback on course content to determine whether this met your learning needs


• You will be supported by one to one tutorials to facilitate, foster responsibility and guide professional and personal development


• You will be largely autonomous in planning and managing the learning process and in reviewing and meeting your own learning needs

Progress files

A progress file will be kept on each student outlining their progression. This will take the form of a summary of the progression in meeting the learning outcomes identified in the learning contract. This will be implemented through the personal tutor system.

You are encouraged to keep and update regularly a reflective diary and portfolio of evidence to monitor and evaluate your progress. You will have the opportunity to evaluate this intermittently during the course and to evaluate progress at completion to identify further professional and personal development for career progression. You will be expected to keep a paper-based or e-portfolio and this will be monitored, for example through the assessment process or by the personal tutor system.

Professional standards

Professional attitudes are important to enable engagement in the world beyond the University. It is expected therefore that you will adopt behaviors and attitudes that reflect a sense of professionalism in how you approach different learning opportunities and situations. In return the course team will respond positively towards this.

The student and staff are therefore expected to do the following:

Student

• Be punctual for session and tutorials


• Respect the learning environment and others in the group


• Inform the course lead or personal tutor if you are unable to attend a class or tutorial meeting


• Take the lead in your learning and development


• Follow university policies and procedures especially in relation to the writing and submission of assessments

Staff

• Inform the student in advance if you need to cancel a session or tutorial


• Respond to email within 5 working days unless on leave


• Ensure assessment results are published on the expected date


• Promote a learning environment that facilitates mutual respect

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

Students will be introduced to the concept of professional standards in their induction programme and will have the above outlined to them. Adherence to these standards will be monitored by the course leader who will liaise with the unit leaders. If there are any issues that need to be addressed the personal tutor will be informed who will document this in the progress files and contact the student to discuss the issues further. The student will be offered support to address the issues. However any persistent non-adherence to these professional standards may result in the student being discontinued from the course.