The practice focused, clinical nature of this programme enables
contextualisation of theoretical underpinnings of the 4 pillars of advanced
practice; Clinical Practice, Leadership and Management, Education, and
Research, thus developing capability in an advanced role whilst also preparing
apprentices to contribute to the future healthcare agenda.
The programme comprises core study modules and option
modules, ensuring that studies are tailored to the needs of the apprentice and
employer. All modules are designed to develop you across all 4 pillars of
advanced practice within your specialist area of practice. A summary of each
module is below. Full details of each module can be found via the Modules Overview
box at the bottom of the page.
Year one of the programme comprises two
compulsory modules and one core module. The compulsory modules are designed to
develop your knowledge and skills for your clinical practice role. The Health
History and Examination module uses a body systems approach to developing the essential
fundamental skills for patient assessment, whilst introducing the notion of
clinical decision making in the context of evidence for practice. The Life
Science for Advanced Clinical Practitioners module will deepen your knowledge of
normal and disease altered physiological processes. It will enable you to
appraise the means and methods of measuring the parameters of normal and
altered physiology exploring metabolic and homeostatic mechanisms at a cellular
level. You will apply this to your specialist field. The core Service Improvement
and Research Methods for Advanced Practice module will equip you with the
knowledge required to transform service delivery and secure continuous quality
improvement. You will explore evidence-based practice, research and service
improvement case studies relating the findings to your sector to consider how
your practice can be transformed to meet personal, organisational and national
drivers.
Year two includes one compulsory module and
two optional routes. All apprentices will undertake the compulsory Managing
Clinical Complexity in Advanced Clinical Practice module. In this module you will
develop mastery in the complex knowledge and technical ability needed to
assess, monitor and develop collaborative management plans across complex
disease continuums.
Non-medical
prescribing will be studied by those undertaking Option route 1. The
prescribing qualification / authority of independent and supplementary
prescribing relates to regulatory and legal permissions therefore to be
eligible to study non-medical prescribing you must hold a professional
registration that supports the prescribing role. There are support and
supervision requirements additional to those required within the MSc Advanced
Clinical Practice programme when undertaking the non-medical prescribing route.
Further information can be found here.
Option
route 2 is designed to further your development with
specific reference to the Leadership and Management pillar and the Education
pillar. Contemporary Advanced Clinical Practice explores the global, political
and social context of advanced practice and the expectations of the advanced
practitioner as clinician, educator, leader and researcher. Contemporary
theories of leadership, management and change management will support your
development as a leader of service innovation and enhanced patient care whilst development
of knowledge and application of learning, teaching and assessment theories will
develop you as an educator.
Professional
and Practice Development for Advanced Clinical Practice evaluates your
knowledge, capability and confidence in leading and enhancing patient care and service
delivery. Focused on an area of interest, you will be introduced to the role of
service user/public partnership engagement strategies, quality assurance and
service enhancement approaches in clinical practice including use of Patient
Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) and Patient Recorded Experience Measures
(PREMS) to promote multiprofessional and multi-agency teamworking to enhance person-centered
care.
Year three includes a dissertation portfolio
module and an apprenticeship End Point Assessment (EPA). The Apprenticeship
Dissertation Portfolio for Advanced Clinical Practitioners is the culmination
of your practice portfolio alongside the development of a Practice Project,
Empirical Project, or Systematic Appraisal. The Knowledge for Advanced Clinical
Practice (Apprenticeship End Point Assessment) is your final module of study
and provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have achieved the
knowledge, skills and behaviours identified in the Advanced Clinical
Practitioner (Integrated degree) standard.
Recognition of Prior Learning
During the admissions process you can apply to have
previously accredited academic study recognised against full modules of study
within this programme. Any claims for recognition of prior (RPL) should
evidence how your previous study fully meets the learning outcomes for the
module claimed against and the corresponding programme learning outcomes. Applications
for RPL should be discussed with and supported by your employer, and the programme
team will make the final decision.
Government guidance on apprenticeship specific recognition
of prior learning can be found here.
End Point Assessment
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical
Education (2020) state that - Rigorous, robust and independent End Point
Assessment (EPA) gives employers confidence that apprentices can actually
perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the
duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the occupational
standard. For details of the current EPA for your standard please consult the
IFATE Apprenticeship standards / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical
Education webpage here.
This apprenticeship normally takes 3 years (part-time)
to complete. The EPA for this apprenticeship is integrated and is the final 20
credits of the MSc programme. The EPA period lasts 12 weeks and starts once the
apprentice has met the gateway requirements after the dissertation module.
