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.
Option for Placement Year
