AC7084 - Professional and Practice Development for Advanced Clinical Practice

What will I learn on this module?

In this module, you will continue to develop and build upon the capabilities required of an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP). Based on the Health Education England Multi-professional Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice, in this module you will evaluate your knowledge, capability and confidence in leading and enhancing patient care and service delivery. Focused on an area of interest and informed by a robust evidence base, this module affords you the flexibility to apply and reflect on your personal and practice development needs to develop your knowledge, skills and abilities to enhance patient care or service delivery within your practice using systematic and rigorous approaches. You will identify your personal development needs related to service improvement, quality assurance and service enhancement approaches in clinical practice. You will also evaluate contemporary theories of leadership, management and change management to effect and evaluate improvements to patient care and service delivery, including use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) and Patient Recorded Experience Measures (PREMS) in your area of practice. As a leader within a multi-professional, multi-agency team, you will examine strategies for evaluating person-centred holistic care and undertaking practice development, quality assurance and enhancement of service delivery (research, audit, service evaluation, improvement/redesign). This will include analysis of service user/public partnership engagement. You will enhance your ability to critically appraise contemporary sources of evidence (for example, research; local, national and international guidelines/policy; and legal, ethical and professional frameworks) and demonstrate appropriate utilisation of these sources to inform developments for clinical practice.

If you are studying for a specialist named award, you will be expected to develop your ACP role in the context of the nationally recognised standard of advanced practice associated with that award. Please refer to the programme specification document for more information about specialist named awards.

How will I learn on this module?

The module will be delivered through a blended learning approach, including a combination of guided study, structured core lectures and applied seminars. The classroom-based sessions will be interactive and will be designed to help you to explore topics identified within guided study. You will be expected to participate in class discussion and group work, share your own expertise, contribute to debate and make recommendations for practice. The core lectures will focus upon contemporary theories, frameworks, policy and evidence and critical appraisal of these to inform and justify service improvement and enhancement initiatives. The seminars will utilise a case-based discussion in which you will work collaboratively with your lecturer and peers, and present the findings generated from your work.

You must successfully complete the module assessment. This takes the form of a written proposal which will enable you to demonstrate your in-depth and critical understanding of service improvement/enhancement methodologies and activities, and the expectations of the advanced clinical practitioner, applying these to your own role and context.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

You will be supported by the module team, who are specialists in their clinical field. Formative feedback will be provided in group led seminars and will also be available via individual tutorials throughout the module. You will also receive feedback from your peers, as many of the activities are designed to be student-led with module-tutor facilitation. Contact with the module team is available in person, and via telephone, email and the electronic learning portal.

You will have access to both library and student support services. The latter is offered via a 24 hour IT Helpline, and includes Student Support and Wellbeing Services, Skills Plus (to support your academic work) and an Ask4Help Service for other enquiries. These are all available in person at Student Central on Coach Lane Campus and online. You will be allocated a personal tutor who will provide appropriate pastoral support and guidance during your studies.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Critically review the design, conduct and critique of research and evidence base informing service evaluation and enhancement approaches to practice development
2. Critically evaluate published research and evidence related to an aspect of practice using appropriate appraisal tools


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Critically identify personal and practice development priorities, appraising the development of appropriate quality improvement strategies to meet identified practice/service development goals

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
4. Critically evaluate the practice development process and learning achieved, reflecting on future personal development needs

How will I be assessed?

Formative
Throughout the module you will receive feedback from module leaders, practice mentors and peers through seminar discussion of the framework that underpins advanced clinical practice. This will provide you with the opportunity to improve and develop learning through deeper understanding, reflection and peer experiences.

Aligned to the four pillars for the ACP role, you will be required to submit a personal development plan and learning contract to meet the module learning outcomes
(MLOs- 1- 3)

Summative
You will be expected to submit;

1. A proposal, with justification, for an audit of an aspect of practice relevant to own service with appendices including proposed audit tool and personal development plan (3000 words). This is an electronic submission via the university eLearning Portal. Feedback will be electronic and individualised to identify good practice and suggest areas for development.
(MLOs 1-4)

Pre-requisite(s)

1. AC7047/DA7011 Health History and Examination or equivalent
2. AC7082/DA7007 Life Science for Advanced Clinical Practitioners or equivalent
3. AC7

Co-requisite(s)

1. AC7083/DA7008 Managing Clinical Complexity in Advanced Clinical Practice
AND
2. AC7080/DA7006 Contemporary Advanced Clinical Practice

Module abstract

In this module you will continue to develop and build upon the capabilities required of an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP). Based on the HEE Multi-professional Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice, in this module you will evaluate your knowledge, capability and confidence in leading and enhancing patient care and service delivery. Focused on an area of interest and informed by a robust evidence base, this module affords you the flexibility to apply and reflect on your personal and practice development needs to develop your knowledge, skills and abilities to enhance patient care or service delivery within your practice using systematic and rigorous approaches.

The module will be delivered via a combination of guided study, structured core lectures and seminars. The module assessment takes the form of a written proposal which will enable you to demonstrate your in-depth and critical understanding of service improvement/enhancement methodologies and activities, and the expectations of the advanced clinical practitioner, applying these to your own role and context.

Course info

Credits 20

Level of Study Postgraduate

Mode of Study 3 years Part Time

Location City Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start March 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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