MSc Advanced Critical Care Practitioner

This programme is also available as an Apprenticeship MSc Advanced Clinical Practice in Critical Care. For further information on the apprenticeship route and details of how your employer can apply for you please visit our apprenticeship webpage .

• Programme overview

• Please note: you must have completed the PgDip Advanced Critical Care Practitioner programme to enrol for this award.

  Optional modules

  SPP702
  Substantive Professional Project

  The substantive project enables the student to demonstrate their ability to manage practice development. The project provides an opportunity to apply knowledge and understanding of methodology and methods to develop an area of practice, evaluating the impact or potential impact upon the practice area. Students may undertake this project in their actual workplace, or the workplace may be a defined sphere of practice.

  APP701
  Advancing Practice in Context

  This module will enable the student to develop their professional understanding within Advancing Practice, allowing them to consider the legal and ethical boundaries, the working environment and the complexities of their practice.

  APP709
  Working with People with a Diagnosis of Personality Disorder

  The module seeks to underpin modern mental health practice in working with people whose personality difficulties lead them to come into conflict with others, engage in harm to themselves or to be labelled as 'personality disordered. The module is designed to address evidence based interventions in a range of settings. There will be a focus on reflective practice and workplace-based cases to ensure clinical relevance.

  APP718
  Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare Practice

  Students will analyse, explore and debate ethical and legal concepts, issues and theories relating to health and social care. This module gives students the tools necessary to undertake critical decisions within their professional practice enabling them to reflect on their knowledge, their practice, and the conduct and performance of healthcare organisations.

  APP720DL
  Advanced Newborn and Infant Examination (APL)

  This module enables practitioners who have undertaken a programme of learning to demonstrate mastery in the examination of the newborn/infant, applying complex and creative synthesis of the evidence base to this autonomous professional role.

  APP720P
  Advanced Newborn and Infant Examination (APL)

  This module enables practitioners who have undertaken a programme of learning to demonstrate mastery in the examination of the newborn/infant, applying complex and creative synthesis of the evidence base to this autonomous professional role.

  APP721
  Perinatal Mental Health

  This module will prepare students to show mastery of knowledge and the development and management of the care of childbearing women with perinatal mental health needs. It is research informed and prepares students to interrogate the available evidence to inform decision making. The needs of mothers and babies; before, during and after birth, will be at the centre of care with a strong emphasis on respect and dignity.

  APP727
  The Child and Young Person with Mental Health Needs

  This module will enhance existing knowledge and skills of the holistic care of children with mental health needs and their family.

  APP732
  Advancing the Care and Support of the Person with Dementia and their Carer

  This module is designed to meet the educational needs of practitioners who care for the person with dementia and their carer in a general setting. This module will link evidence based theory to current clinical practice and provide strategies in order to improve service delivery and give effective high quality care.

  APP738
  Management of Children/ Young People Requiring Urgent or Emergency Care

  This module will enhance practitioners existing knowledge and skills in the holistic care of children/young people within the context of the family. It will facilitate the recognition, assessment and management of children/young people requiring urgent or emergency care for illness/injury in a range of settings.

  APP739
  Enhancing Practice in Paediatric Palliative Care

  This inter-professional module aims to enhance the deeper practice of all professionals delivering palliative care to children, young people and their families. The module will build upon existing knowledge and experience while enabling students to develop a critical and reflective approach to the care of a child or young person on a palliative care pathway.

  APP744
  Substance Misuse and Dual Diagnosis

  This module focuses on the services and interventions for people who misuse a range of substances or have 'dual diagnosis' implying co-existing mental health problems. Participants will develop their skills for working with this group, consider the influence of various models and approaches as well as the issues for them as individuals and for society.

  APP751
  Critical Care of Children and Young People, Advancing Knowledge and Skills

  This module will challenge the knowledge and skills of health care professionals in the care of the deteriorating child and young person requiring critical care. The module will build upon the existing knowledge of participants, and through critical analysis apply this to the care of the child/young person requiring critical care across a range of clinical settings.

  APP754
  Diabetes Mellitus

  A module for the practitioner to explore core knowledge issues relating to diabetes mellitus, based upon diabetes competencies.

  APP755
  Transition into General Practice

  This module provides education to support professional development in general practice and primary care networks. Students will learn about and develop skills in the analysis of delivering person-centred care with a focus on primary prevention, public health initiatives and health screening.

  APP756
  Embedding in General Practice

  This module aims to equip those working in a general practice setting or primary care networks with the necessary generic practice skills to function in this environment whilst encouraging a critical view of practice and the developing of strategies for change.

  APP757
  Advancing within General Practice

  This module aims to equip students with knowledge, understanding and capability to deliver person-centred care required to fulfil the role of the General Practice Nurse as defined by the RCGP Nursing standards and in alignment with national Department of Health and Health Education England initiatives. Through undertaking a comprehensive health assessment develop treatment and management strategies.

  APP761
  Enhanced Maternal Care

  This module will provide the practitioner with an in depth knowledge and understanding of Enhanced Maternal Care (EMC) in the Obstetric Unit (OU) setting. It will encompass a comprehensive examination of all aspects of Enhanced Maternal Care and the decision making that underpins such care.

  APP766
  Developing Expertise in Urgent & Emergency Care

  This module is designed to enable healthcare professionals to critically examine and develop in an area of professional clinical practice, in Urgent & Emergency Care. Taught workshops will guide the student, building on their pre-existing body of knowledge to critically develop their skills in health assessment, clinical examination and clinical reasoning.

  APP767
  Mental Health Assessment in Urgent, Emergency and Acute Care

  This module aims to increase knowledge and skills of practitioners working in urgent, emergency and acute care settings and who work with individuals experiencing mental health issues. It explores the principles and process of mental health assessment and the practice of determining appropriate intervention alongside prioritisation of client need based on the current guidance.

  APP768
  Coaching and Leadership

  Coaching and Leadership is a module focused on developing your confidence and competence to lead and develop yourself and others. Students will be able to understand and explore coaching theory and practice using a variety of tools in order to underpin coaching and leadership practice.

  APP729DL
  Enhancing End of Life Care and Palliative Care Practice

  APP748
  Surgical First Assistant

  Develop mastery of clinical skills, knowledge and competence to safely perform the role of Surgical First Assistant as described by the Perioperative Care Collaborative (2018).

  APP755E
  Transition into General Practice

  This module provides education to support professional development in general practice and primary care networks. Students will learn about and develop skills in the analysis of delivering person-centred care with a focus on primary prevention, public health initiatives and health screening.

  APP757E
  Advancing within General Practice

  This module aims to equip students with knowledge, understanding and capability to deliver person-centred care required to fulfil the role of the General Practice Nurse as defined by the RCGP Nursing standards and in alignment with national Department of Health and Health Education England initiatives. Through undertaking a comprehensive health assessment develop treatment and management strategies.

  APP770
  Advanced Assessment for Clinical Practice

  This module will enable experienced inter-disciplinary practitioners to undertake a systematic and structured history taking assessments and physical examinations on the main systems of the body at an advanced level. The aim is to be able to differentiate between normal and abnormal findings supported by an in-depth understanding of underlying anatomy and physiology of each system whilst recognising the significance of those findings. Emphasis will be on developing an understanding of systems and patho-physiology when seeing and managing patients with undiagnosed and undifferentiated presentations across all healthcare settings. The focus is on interdisciplinary learning to develop the skills needed to make safe, sound clinical decisions within a range of clinical settings, when consulting with patients and clients with diverse health needs across all healthcare settings. At the end of the module, the learner will be able to complete a systematic and structured history taking assessment alongside a physical examination which will allow relatability of findings across all healthcare settings.

  APP771
  Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice

  The practitioner will develop a cognitive approach to apply theories and clinical decision making to patients seen in practice. The aim will be to underpin this approach with high-level judgements in complex decision across a broad and generic range of presentations, incorporating comprehensive health assessments and appropriate, well-proportioned and a safe management plans. This will include exploration of various investigations and their interpretations, pharmacology therapeutics, conservative advice and safety netting. There is a focus on interdisciplinary learning to develop the skills needed to make safe, sound clinical decisions within a range of clinical settings, when consulting with patients and clients with diverse health needs across all healthcare settings. At the end of the module, the learner will be able to complete a systematic and structured consultation including history taking, physical examinations and developing an appropriate and reasoned management plan, relating findings to the ultimate goal of clinical decision making.

  APP768DL
  Coaching and Leadership

  Coaching and Leadership is a module focused on developing your confidence and competence to lead and develop yourself and others. Students will be able to understand and explore coaching theory and practice using a variety of tools in order to underpin coaching and leadership practice.

  APP774
  The Fundamentals of Health Assessment and Common Illnesses

  This module will enable the student to develop the underpinning knowledge and professional understanding of the practical and theoretical management of patient presenting with common minor illness across healthcare settings. They will consider the clinical, legal and ethical boundaries and recognise the limitations within their scope of practice and working environment.

  APP776
  Clinical Judgement and Decision Making in Healthcare

  This module draws on knowledge, skills and experiences gained through work as a registered healthcare professional and further develops clinical reasoning ability, within the context of NMC scope of practice.

  APP777P
  Applied Physiology in Critical Illness

  This module is designed to allow health care professionals to advance their systematic knowledge and understanding of the anatomy and pathophysiology of critical illness in adults, with the aim of, improving their professional practice in the critical care environment.

  APP775
  Assessment and Management of Minor Injuries

  This module will enable the student to develop the underpinning knowledge and professional understanding of the practical and theoretical management of patients presenting with common minor injuries across healthcare settings. They will consider the clinical, legal and ethical boundaries and recognise the limitations within their scope of practice and working environment.

  APP781
  CBT Interventions for Mental Health Professionals (Psychosis)

  This module will focus on the development of in-depth knowledge and skills in the use of CBT informed approaches, with a focus on supporting people experiencing psychosis. This includes effective assessment, formulation and the development of therapeutic relationships and skills required for the effective and adaptable use of CBTp informed skills in psychosis. There will be a focus on reflective practice and workplace-based cases to ensure clinical relevance.

  APP782
  Advanced Principles of Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Practice

  This module will enable the student to develop and enhance their knowledge of education, teaching, learning and assessment and their contribution to practice. This module has a blended learning approach.

  APP739DL
  Enhancing Practice in Paediatric Palliative Care

  This inter-professional module aims to enhance the deeper practice of all professionals delivering palliative care to children, young people and their families. The module will build upon existing knowledge and experience while enabling students to develop a critical and reflective approach to the care of a child or young person on a palliative care pathway.

  APP741DL
  Advocacy and Education for Quality Improvement in Practice (A-EQUIP) Full module

  This module will ensure that A-EQUIP is able to be delivered in practice. It will prepare registrants in the supervision which will be determined locally based on operational guidance that has been developed by NHS England.

  APP762DL
  Emergency Nursing Care

  This module is designed to enable nursing staff to develop existing professional skills in Emergency Care. They will critically evaluate and develop specialist knowledge in order to effectively assess, prioritise, plan and deliver effective evidence-based care to the patient presenting to the Emergency Department.

  APP765DL
  Advanced Psychosocial Assessment and Formulation

  This module will enable students to develop a systematic understanding of conceptual frameworks and the use of therapeutic factors to undertake comprehensive and collaborative biopsychosocial assessments of mental health presentations, and develop a critical understanding of person-centred formulations and the use of internationally recognised classification criteria. There will be a focus on reflective practice and application.

  APP783DL
  Specialist Approaches to Palliative Care and Symptom Management

  This module is designed to enable health care practitioners working in hospital and community-based end of life care settings to develop a critical, analytical, and reflective approach to the complexities of holistic symptom management, multi-professional working, empowerment, and specialist decision making.

  APP784
  Facilitating Patient Centred Care and Choice through Advanced Communication Skills

  This module is designed to enable health care practitioners working in hospital and community-based settings to develop a critical, analytical, and reflective approach to the complexities of person-centred care, choice and advanced communication skills at end of life.

  APP788DL
  Advanced Mental Health Planning and Interventions

  This module supports mental health practitioners, within the context of person-centred therapeutic alliances, to work in partnership with people who have complex mental health needs, and with interprofessional colleagues, to plan, co-produce, lead, and evaluate a range of evidence-based interventions. It explores increasing levels of competence, autonomy, professional accountability, and complex decision-making when working with clinical complexity.

  APP752DL
  Work Based Learning

  This module enables the student to identify individual work based objectives that address the learning outcomes (see below) of this module.

MSc Advanced Critical Care Practitioner programme specification_6146

Applicants for this course will need:

We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary .

Please visit our admissions homepage for full details on the application process and to download the relevant forms.

Please return your completed forms to:

Email: pduadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk

Professional Development Unit
4th floor, Rolle Building
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth, PL4 8AA

Tel: +44 1752 586951

After your application is received by the PDU Admissions team, it will be processed and sent to the Programme Lead for a decision to be made on your suitability to study. You may be asked to provide additional information or to take part in an interview (for overseas students this may be by telephone or video conference). Once this decision has been made, you will be sent an email either confirming your place on the programme, or rejecting your application and giving the reasons for this decision (you may request further feedback in order to improve your chances of selection at a later date).