School of Nursing and Midwifery

PgDip Advanced Critical Care Practitioner

Advance your knowledge and clinical skills, positioning yourself to deliver a high quality, patient-led service. This postgraduate level programme will allow you to improve your critical care practice in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and quality. Through the contemporary focus of the course and collaboration with industry stakeholders you’ll access opportunities to advance your career.

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First choice for health

Delivered by professional experts, our programmes are tailored to you and your career. Together, we address today's most challenging healthcare issues, through research-informed teaching and active, real-world learning.

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Key features

  • Open to a range of healthcare practitioners registered either with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or the Health and Care Professions Council, and who have the appropriate qualifications and experience in acute critical care. 
  • A contemporary and dynamic programme responsive to the changing healthcare environment.
  • Shape your studies around your existing expertise with our student-centred approach.
  • Join a programme developed through a dynamic collaborative working relationship between the University, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and other local NHS trusts, providing opportunities for networking and career development.
  • Equip yourself with the skills to be responsive to the ever-changing nature of the healthcare environment. This contemporary and dynamic programme means you can position yourself at the leading edge of critical care practice.
  • Update and enhance your skill set thanks to the research-informed teaching embedded throughout our curriculum.
  • Benefit from the extensive professional experience of our team, hailing from a diverse range of health and social care environments.

Course details

  • Programme overview

  • Develop your clinical skills, knowledge and competence as a trainee under the supervision of your consultant intensivist, through our integrated approach to teaching. You’ll study modules that combine both theoretical and clinical components, equipping you with the tools you need to excel as an advanced critical care practitioner. In your first year you’ll study 'core skills for advanced critical care practitioners 1', a module which combines eight weeks of taught theory and 27 weeks of associated clinical practice. You’ll build on this existing knowledge in your second year and in addition, explore the topic of non-medical prescribing.

    You have the option to complete the core modules ACCP701 and ACCP702 via distance learning – please contact the Professional Development Unit for further information.

    On completion of PgDip, you have the option to enrol onto the MSc Advanced Critical Care Practitioner programme.

    Core modules

    • ACCP701Z Core Skills for Advanced Critical Care Practitioners 1

      This module aims to equip the Advanced Critical Care Practitioner trainees with the core skills in clinical history taking, examination and applied anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of critical illness. The ACCP will develop advanced clinical decision making skills in the critical care setting to facilitate a high degree of autonomous practice.

    • ACCP702Z Core Skills for Advanced Critical Care Practitioners 2

      This module extends the knowledge, skills and competencies learned in Core Skills for Advanced Critical Care Practitioners 1. New concepts of specialist intensive care and dealing with complex patients with multiple pathologies will be acquired. The ACCP will develop higher level decision making and diagnostic skills, to enable independent autonomous practice.

    Optional modules

    • ACCP701 Core Skills for Advanced Critical Care Practitioners 1

      This module aims to equip the Advanced Critical Care Practitioner trainees with the core skills in clinical history taking, examination and applied anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of critical illness. The ACCP will develop advanced clinical decision making skills in the critical care setting to facilitate a high degree of autonomous practice.

    • ACCP702 Core Skills for Advanced Critical Care Practitioners 2

      This module extends the knowledge, skills and competencies learned in Core Skills for Advanced Critical Care Practitioners 1. New concepts of specialist intensive care and dealing with complex patients with multiple pathologies will be acquired. The ACCP will develop higher level decision making and diagnostic skills, to enable independent autonomous practice.

    • NMP703 Independent and Supplementary Non-Medical Prescribing

      This module will enable health care professionals to apply theoretical, analytical and clinical principles of prescribing within their field of practice.

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

PGDipMSc Advanced Critical Care Practitioner programme specification 5390

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

Entry requirements

You will normally have a first degree, BSc (Hons) at 2:2 or above; or European first cycle equivalent plus a professional qualification in health or social care. Individuals without a degree but with appropriate practice-related experience relevant to the programme may be eligible to apply and will normally be required to submit a short piece of writing as part of the admissions process.

Applicants for this course will need:

  • evidence of employment as an Advanced Critical Care Practitioner Trainee from their home trust
  • a named consultant intensivist who will be the clinical supervisor
  • a current live registration with either the Nursing and Midwifery Council (Part 1 or 2) or The Health and Care Professions Council
  • three years post-qualifying experience in intensive care
  • a satisfactory enhanced DBS (formerly CRB) check
  • a satisfactory Occupational Health Clearance.

If English is not your first language, you will also need to provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with the University’s Admissions Code of Practice i.e. IELTS of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each part.

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

Fees, costs and funding

The UK is no longer part of the European Union. EU applicants should refer to our Brexit information to understand the implications.

New Student 2020 2021
Home £5,200 To be confirmed
International N/A N/A
Part time (Home) N/A N/A
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per a number of credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. For more information about fees and funding please visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/money.

Alumnus loyalty reward for postgraduate study

The University applies a discretionary alumnus reward where alumni meet certain criteria on particular postgraduate taught courses.

  • A 20 per cent discount on home tuition fees.
  • Or a £2,000 discount on international tuition fees.
  • A 10 per cent alumni discount is available on the following programmes: MSc Advanced Psychology, MSc Clinical Psychology, MSc/PgDip Psychology and MSc Occupational Therapy.

For further details, programme exclusions and contact information, please see our alumnus discount policy.

Additional costs

Please be aware that there may be additional costs to undertaking your studies relating to printing of course materials, parking charges if you are studying at PAHC, and requirement for an initial outlay for travel and accommodation in respect of practice placement. If you have any questions regarding these costs please contact admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

If you are studying on a programme where placements are integral to your study there are costs associated with travel and accommodation. Please speak with the programme admissions tutor to find out more.

Postgraduate Merit Scholarship for international students

Scholarship value: £2000 off your tuition fees in year one.
You may also receive:

  • 10% off the successive years tuition fee if an overall grade of 60% or above is maintained
To be eligible you must:

This scholarship will be offered automatically, providing you meet the eligibility criteria. A separate application will not be required.

Further information about Scholarships for international students

This programme is not suitable for part time students.

How to apply

Applying for this programme

Please visit our PDU 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 (0)1752 586951

What happens after I apply?

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).

Please note that you will be enrolled on the full MSc programme. You may choose to exit with the qualification of PgCert upon completion of an appropriate 60 credits, or a PgDip upon completion of an appropriate 120 credits. More information is contained within the programme specification.

For applicants with disabilities

If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by the University of Plymouth, please visit our Disability Services webpage.

Applying for this programme

Please visit our PDU 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 (0)1752 586951

Career opportunities

You’ll be able to apply for Band 8a roles, and work in stage 1, 2 and 3 intensive care units (ICUs) as an autonomous practitioner who is able to assess, diagnose and manage critically ill patients and prescribe independently.
Find out how this programme can help you achieve your goals

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