PgCert Critical Care Practice
Designed to elevate your confidence, clinical expertise, and career opportunities within critical care
Step into a learning experience designed to elevate your confidence, clinical expertise, and career opportunities within critical care.
The PgCert Critical Care Practice is a one‑year, part‑time postgraduate programme created for registered nurses and allied healthcare professionals working in critical care environments. Delivered through a unique partnership between the University of Plymouth and University Hospitals Plymouth, the course blends academic depth with hands‑on clinical relevance to help you thrive in complex, fast‑paced settings.
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'Awarding institution: University of Plymouth
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HProgramme Code: 8024
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"Duration: 1 year
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.Mode of study: Part-time blended
About the course
What makes this programme stand out is its commitment to accessibility and regional development.
As the only Level 7 critical care pathway of its kind in the Southwest, it allows you to gain advanced postgraduate training without needing to travel to other regions. Your learning is mapped to the CC3N National Standards for Critical Care Education (2023), helping you meet current professional expectations and contribute to high‑quality patient care.
Learn alongside peers from multiple local NHS trusts, while being supported by regional practice educators and academic specialists. This collaborative approach will enhance your learning experience, promote shared clinical understanding, and reflect the multidisciplinary nature of critical care practice.
Graduates emerge with advanced clinical reasoning, enhanced decision‑making skills, and the confidence to contribute to effective, evidence‑based patient care in complex and unpredictable critical care settings.
Course details
You’ll study three specialist 20‑credit Level 7 modules - covering applied physiology, core concepts in critical care, and advanced clinical practice - building the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions when they matter most. Learning is supported by regional critical care educators and guided by national standards, ensuring your skills are both recognised and transferable across the UK.
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.
Summary of Module Content
- Systems of the body
- Fluid, electrolyte, and acid base balance
- Homeostasis
- Shock
- Relevant anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology
- Recognition of health abnormalities
- Investigations and interpretation of results
- Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, medicines management and the challenges of these within critical care
- Pain, delirium sedation and sleep
- Emergency situations
- Inter & Intra hospital transfer
Learning outcomes
At the end of the module the learner will be expected to be able to:
- Have critical understanding of the impact that pathophysiological processes have on the acutely unwell and critically ill adult.
- Critically explore apply and synthesise the consequences of acute and critical illness on the homeostatic processes in adults.
- Interpret, evaluate, and communicate knowledge of critical illness and apply this to understanding evidence based clinical treatments.
- Analyse and evaluate clinical symptoms of critical illness and discuss in relation to evidence based practice.
APP778P – Advanced Concepts in Critical Care
This module is designed for healthcare professionals currently working in an adult critical care environment, who want to increase their critical awareness of advanced insights of critical care practice. It will provide the opportunity to innovate with a service improvement project and advance their professional practice and will incorporate completion of the CC3N step 3 competency framework.
Summary of module content
- Professionalism
- Leadership
- Contemporary issues in critical care
- End of Life Care Organ donation and care of the donor
- Communication, leadership, management, and team skills
- Human factors, including knowledge of fixation, red flags, and situational awareness
- Treatment modalities and interventions used in Critical Care
- Relevant specialist situations, such as acute oncology and care of the pregnant or recently pregnant lady
- Legal requirements of role, acts of parliament that influence care delivery and ethical dilemmas that could arise in practice
Learning outcomes
At the end of the module the learner will be expected to be able to:
- Critically analyse, evaluate, and synthesize contemporary evidence to support advanced professional practice in intensive care.
- Identify and evaluate interventions to improve the culture and environment, supportive of a multi-disciplinary approach to intensive care practice which empowers patients, relatives, carers, and colleagues.
- Demonstrates reflexivity in relation to leadership and personal responsibility within advanced professional practice that appreciates the ethical, moral legal dimensions associated with delivery of intensive care to patient’s relatives, carers, and colleagues.
- Consistently demonstrate advanced clinical proficiency (knowledge, skill, and attitudes) within a level 3 (ICS 2022) critical care setting, collating evidence from a variety of sources to support care delivery and professional practice.
- Critical analysis and synthesis of a broad range of contemporary evidence in order to construct a justifiable service development, innovation, which focuses on service development.
APP779P – Core Concepts in Critical Care
This module is designed for healthcare professionals to improve their critical awareness of contemporary concepts in critical care practice. It will facilitate analysis of the contemporary evidence base and provide an opportunity to evaluate their professional practice and incorporate completion of the CC3N Step 2 Competencies.
Summary of Module Content
- Treatment modalities and interventions used in Critical Care
- The vulnerability of critically ill patients (including consent, mental capacity, and deprivation of liberty (dols))
- Legal requirements of role, acts of parliament that influence care delivery and ethical dilemmas that could arise in practice
- Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care for a critically ill adult
- Psychosocial care of the patient and their family, including during admission to Critical Care and discharge to the ward
- Ability to plan and contribute to recovery pathways alongside the wider MDT
Learning outcomes
At the end of the module the learner will be expected to be able to:
- Critically analyse, evaluate, and synthesise contemporary evidence to support professional practice in intensive care.
- Demonstrate critical understanding, insight, and innovation supportive of a multi-disciplinary approach intensive care practice which empowers patients, relatives, carers and colleagues.
- Demonstrate reflexivity, personal responsibility and professional practice that appreciates and incorporates the ethical and legal dimensions associated with delivery of intensive care.
- Consistently demonstrate clinical proficiency (knowledge, skill and attitudes) within a level 3 (ICS 2022) critical care setting, drawing together themes from a range of evidence, demonstrating synthesis that supports progression and professional practice.
Entry requirements
You will normally have a first degree, BSc (Hons) at 2:2 or above in a related science; or European first cycle equivalent in a related science, plus be a registered nurse working in a critical care setting.
Additional requirements
- Those individuals without a degree but with appropriate practice related experience relevant to the programme may be eligible to apply.
- Applicants where English is not the first language must also provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with the University’s Admissions Code of Practice, that is, IELTS of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each part.
- Potential students are assessed for their ability to study at Masters Level and therefore an interview will normally be necessary. Candidates without a first degree at 2.2 or above (or European first cycle equivalent) will normally be required to submit a short piece of writing as part of the admissions process.
- Students will be required to be working in the clinical environment of critical care, in order to facilitate the successful completion of the programme/module outcomes.
- The PgCert Critical Care Practice programme has been developed to meet the changing needs of local critical care provision as well as the wider national market to create a transferable nursing qualification in line with CC3N guidelines. RPL of previous study will be considered on a case-by-case scenario and in line with RPL regulations and policy:
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) .
How to apply
Delivered in partnership with University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
All enquiries and applications for this course, or the individual modules, must go directly to University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust using the contact details below. The University of Plymouth cannot accept applications.
A structured, supportive pathway
Whether you’re aiming to deepen your physiological understanding, strengthen your evidence‑based practice, or step confidently into more advanced roles, the PgCert Critical Care Practice provides the structure, support, and academic challenge to help you grow. Join a community of motivated clinicians from across local NHS trusts and shape the future of critical care in the region.
University of Plymouth Programme Lead
Mr Ruari Cassidy
Lecturer in Clinical Intercalation