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Assistant Practitioner (Health) - Higher Apprenticeship - FdSc
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Do you want to enhance your career in health and social care? Our Assistant Practitioner (Health) Apprenticeship is ideal for those already working a minimum of 30 hours per week within a health and social care setting. This access course, taught by our experienced clinical staff, will allow you to develop your knowledge and skills to enable you to progress to Assistant Practitioner level....
- Level Apprenticeship
- Study mode Blended Learning
- Location City South
- Award FdSc
- Start date September 2024
- School School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences
This course is:
Overview
Do you want to enhance your career in health and social care? Our Assistant Practitioner (Health) Apprenticeship is ideal for those already working a minimum of 30 hours per week within a health and social care setting. This access course, taught by our experienced clinical staff, will allow you to develop your knowledge and skills to enable you to progress to Assistant Practitioner level.
A variety of pathways can be studied including:
- Diagnostic Radiography
- Mammography
- Maternity
- Rehabilitation Assistant
- Surgical Care Support
How to apply
You apply for a degree apprenticeship in the same way you apply for a normal job. You’ll need to submit an application to the recruiting employer.
Employers advertise degree apprenticeships throughout the year and there is no application cycle like there is with university applications. The vacancy will state when the application deadline is, and when the apprenticeship is due to start.
You cannot apply directly to the University for a degree apprenticeship. To apply for an apprenticeship, you first need to find one that you are interested in applying for.
The NHS Jobs website is where the vacancies are advertised. It only shows live jobs (so it won’t tell you previous vacancies, nor what’s coming up), so you will need to check it regularly to see new vacancies as the employers advertise them.
What's covered in this course?
The Cert HE/FdSc Assistant Practitioner (HEALTH) course are full-time apprenticeships delivered one-day per week at the City South campus, and have been carefully designed to provide the skills you and your current or future employer need.
Expert teaching staff in Nursing and Midwifery and Health Professions provide the guidance needed to make sure you secure the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours that will advance your career.
The course equips successful candidates for the role of Assistant Practitioner in a range of healthcare settings and in the various pathways of Maternity Support, Diagnostic Radiography, Mammography, Endoscopy, Surgical, Rehabilitation and other Allied Health Therapies.
In undertaking this course you will explore and develop clinical skills and work within your professional scope of practice, understand holistic patient centred care, risk assessment, safeguarding, continuous professional development and evidence based healthcare.
The course offers an introduction to anatomy and physiology, and examines social, psychological and cultural influences relevant to your area of work. Pathway specific modules will enable you to undertake more in-depth study in an area relevant to your role, practice and service user group.
Entry requirements
Applicants must have on application a Level 2 in Maths and English (or equivalent) as well as a Level 3 qualification, however we can accept a portfolio for those who do not hold a Level 3 qualification.
Please check the transferable skills document from Apprenticeship Certificates England to see if your qualifications meet the requirements for a Higher Apprenticeship.
Please be aware the FdSc Assistant Practitioner Course is an apprenticeship which requires a supportive and suitable (for the pathway you are applying for) clinical environment and employer. You need this before you can apply.
Why study an apprenticeship?
- Work based learning – the opportunity to build on existing knowledge and skills
- Highly experienced tutors who are all professionally qualified to support you at university
- Work based clinical educators to support you in practice
- A wide range of support services available to you at university to support your learning journey
- We have excellent facilities, including a brand new building that offers state-of-the-art equipment that will support you in your studies. There are several study spaces and open access information technology support.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
Our School of Nursing and Midwifery is based at our City South campus in leafy Edgbaston.
We’ve spent £41million expanding our facilities at City South. These facilities offer hands-on practical experience, replicating the spaces you will come across in professional practice.
In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, we work hard to ensure that you learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. Alongside physical spaces such as a mock operating theatre and wards, we also make use of online and virtual technology, such as our virtual ward and virtual case creator.
See more of our skills facilities at City South
Centre for Skills and Simulation
The Centre for Skills and Simulation offers a range of different spaces which replicate situations that you will encounter in practice. These include hospital wards, an operating theatre and a home environment room.
Our mock wards enable you to get a feel of what a ward is really like before you head out for your first placement. The hospital wards can be adapted from low care to high dependency care environment with the necessary monitoring equipment.
The home environment room is the perfect space for teaching communications skills and allows us to simulate a community setting for our students. It is particularly useful for mental health nurses, learning disability nurses and midwives.
Simulation Manikins
We have several Simulation men (SIM men) and simulation babies (SIM babies) which are anatomically correct manikins used for teaching specific techniques such as advanced adult and paediatric life support skills, acute and high dependency clinical skills, first aid and communication skills. The manikins contain software which replicates real symptoms, and can manipulate indicators such as blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism. SIM man can even ‘talk’ to the students as they are treating him, to add another dimension to learning.
Computer Facilities
The Seacole building has two open-access IT Suites which offer PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. There is also an IT Helpdesk for quick and easy help with your computing or internet issues.
Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:
- Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
- Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
- Microsoft Office software
- Research and statistical software
- Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home
Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.
In addition to desktop PCs, we also offer a laptop loan facility, allowing students to borrow a laptop for up to six hours while on campus.
Our staff
Jody Perry
Course Lead for BSc Nursing and FdSc Assistant Practitioner (Health) and Senior Lecturer
Jody initially joined the University as a Health and Safety Advisor has a back ground in Risk Management/Clinical Governance as well as Learning and Development. Before joining the University, Jody worked in the NHS for almost twenty years. In 2014, Jody moved into academia as Senior Lecturer to undertake the role of Undergraduate Lead for...
More about JodyCharlotte Parnham
Maternity Pathway Lead and Deputy Course Lead, FdSc Assistant Practitioner Apprenticeship and Senior Lecturer
Charlotte joined BCU in July 2019 as a lecturer. She is also the Maternity Pathway Lead and Deputy Course Lead for the FdSc Assistant Practitioner Apprenticeship. Charlotte leads the level 4 and 5 maternity specific modules within the apprenticeship. These range from ‘supporting normal birth’ to ‘supporting the transition to parenting’ and...
More about Charlotte