Acute Care (Professional Practice) - PgCert / PgDip / MA / MSc
Currently viewing course to start in 2023/24 Entry.
This group of flexible acute care awards will help you to enhance your care of adults who experience acute health deterioration, and help you to take your professional knowledge in the field of acute care, one step further....
- Level Top-Up Pathways
- Study mode Part Time
- Location City South
- Award PgCert / PgDip / MA / MSc
- Start date September 2023, January 2024
- School School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences
Overview
This group of flexible acute care awards will help you to enhance your care of adults who experience acute health deterioration, and help you to take your professional knowledge in the field of acute care, one step further.
The awards will help you to respond to some of the challenges of today’s increasingly complex patient population, improving your confidence and ability to formulate effective patient centred decisions. You will gain enhanced skills in the early recognition of acute health deterioration and develop your knowledge of evidence-based approaches to the effective management of acute deterioration.
Once the two core modules are studied (RAPID and Management of Acute Deterioration), you will be able to access a range of optional modules that help you to get the bespoke learning experience that you need, relevant to your clinical environment.
This course will help you to gain confidence in both assessment and clinical decision making during acute episodes of acute health deterioration. The acute care courses can be studied by any registered healthcare professional with 6 months or more experience of caring for adults who experience acute health deterioration.
What's covered in this course?
You will learn more about the pathophysiology of common causes of acute health deterioration, and the homeostatic mechanisms that exist in to respond to them.
Through the use of contemporary case studies you will gain enhanced confidence in your assessment and interpretation of clinical observation related data, particularly in patients with complex health problems.
You will increase your knowledge and understanding of how to respond effectively to episodes of acute health deterioration. We will work with you to ensure that the rationales supporting your decision making, are clear and evidence based.
The core modules of this programme are delivered by a team of qualified nurses with extensive experience and expertise in both acute and critical care settings. The modules are also supported by colleagues from clinical practice.
The core modules (RAPID and MAD) are delivered through a blended learning approach involving 6 interactive scheduled virtual classroom study days and a wide variety of engaging online learning activities via Moodle. Optional modules vary in delivery method. Your preferred learning style can help inform your choice.
Why Choose Us?
- Clinically focussed content that addresses the challenges of the increasingly older and more complex patient population.
- An opportunity to develop your confidence and skills specifically in the recognition and management of acutely ill adults
- A strong focus on current issues in acute care, and the practical application of knowledge
- Each module has a bespoke Moodle virtual learning environment to support your continued learning off campus
- A big choice of optional modules allows you to build a bespoke learning experience, most appropriate to your career plans.
- Ongoing support from university staff to facilitate your development as a learner.
Studying with us during the Covid-19 pandemic
The University has put in place measures in response to Covid-19 to allow us to safely deliver our courses. Should the impact of the pandemic continue in future years, any additional or alternative arrangements put in place by the University will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.
Award: PgCert / PgDip / MA / MSc
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- up to 5 years (part time) or 2 years (full time)
-
TBC
Award: PgCert / PgDip / MA / MSc
Starting: Jan 2024
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- up to 5 years (part time) or 2 years (full time)
-
TBC
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Entry requirements
Level 6 study
A BSc degree is awarded on completion of 300 credits of which at least 60 must be at Level 6 or above. At least 100 of these credits must be studied at BCU for the student to be eligible for a BCU award. Students who have a Dip.HE. or equivalent from BCU will need to complete 60 credits at Level 6 to gain their BSc.
Students who have a Dip HE or equivalent but do not have any previous BCU credits will need to complete at least 100 credits to gain a BSc award. These 100 credits can be achieved by completing five 20 credit modules at Level 6 or by completing three modules at Level 6 plus a 40 credit Level 5 portfolio module. The portfolio module is offered free of charge
Level 7 study
For entry into the Post Graduate Certificate students must have a relevant Bachelor’s degree or equivalent or a 60 credit Level 6 award in an appropriate subject area. Applicants with evidence of successfully completed Level 6 study within the preceding 2 years and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the pathway speciality will also be considered.
Students undertaking modules as standalone rather than as part of an award may do so regardless of number of previous credits as long as they are working in an appropriate area to achieve that module’s learning outcomes and have evidence of successfully completed Level 6 study.
Where appropriate students may be asked to provide a written pre-course assessment set by the subject pathway award leader for assessment in order to allow assessment of the students’ academic ability prior to commencing study.
In order to prevent duplication of study, a student that has previously completed a Level 6 pathway cannot access the equivalent pathway at Level 7.
A student who has completed the Level 6 version of a professional practice module (or similar module from a former programme or from another academic institution) within a preceding 5 year period cannot study the Level 7 version of that module.
EU/International students
IELTs of 6 with no element below 5.5.
Course structure
You can choose to study this course as a complete pathway (full or part-time) leading to the level 6 (graduate) or level 7 (post graduate) acute care awards listed below. You can also study the core modules of RAPID and Management of Acute Deterioration as standalone modules for 20 level 6 or 20 level 7 credits. Your choice will depend on your prior qualifications, your individual need and the needs of your organisation. If you would like some advice on which option might be best for you, please contact the pathway lead: Claire.perkins@bcu.ac.uk.
Applications for this course will open later in 2023, if you have any queries please contact the pathway lead: Claire.perkins@bcu.ac.uk.
Course in Depth
Degree (Level 6)
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits):
Year 1 Pathway Award - Exit Award: Grad Cert / BSc Professional Practice (Acute Care)
This module allows you, a registered healthcare practitioner with a minimum of 6 months experience caring for acutely ill adults, to enhance your ability to recognise, assess and interpret physiological indicators of acute deterioration. Acute episodes of health deterioration occur in a wide variety of healthcare settings. Wherever you work, this will enable you to confidently recognise early signs of physiological deterioration, and articulate your concerns to others.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
This module allows you, a registered healthcare practitioner with a minimum of 6 months experience caring for patients who experience episodes of acute health deterioration, to enhance your ability to quickly and effectively respond to adults who experience acute illness.. Acute episodes of health deterioration occur in a wide variety of healthcare settings. Wherever you work, this module aims to foster and develop your ability to prioritise and rationalise your clinical decisions in order to manage episodes of acute health deterioration confidently. It will also support you to develop your understanding of the current evidence base underpinning contemporary acute illness management.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
Year 2 Pathway Award (BSc Only) – Exit Award: BSc (Hons) Professional Practice (Acute Care)
This module is for all healthcare practitioners if you want to enhance your understanding of evidence based practice to help improve your patient/client/service-user care. The aims of the module are to develop both your understanding of the importance of best evidence in practice, and your ability to locate, evaluate, and use best evidence in developing aspects of practice.
Good reasons to study Evidence-Based Practice: Clinical practice does not remain static but changes frequently. As a healthcare practitioner you must be able to justify and rationalise your practice to ensure quality care is provide and maintained. To ensure best practice is sustained you, as a practitioner, need to understand the concepts of evidence based practice and how to apply these concepts to your area of practice.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
This module is aimed at healthcare practitioners who wish to negotiate learning of a bespoke topic. Under the guidance of facilitators, you will be able to direct your learning and identify relevant learning opportunities that you feel enable you to learn more about a specific field of study.
The subject area within this module is student led with guidance and facilitation from designated academic and practice support. You will identify an area of study that you would like to critically review and evaluate and which promotes your clinical development. A significant proportion of the module is based around negotiation with academic and clinical facilitators to identify extended areas of study and opportunities that are possible to enhance your progression towards completion of the study.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from this list of additional optional modules* for Year 1 and an additional 20 credits for Year 2.
*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
Postgraduate (Level 7)
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits):
Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: PG Cert Professional Practice (Acute Care)
This module allows you, typically a graduate health care professional with a minimum of 6 months experience caring for patients who experience episodes of acute health deterioration to enhance your ability to recognise, assess and interpret physiological indicators of acute deterioration in adults with a complex health history. Acute episodes of health deterioration occur in a wide variety of healthcare settings. Wherever you work, this will enable you to confidently recognise early signs of physiological deterioration, and articulate your concerns to others, in challenging clinical situations.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
This module allows you, typically a graduate health care professional with a minimum of 6 months experience caring for patients who experience episodes of acute health deterioration, to enhance your ability to quickly and effectively respond to adults who experience acute illness, who have a complex health history.
Acute episodes of health deterioration occur in a wide variety of healthcare settings. Wherever you work, this module aims to enhance your ability to prioritise and rationalise your clinical decisions in order to manage episodes of acute health deterioration confidently. It will also support you to further develop your understanding of the current evidence base underpinning contemporary acute illness management.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
Year 2 Pathway Award - Exit Award: PG Dip Professional Practice (Acute Care)
This module specifically addresses the broader programme aims related to “pursuing excellence” and “practice-led, knowledge applied” through a flexible provision that encourages students to develop their research ideas, enabling those on various Health MSc programmes to satisfy their individual learning needs, whilst contributing to their area of study.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
This module explicitly addresses students’ personal and/or professional development with a view to enhancing competence for service improvement in a rapidly changing health and healthcare environment. Through a flexible provision, students are inspired to reflect critically upon their individual learning needs as well as their organisations’ practices, to appraise and apply concepts from the literature on leadership, to issues of relevance for their role, organisation and overall programme of study.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit bearing course. View standalone module
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from ‘this list of additional optional modules* for Year 1 and Year 2.
*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
MSc
Year 3 Pathway Award – Exit Award: MSc Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Option 1
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete the following CORE module (totalling 60 credits):
This triple module forms the final bridge between the award of a Postgraduate Diploma and a Health MSc related to a named award. It provides the student with the opportunity to complete a piece of work around a chosen topic in order to demonstrate competence in the planning, execution, analysis and evaluation of a Research Project, a Systematic Review or Project Management. It involves 600 hours of study. The focus is on facilitating the student's independent, critical study in their academic discipline or area of professional practice. It will also serve those who wish to embark on Doctoral studies in the future.
Option 2
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete the following CORE module (totalling 40 credits):
This double module provides the student with the opportunity to complete a piece of work around a chosen topic in order to demonstrate competence in the planning, execution, analysis and evaluation of a Research Project, a Systematic Review or Project Management. It involves 400 hours of study. The focus is on facilitating the student's independent, critical study in their academic discipline or area of professional practice. It will also serve those who wish to embark on Doctoral studies in the future.
In order to complete this route a student must also successfully complete at least 20 credits from ‘this list of additional optional modules* for Year 1 and Year 2.
*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
Download course specification
Download nowDegree (Level 6)
Pathway Level
Modules completed
Exit Awards
Postgraduate (Level 7)
Pathway Level
Modules completed
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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
Claire Perkins
Senior Lecturer
Claire trained as an undergraduate registered nurse in multiple hospitals in London 1993-6. Subsequent clinical registered nursing roles in A & E and multiple HDU’s and ITU’s across the West Midlands, including a Senior Sister post in critical care at University Hospital Birmingham. During a post-registration intensive care course (ENB 100) in...
More about ClaireEnquiries
Course Enquiries
For all course enquiries please contact the Acute Care Pathway Leader, Claire Perkins on:
- Email: Claire.Perkins@bcu.ac.uk
International Enquiries
If you are an international student please contact the international office for more information on entry requirements:
- Tel: +44 (0)121 331 5389
- Email: international.enquiries@bcu.ac.uk
Professional Navigator
The Professional Practice Programme consists of a selection of modules that can be studied on their own or as part of an award. For help in deciding which modules to study or your outcome award please contact our Professional Navigators on navigator@bcu.ac.uk