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Adult Critical Care (Professional Practice)

  • Level: Top-Up Pathways
  • Starting: September 2020
  • Study mode: Part Time
  • Location: City South
How to apply
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The course aims to address the learning needs of healthcare professionals working in level two and three areas with clients within a variety of critical care specialities - including hepatology, cardiology and neurology - and provides exposure opportunities for practitioners involved in the investigation, treatment, management and care of clients with a variety of critical illnesses. Together this is intended to increase your skills (and associated theoretical knowledge) in order to best meet the needs of your clients and the service. This course gives you the opportunity to focus on current issues within this speciality and learn from dedicated, committed staff who are experts in their field.

What's covered in the course?

You'll learn more about assessing, planning, delivering and evaluating the specialist care of patients undergoing interventions and treatment for a variety of critical conditions, and educating and supporting these patients, relatives and fellow colleagues. The course will enable you to develop higher levels of judgment and decision making, and develop your understanding and expertise in your clinical areas using reflection and critical analysis.

Why Choose Us?

  • The course is designed to be relevant to all health care professionals working in level two and level three areas.
  • Our dedicated, committed staff are experts in their field; the course leader is a University lecturer with substantial clinical experience in critical care.
  • There's a strong focus on current issues within the speciality and emphasis on the practical side with competencies.
  • Continued support from staff both academically and practically whilst in university and on placement
  • Each module has an associated "Moodle" based website which contains all module documentation, handouts, links to key documents and supplementary articles of interest.
  • The course will equip you with the life-long learning skills, promoting the ability to learn independently after the course has finished.

New £10,609 postgraduate loans

If you are completing the MSc Professional Practice, you may be able to take advantage of the government’s plans to make loans of up to £10,609 available for postgraduate study.

More about postgraduate loans

This course is not open to International students

Speak to an expert

Do you have a question about this course? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Send your question to the Course Director and they’ll get back to you shortly.

Contact Course Director

Alternatively, you can register for our next postgraduate open day.

Course Accreditations

Post Registration Education Provider of the Year Winner

SNTA winner
  • UK/EU students
  • International students

Award:

Starting: Sep 2020

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Part Time
  • TBC
  • £720 per 20-credit module

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. 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

Following the introduction of the 2018/9 regulations students are required to complete a minimum of 100 credits at BCU to be awarded a degree. Therefore students who did not complete their Dip H.E. or 240 credits at the institution will need to complete a 40 credit level 5 portfolio module in addition to 60 credits at level 6.

Students who think this applies to them are advised to contact the Professional Navigators to discuss further.

Course structure 

You can choose to study this programme as a complete pathway award or as a standalone module, dependent on your individual need and the needs of your organisation. All programmes offer a convenient part-time format to fit around home and work commitments

Pathway awards in Adult Critical Care can lead to:

  • Module only Professional Practice Level 6
  • Module only Professional Practice Level 7
  • BSc Professional Practice
  • BSc (Hons) Professional Practice 
  • Grad Cert Professional Practice 
  • PG Cert Professional Practice
  • PG Dip Professional Practice
  • MSc Professional Practice

How to apply

Complete the online application form via the link above, including the name of the pathway or module you are enrolling onto. 

Professional practice routes

Have a look at all of our Professional Practice Healthcare routes available.

Professional Practice Routes

Degree (Level 6)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: Grad Cert / BSc Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Fundamental Principles of Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
20 credits

This module adopts the National Standards for Critical Care Nurse Education (CC3N, 2016) and the General Provision of Intensive Care standards (FICM, 2015) to ensure that critically ill patients are cared by professional nurses who have the appropriate specialist knowledge and skills set to assess, implement and evaluate patients and related care interventions. The module has been developed and will be delivered by a combination of individuals who are academically and clinically credible within the speciality of critical care.

This module aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to deliver evidence-based clinical management for the critically ill patient. Through case studies you will develop a deep and systematic understanding of the complexities of critical illness in relation to patients you will provide care for. You will be expected to evaluate the reliability and validity of key evidence to justify management interventions.
Exploring the Pathophysiological Principles of the Critically Ill Patient
20 credits

This module aims to enhance your knowledge base of applied anatomy and physiology, in relation to body systems and explore the pathophysiological processes that may affect these systems. This module aims to provide you with the skills, in-depth applied physiology, and knowledge required to apply safe high quality bedside care to the critically ill patient and their family. The focus of the module is to provide opportunities for you to interpret the significance of altered pathophysiological mechanisms, pathophysiology of critical illness and its implications will be explored within the context of patient assessment and interpretation of clinical symptoms.
Challenging Professional Practice within Critical Care
20 credits

This module aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to deliver evidence-based clinical management for the critically ill patient. This module intends to provide you with the opportunity to investigate and evaluate professional and managerial issues within a critical care environment. The topics will allow you to explore the relevant underpinning theories and reflect on the application of theory to clinical practice. It will allow you to reflect on current issues and facilitate a greater understanding on how professional issues impact on health care. We aim to ensure that you acquire the theoretical understanding and skills to advance and promote knowledge in this specialty and develop your leadership skills and confidence to enable the provision of the highest standards of critical care.

Year 2 Pathway Award (BSc Only) – Exit Award: BSc (Hons) Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Using Research Evidence in Practice
20 credits

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

Negotiated Study
20 credits

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

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from ‘Appendix A. List of Additional Optional Modules’ * for Year 2.

*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
Optional Module
20 credits

Postgraduate (Level 7)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: PG Cert Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Fundamental Principles of Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
20 credits

This module adopts the National Standards for Critical Care Nurse Education (CC3N, 2016) and the General Provision of Intensive Care standards (FICM, 2015) to ensure that critically ill patients are cared by professional nurses who have the appropriate specialist knowledge and skills set to assess, implement and evaluate patients and related care interventions. The module has been developed and will be delivered by a combination of individuals who are academically and clinically credible within the speciality of critical care.

This module aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to deliver evidence-based clinical management for the critically ill patient. Through case studies you will develop a deep and systematic understanding of the complexities of critical illness in relation to patients you will provide care for. You will be expected to evaluate the reliability and validity of key evidence to justify management interventions.
Exploring the Pathophysiological Principles of the Critically Ill Patient
20 credits

This module aims to enhance your knowledge base of applied anatomy and physiology, in relation to body systems and explore the pathophysiological processes that may affect these systems. This module aims to provide you with the skills, in-depth applied physiology, and knowledge required to apply safe high quality bedside care to the critically ill patient and their family. The focus of the module is to provide opportunities for you to interpret the significance of altered pathophysiological mechanisms, pathophysiology of critical illness and its implications will be explored within the context of patient assessment and interpretation of clinical symptoms.
Challenging Professional Practice within Critical Care
20 credits

This module aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to deliver evidence-based clinical management for the critically ill patient. This module intends to provide you with the opportunity to investigate and evaluate professional and managerial issues within a critical care environment. The topics will allow you to explore the relevant underpinning theories and reflect on the application of theory to clinical practice. It will allow you to reflect on current issues and facilitate a greater understanding on how professional issues impact on health care. We aim to ensure that you acquire the theoretical understanding and skills to advance and promote knowledge in this specialty and develop your leadership skills and confidence to enable the provision of the highest standards of critical care.

Year 2 Pathway Award - Exit Award: PG Dip Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Leadership Skills and Project Management in Health and Healthcare
20 credits

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

Research: Methods of Enquiry
20 credits

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

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from ‘Appendix A. List of Additional Optional Modules’ * for Year 2.

*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
Optional Module
20 credits

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):
Research Dissertation
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):
Research Dissertation
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 ‘Appendix A. List of Additional Optional Modules’ *.

*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.
Optional Module
20 credits

Degree (Level 6)

Pathway Level
Level 6 - Year 1
Modules completed 
Exploring the Pathophysiological Principles of the Critically Ill Patient (LBR6595) 
Fundamental Principles of Caring for the Critically Ill Patient (LBR6594)
Challenging Professional Practice within Critical Care (LBR6596)
Exit Awards
Grad Cert/BSc Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Level 6 - Year 2 (BSc (Hons only)
Negotiated Study (LBR6547)
Using Research Evidence in Practice (LBR6553)
Optional Module
BSc (Hons) Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)

Postgraduate (Level 7)

Pathway Level
Level 7 - Year 1
Modules completed 
Exploring the Pathophysiological Principles of the Critically Ill Patient (LBR7561)
Fundamental Principles of Caring for the Critically Ill Patient (LBR7560)
Challenging Professional Practice within Critical Care (LBR7562)
Exit Awards
PG Cert Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Level 7 - Year 2
Leadership Skills and Project Management for Health (LBR7399)
Research: Methods of Enquiry (LBR7339)
Optional Module
PG Dip Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
Level 7 - Year 3
Research Dissertation
MSc Professional Practice (Adult Critical Care)
SNTA winner
Student Nursing Times Award Winner

Post Registration Education Provider of the Year

Download the course specification

Course dates

Download the course dates for all of our Professional Practice modules here. 

Download 2020/21 course dates

Our Facilities

We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.

We boast up-to-date, innovative facilities that simulate the real situations that medical staff may come across.

These resources are essential in offering students a hands-on introduction to health and social care practice. Much of our teaching is carried out within our state-of-the-art, £30m Seacole Building, which houses cutting-edge facilities.

Take a virtual tour of our skills suites at Seacole

In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, we work hard to ensure that students learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. These include the only mock operating theatre in an English university and a cutting-edge radiography virtual clinical training facility, virtual ward and virtual case creator.

Virtual Case Creator

For pre-registration midwives, Virtual Case Creator software contains a range of scenarios to let you experience birthing situations and decide on appropriate interventions in a safe environment.

Hospital Ward

Our mock wards enable you to get a feel of what a ward is really like before you head out for your first placement. They contain ‘Sim Men’, which are demonstration dummies that develop ailments, allowing you to treat them as you would a real patient and build your confidence in reacting to the changing needs of patients.

The Hospital Ward can be adapted from a low care to high dependency care environment with the necessary monitoring equipment.

Part of the package is our SIM baby, SIM man and Mega code kid. There are also nursing manikins for fundamental skills teaching and various equipment to support essential skills teaching, such as blood pressure monitoring venepuncture and cannulation equipment.

Skills Practice and Clinical Enhancement facility

The SPACE (Skills Practice And Clinical Enhancement) learning facility lets you further practice the skills taught in class, at your own pace and convenience.

It is fully stocked with the specialist items and equipment needed for procedures such as taking blood pressure, giving an injection, abdominal examination of a pregnant woman and caring for ill babies in an incubator.

Biomedical Laboratories

We have recently installed new laboratory facilities to help you explore understand the scientific principles underpinning many of our courses. The physiology laboratory is equipped to help you learn about the way the human body works by performing investigative experiments. The biomedical science laboratory is undergoing an upgrade over the summer and will allow you to learn about anatomy, cellular processes, immunology and enzymology in a hands-on way that links directly to day-to-day health care.

Simulation Mannequins

We have several Simulation men (SIM men) and Simulation babies (SIM babies) which are leading edge, anatomically correct mannequins 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 SIM men and SIM baby mannequins are complete with software, which is used to replicate real symptoms, and are enhanced by the manipulation of for example blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism. SIM Man can also “talk” to the students which adds another dimension to their use in teaching clinical skills and in simulation exercises.

Mary Seacole Library

The Seacole library, based at City South Campus, is one of the UK's largest specialist health education libraries. The state-of-the art facility offers an extensive range of range of information and reference materials set out in a relaxing environment, conducive to studying. There are comfortable seating areas, group study areas, a silent study area and private study rooms.

The Seacole building houses a large open access IT Suite which comprises of 96 PCs, full colour printers, photocopiers and scanners. 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.

The IT Suite offers extended opening hours and is supported by a specialist Open Access Assistant during term time. In addition to the open access PCs within the IT Suite, there are 12 networked student PCs available within Seacole library.

Jane Leaver

Senior Lecturer

Jane joined the faculty of Health in 2000 as a lecturer practitioner in Burns and Plastic Surgery and has maintained close clinical working links with Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Jane is pathway leader for the Burns and Plastic Surgery awards on the Professional Practice Programme. 

Read Jane's full profile

Enquiries

For any enquiries about this course please contact the course leader, Lorraine Marsons on:

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 

Professional practice routes

Have a look at all of our Professional Practice Healthcare routes available.

Professional Practice Routes

Next: How to apply

UK prospective students:

UK enquiry form

+44 (0)121 331 6295

EU / International prospective students:

International enquiry form

+44 (0)121 331 5389

Already applied?

Contact the admissions team

+44 (0)121 331 6295

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