Infection, Prevention and Control (Professional Practice)
- Level: Top-Up Pathways
- Starting: September 2021
- Study mode: Part Time
- Location: City South
Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
The Infection Prevention and Control pathway has been designed to broaden your knowledge and understanding within this specialised area of healthcare. You will work with a range of healthcare specialists to improve your practice. This will enable you to function more proficiently in your specialist role by developing a higher level of knowledge and understanding within this specialised healthcare area. You'll learn face-to-face and be able to network with a range of healthcare professionals.
Please note that the delivery of this programme in 2020/21 will be fully online in semester one.
What's covered in the course?
Throughout the programme you are provided with a blended integrated approach learning, where clinical based knowledge is underpinned with theoretical and conceptual principles and delivered by experts within the area.
The wider issues associated with specialist practice such interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary working, leadership and networking have been integrated into the programme to enable you to manage working across the expansive health and social care sector.
A core element of the Infection Prevention and Control practice consists of clinical knowledge of applied Microbiology which underpins much of the day to day activity required to keep patients safe from acquiring healthcare associated infection and minimise outbreaks of infection. The detailed Microbiology that is taught on the course will be delivered by an experienced physiologist and expert in the field and further supported by the inclusion of healthcare epidemiology and surveillance principles. This depth of expertise will enable you to fully understand the complex nature of commonly recognised micro-organisms that are responsible for predominance of healthcare associated infection. This will give you the confidence to deal with each situation confidently and with a high level of competence.
The learning and assessment strategy will enable you to develop skills that will benefit you throughout your career; such as being able to deliver a presentation confidently, design educational posters for use at conferences, and produce high quality written work and health policies and develop crucial leadership and managerial skills.
Why Choose Us?
- Dynamic and contemporary curriculum
- Face to face delivery [taught sessions]
- Opportunities to network
- Interdisciplinary approach to learning - practitioners from different health and social care backgrounds
- Expert clinical and academic input
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.
This course is open to International students
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Course Accreditations
Post Registration Education Provider of the Year Winner
- UK students
- International students
Award:
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- TBC
- £800 per 20-credit module
Award:
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- TBC
- £800 per 20-credit module
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.
You are required to be already working as an IPC practitioner or within IPC teams having dedicated remits, such decontamination officer, audit or surveillance positions and clinical governance roles.
Course structure
You can study this programme as a complete pathway award (full or part-time), 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 Infection, Prevention and Control 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 you are enrolling onto.
Professional Practice Routes
Have a look at all of our Professional Practice Healthcare routes available
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 (Infection, Prevention and Control)
Year 2 Pathway Award (BSc Only) – Exit Award: BSc (Hons) Professional Practice (Infection, Prevention and Control)
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the 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.
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 (Infection, Prevention and Control)
Year 2 Pathway Award - Exit Award: PG Dip Professional Practice (Infection, Prevention and Control)
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the 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.
MSc
Year 3 Pathway Award – Exit Award: MSc Professional Practice (Infection, Prevention and Control)
Option 1
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete the following CORE module (totalling 60 credits):
Option 2
In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete the following CORE module (totalling 40 credits):
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.
Degree (Level 6)
Pathway Level
Modules completed
Exit Awards
Postgraduate (Level 7)
Pathway Level
Modules completed
Exit Awards
Student Nursing Times Award Winner
Post Registration Education Provider of the Year
Course dates
Download the course dates for all of our Professional Practice modules here.
Employability
As the role of the specialist Infection Prevention and Control practitioner develops, completing this programme will enable you realise your full potential in your current role and future aspirations.
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here.
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies.
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country.
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
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 nurses and 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 Care Enhancement facility
The SPACE (Skills Practice And Care 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 Manikins
We have several Simulation men (SIM men) and Simulation babies (SIM babies) which are leading edge, 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 SIM men and SIM baby manikins 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.
Shirley Kirnon
Senior Lecturer, Infection Prevention and Control
Shirley's professional background is in nursing and she specialises in teaching Infection Prevention and Control, which is a specialism within the health protection strand of Public Health. She is involved in teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, across the various healthcare disciplines.
Course Enquiries
For any enquiries about this course please contact the course leader Shirley Kirnon, on:
- Tel: +44 (0)121 331 6140
- Email: Shirley Kirnon@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
Professional Practice Routes
Have a look at all of our Professional Practice Healthcare routes available