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Recognition, Assessment and Physiological Interpretation of Deterioration (RAPID) - 20 credits - Module

Currently viewing course to start in 2023/24 Entry.

This module offers you, a registered healthcare practitioner with a minimum of 6 months experience caring for acutely ill adults, the opportunity to enhance your ability to recognise, assess and interpret physiological indicators of acute deterioration. This will enable you to confidently recognise early signs of physiological deterioration, and articulate your concerns to others....

  • Award Module
  • Start date September 2023, January 2024
  • School School of Nursing and Midwifery
  • Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences

Overview

This module offers you, a registered healthcare practitioner with a minimum of 6 months experience caring for acutely ill adults, the opportunity to enhance your ability to recognise, assess and interpret physiological indicators of acute deterioration. This will enable you to confidently recognise early signs of physiological deterioration, and articulate your concerns to others. The early recognition of deterioration is a core skill required of many healthcare professionals. It is however an increasingly challenging skill to develop and maintain, due to the increase in complexity of the patient population. 

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

This module is aimed at enhancing early recognition of the most common causes of acute health deterioration such as sepsis, acute exacerbation of COPD, acute kidney injury, acute coronary syndrome, hypovolaemia and acute heart failure. You will learn more about the pathophysiology of these and other common causes of acute health deterioration, and the homeostatic mechanisms that respond to them. The knowledge and skills gained in this module will be useful to registered healthcare professionals working anywhere where patients sometimes experience an acute deterioration in their health. This module also includes focus on enhancing escalation skills, through critically thinking about ways to articulate your concern.

Significant evidence exists that indicates that the number of people living with one, two or more long term conditions is rapidly increasing. The population in the UK is also ageing. With the polypharmacy that often accompanies this, interpretation of observation data has become more challenging. You will be supported during the course to develop your recognition and escalation skills to respond to these challenges.

Why Choose Us?

  • Clinically focused 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 of acute health deterioration in complex adults
  • A strong focus on current issues in acute care, and the practical application of knowledge
  • The module has a bespoke Moodle virtual learning environment to support your learning at times convenient to you
  • 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

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

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. View fees for continuing students.

Award: Module

Starting: Sep 2023

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Short Course
  • 6 weeks
  • TBC

Award: Module

Starting: Jan 2024

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Short Course
  • 6 weeks
  • TBC

International 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. View fees for continuing students.

Award: Module

Starting: Sep 2023

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Short Course
  • 6 weeks
  • TBC

Award: Module

Starting: Jan 2024

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Short Course
  • 6 weeks
  • TBC

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.

How to apply

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

Course in Depth

Level 6

Level 7

Course structure

Through the use of contemporary case studies you will gain enhanced confidence in your assessment and interpretation of clinical observation related data, in adults with complex health histories. This is achieved through a blended learning approach involving 6 interactive scheduled virtual classroom study days and a wide variety of engaging on line learning activities via Moodle. During a study day you can expect to collaborate with your peers and be supported in your learning by experts in the field. You can also expect to be well supported with the preparation of your assessment.

You have the opportunity to study this module for 20 level 6 or level 7 academic credits. Please contact the module lead for further advice, if you are at all unclear about which level is right for you.

This module aligns with the Professional Practice Programme philosophy and is designed to be flexible and practice-led. As well as engaging in both directed and self-directed learning activities, you will be an active partner in your own learning. In return you will receive regular feedback and feed forward aimed at developing your academic skills. You will have the opportunity to discuss your progress at frequent intervals.

Assessment

Oral examination (Presentation).

This assessment encourages you to develop a deeper understanding of physiological indicators of acute health deterioration that you will be able to translate into practice.

This method of assessment fosters your personal growth as it will help you gain confidence in presenting information and communicating persuasive arguments. It will also help with your ability to articulate your concerns to other health professionals to ensure that appropriate escalation occurs. If you use a slideshow presentation as the basis of your oral examination this can also strengthen your employability as presentations are often used as a means of assessment at interview.

The format of a slide show presentation facilitates the development of your verbal and visual presentation skills, in addition to the academic skills in searching for and using literature to support your discussion. In addition your presentation will provide an education resource for your clinical area. The question element allows you to clarify aspects of your examination, correct any minor errors and expand on the depth of your analytical discussion.

International

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:

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 Claire

Enquiries

Module Leader

If you have any queries about this course please contact the Module Leader, Claire Perkins on:

Professional Navigators

Our Professional Navigator, Nicola Clarke, is also on hand to offer guidance and will help you to choose which modules are best for you, taking into account your aims, professional or clinical experience, KSF requirements and your academic achievements.

Call Nicola on +44 (0)121 331 6162.