Advanced Clinical Practice (Primary Care & Community)

This core module in the MSc ACP, PGCert and PGDip enables a critical analysis and understanding of the processes, theories, decision making, and skills that underpins advanced clinical assessment.

This module includes epidemiology, public health, mental health, pathophysiology, anatomy, and physiology of disorders typically seen within practice (normally Primary Care and/or Community). You will consider relevant legal, policy and professional responsibilities and frameworks.

Successful completion of this multidisciplinary module will enable you to further develop knowledge and clinical skills required to systematically take a patient history, perform appropriate examinations, and interpret diagnostic data particularly where information may be limited or incomplete. These skills are foundations of ACP and the ability to manage individuals with undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions.

This module is aimed at practising health and care professionals in roles requiring, or will require, advanced skills in history taking and assessment of patients and the underpinning knowledge and understanding.

This clinical module takes place in the individuals normal clinical setting and builds on successful completion of Practice Portfolio 1 where the individual will manage their case load under conditions of supervised practice and in independent practice. 

• Independent and Supplementary Prescribing - 30 Credits
• Musculoskeletal Practice in Primary Care - 30 Credits
• Community Rehabilitation – Health Ageing - 15 Credits
• Community Rehabilitation – Long Term Conditions - 15 Credits
• Managing Mental Health in Non-Mental Health Settings - 15 Credits
• Pharmacology for Medicines Management for Clinical Practice - 15 Credits
• Minor Illness and Minor Injuries for Advanced Clinical Practice - 15 Credits

This module will provide students with the opportunity to explore contemporary practice in occupational therapy with a particular focus on community and primary care. They will be able to identify an area of their own interest within non-traditional and emerging areas of practice and explore it in depth. Students will identify the skills they currently have to work in this area and will construct a learning plan of additional skills that they believe will equip them to work in this area. This module will adopt an international focus enabling students to consider the transferable nature of practice across different countries, cultures, and communities. Students will have the opportunity to present their ideas to those currently working in the field.

This clinical module takes place in the individuals normal clinical setting and builds on successful completion of Practice Portfolio 1 where the individual will manage their case load under conditions of supervised practice and in independent practice.

This module will build on research skills acquired during your bachelor’s degree and previous learning to enable you to carry out a piece of empirical research at Masters level. The module will review literature searching and critical appraisal skills as well as a regular journal club to develop critical appraisal skills for practice. You will analyse generated quantitative and qualitative data and develop your skills in protocol and journal writing. To prepare you for your Ethics Committee submission (where appropriate), research question and research study, you will also undertake research governance training.

• Independent and Supplementary Prescribing - 30 Credits
• Musculoskeletal Practice in Primary Care - 30 Credits
• Community Rehabilitation – Health Ageing - 15 Credits
• Community Rehabilitation – Long Term Conditions - 15 Credits
• Managing Mental Health in Non-Mental Health Settings - 15 Credits

During this module students will work with a site mentor during practice placement 3 to identify a quality improvement plan centred around either clinical practice, leadership, education or research. They will operationalise their plan and evaluate its impact. Examples of project may include ‘Creating a practice guideline to address sexuality with individuals who have spinal cord injury’, ‘Create and implement a professional development plan for newly qualified occupational therapists’, ‘Develop and implement an online continuing education programme for occupational therapy staff returning to practice’.

During this module students will work with a research supervisor to undertake research activity based on their research protocol completed during the Critical Inquiry module.

During this module you will work with a research supervisor to undertake the research activity as described in your research protocol completed during the Research 1 – research methods module. 

During this module you will work with a site mentor/supervisor during the final year of your ACP programme to identify a quality improvement plan focused on a combination and integration of clinical practice, leadership, education and research as defined in the Multi-Profession Framework. This project brings together elements of your previous learning from the programme and your own personal learning journey. You will operationalise your plan and evaluate its impact. Examples of project may include ‘Creating practice guidelines to implement advanced practice supervision’, ‘Create and implement a professional development plan for newly qualified advanced practitioners, ‘Develop and implement an online continuing education programme for advanced practice staff transitioning into Primary Care and/or Community practice’