Program Overview

CG6005 Amputee and Prosthetic Rehabilitation

Course Fact File

• Code: CG6005
• Duration: 2 consecutive days
• Teaching Mode: Part-Time
• Fees: €540
• Closing Date: 3rd October 2025
• Venue: Brookfield Health Sciences, UCC - Day 2 can take place in Cork City Centre
• Credits: 5
• Start Date: 3rd November 2025

Outline

"Amputee and Prosthetic Rehabilitation" provides students from a range of different professional backgrounds with unique learning in this specialised area, including prosthesis types, assessment and goal setting, psychosocial factors, service provision. This module can be taken as a stand-alone module. Equally, it can be built upon with other modules from our range of CPD modules in the area of rehabilitation with a particular focus on older people.

This is a new and unique course, with no similar course available in Ireland or the UK. It is led by a rehabilitation consultant but is fully interdisciplinary - the specialist lecturers are from a range of disciplines and students learn with and from each other. There is a strong student-centred focus, with flexible timetabling, and blended learning to minimise work disruptions. The course combines lectures, case based learning, workshops and small group discussions. The students get to visit a specialised POLAR unit and to see first-hand amputation rehabilitation in real-life practice.

In today’s competitive workforce, continuous professional development is a key requirement of ongoing professional competency. CPD training aids career advancement and improves your confidence in treating patients.

In this module, students will gain solid understanding and skills in the rehabilitation of patients with amputations and prostheses, with a focus on older people.

Module Content

• The Person with Limb Loss
• Causes of Limb Loss or Absence
• Levels and types of Amputation
• Types of Prostheses related to predicted activity levels
• Stages of Rehabilitation
• Principles of Rehabilitation using the Bio-Psycho-Social model of illness and the International Classification of Function
• Assessment and Durable Outcome Measures
• Roles of members of the Rehabilitation Team
• Pain and Phantom phenomena
• Psychosocial Factors
• The Patients Perspective
• Service Provision and Referral Pathways
• Costs and evidence base for Rehabilitation
• Amputee rehabilitation as a Specialist service

Module Objective

To develop an overview of amputee rehabilitation, especially in the older person with vascular co-morbidity, using a person centred decision framework and evidence-based practice.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Discuss the clinical issues leading to limb loss or amputation and the different levels of amputation
• Outline the stages, principles and multi-disciplinary assessments used for persons with an amputation, using an inter-disciplinary team approach
• Assess a patient's rehabilitation potential, rehabilitation needs and formulate appropriate, patient oriented goals
• Measure outcomes in amputee rehabilitation using validated outcome measures
• Identify pain, phantom phenomena and psycho-social factors as a consequence of limb loss and evaluate their management
• Appraise the evidence base and cost-effectiveness of amputee rehabilitation as a Specialist service

Practicalities

2 x full day sessions November includes a full day in the Prosthetic, Orthotic and Limb Amputation Rehabilitation clinic at Mercy University Hospital. These contact days consist of lectures, workshops, group discussion and directed study. The remainder of the learning is self directed, based on the students own learning goals, such as topics introduced in the lectures that the student can explore in more depth, and background reading for the written assignment.

This module is assessed by a written assignment (1500 word essay on a topic chosen by the student from a list of available topic). The assignment is submitted a few weeks after the last contact day for the module.

Requirements

• A primary degree or an equivalent experience in a relevant health care discipline
• Proof of current registration or eligibility for registration with the appropriate professional healthcare registration body in Ireland
• Practical experience in their area of qualifications of at least one year post-registration

Candidates must have:

• A primary degree in a relevant health care discipline or an equivalent academic qualification and professional experience to be approved by the Programme Team
• Ideally candidates should have at least one year's practical experience in their area of qualifications post-registration
• Applicants who do not meet the normal academic or experience requirements may also be considered following a review of their individual qualifications and experience by the Programme Team

Fees and Costs

The fee for this module is €540.00. There is also a €35 application fee.