PgC Physiotherapy Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner: Practice Development

Program Overview

PgC - Physiotherapy Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner: Practice Development

Course Overview

The programme will enhance your ability to complete a detailed assessment of undifferentiated and undiagnosed primary care presentations and provide you with the appropriate knowledge base to anticipate problems, thus enhancing your ability to manage patients accordingly.

As you develop within the programme you will gain the skills and expertise to critically analyse situations and clinical presentations, approaching the patient holistically in the primary care setting.

You will study this programme over 1 calendar year which equates to one module per semester in addition to a QPU which will run alongside the academic modules across the full programme.

You will be working in the Primary care setting throughout the programme whilst utilising the Qualificatory Practice Unit ‘work-based learning in primary care’ in conjunction with a suitable clinical mentor to develop your practical skills in consultation, examination, and patient management.

On this course you will...

• Develop skills that will allow you to practice as a confident and competent First Contact Practitioner
• Study content which is relevant to the world of work, emphasising problem-solving and the interaction of theory and practice. It will challenge you intellectually, promoting independence and confidence.
• Be involved in a stimulating and challenging academic and scholarly environment for you to advance your academic and professional development, with the support of our encouraging team.
• Achieve a recognisable qualification to work as a First Contact Practitioner in primary care.
• Be able to apply for accreditation of prior learning (APL) into the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice. 40 credits from your first 2 modules have been mapped against the MSc ACP programme and can be considered for APL into this programme.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK, EU / EEA / International
• Course Location: Online
• Institute: Institute of Health
• Delivery Style: Online
• Course Duration: Part-time: 1 Year
• Course Start Point: April, September
• Award: PgC

Minimum entry requirements

• Registered Physiotherapist

Course Structure

What you will learn

• Learn how to work effectively as a safe, competent First Contact Practitioner, demonstrating a critical knowledge and understanding of the legal, professional and ethical aspects of the role and its function within primary care
• Develop as a critical thinker and reflective/reflexive practitioner, able to apply techniques of rigorous enquiry and critical appraisal and application of an evidence-based approach
• Learn how to critically evaluate and apply models of consultation and physical examination skills, assessing, diagnosing and managing undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations
• Learn how to critically evaluate and apply models of clinical decision making, demonstrating professional judgement in complex and unpredictable situations
• Learn how to demonstrate critical appreciation of the importance of collaborative working and development of therapeutic relationships, applying underpinning principles and frameworks for effective, inclusive, person-centred and holistic practice

Modules

• The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice
• Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients
• Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice
• Qualificatory Practice Unit: Work Based Learning in Primary Care for Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy First Contact Practitioners

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

• Learning and Teaching Methods will:
  • Promote the development of inclusive practice and address a range of learner types
  • Use learning technology to promote your learning and achievement, for example through the use of mobile technology, podcasts, webinars
  • Provide active learning and social learning opportunities
  • Provide appropriate engagement and facilitation models for distance, online and flexible learning students
  • Foster aspiration and career readiness through work-based, experiential and inter-professional learning
  • Be relevant to the needs of your workplace, emphasising problem-solving and the interaction of theory and practice
  • Use research-informed teaching, drawing on health, social care and workplace knowledge and expertise

How you will be assessed

• Formative assessment throughout the module through use of the University VLE, Blackboard where ongoing individual tutor and peer feedback is given through online tasks.
• Module: Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients
  • Summative Written Assignment (3500 words)
• Module: The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice
  • Summative Set Exercise, (3500 words)
• Module: Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice
  • Summative Oral Assessment/Presentation
  • 10-minute oral defence with poster (2500 word equivalent)
• Module: Work Based Learning in Primary Care for Musculoskeletal physiotherapy First contact: Portfolio

Overview

You must be a registered physiotherapist working in an environment which has ability to support students at this level.

Selection Criteria

You must be a registered physiotherapist working in an environment which has ability to support students at this level.