Program Overview

MSc/PgDip Advanced Clinical Practice (Child) (Level 7)

Overview

The Institute of Health and Social Care at LSBU has been delivering high quality Royal College of Nursing (RCN) accredited Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) education for over 20 years, with an excellent reputation and demand increasing each year. This course will allow experienced qualified registered nurses, allied health professionals and pharmacists to develop their abilities in advanced clinical practice. Skills in assessment, diagnostic, managing complexity and prescribing are core to the programme; alongside critical analysis, leadership and research.

This course is one of the few of its kind in the UK. Students come from all over the world to be taught by some of the world leading experts in their clinical specialities. LSBU is leading in teaching Non Medical Prescribing, and has launched the UK's only Paediatric Non Medical Prescribing course.

Students can exit with 120 credits to gain the PgDip Advanced Clinical Practice (Child). However, we anticipate that the majority will progress to complete a taught third year to gain the full MSc award in recognition of the importance of this level of award in the national context for advanced clinical practice and for future promotion.

Entry Requirements

• Current professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) or The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• A minimum of 3 years post-registration experience on entry to the course
• Currently must have at least 50% of their role working with infants, children or young people.

Academic Qualifications

• Evidence of a minimum of 90 undergraduate degree level healthcare related credits.

Practice Experience & Access to Supervision

• Be employed at minimum of Band 6 or equivalent
• Employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in one relevant clinical environment, with access to appropriate clinical support and supervision for the development of knowledge and skills to an advanced level.
• Support for development of the applicant to an advanced level within the workplace while on the course, to enable evolution of the scope of practice and responsibilities
• Willingness to release the student to enable them to dedicate the equivalent of 3 hours minimum per week throughout the calendar year (in addition to the study days in university) as protected learning time to enable the student to work in a 'supernumerary capacity' to focus on their clinical/professional development evidenced by completion of the Practice Based Learning activity requirements and the Practice Based Learning records.
• Provision of day-to-day supervision and support by an experienced clinical team to enable the development of the knowledge, skills, behaviours, competence and confidence commensurate with this level of practice

Selection Process

Advanced level clinical practice is by its very nature challenging and demanding. It is therefore important that appropriate students are selected who have the determination, professional attitudes and calibre that is needed for academic success and maximum impact in practice. Students are therefore selected for the course using the following strategies:

• Submission of an online application form including the personal statement, academic credit and level, professional registration and current role and duration of experience.
• An interview with representatives from the course team and a service-user. This will assess motivation, understanding of the course requirements and potential challenges, and appreciation of the potential benefits offered by the course for personal and professional development and to the patient care on an individual and organisational basis.

Recognition of Prior Learning

• This is considered on an individual basis, in accordance with the University Academic Regulations. Credit awarded by another university may under certain circumstances contribute to the credit required for a London South Bank University award.
• For credit to be transferred, the learning must be relevant to the module for which the claim for credit is being made. The learning must also have been at a comparable academic level and must have been assessed. The amount of credit transferred must be equal to or less than the amount of credit awarded by the university at which the learning took place. For learning other than NMP, the learning activity must have taken place less than 4 years prior to entry to the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Adult) course. At least half of the credit required for an award of the University must normally be accumulated as a result of learning undertaken and assessed at London South Bank University. The use of the same allocation of credit in order to meet the requirements of more than one academic award at the same level (“double counting”) is not permitted and students should not receive more than one allocation of credit for a single learning activity.