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Acute Care (Professional Practice) - BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc

Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 Entry.

The Professional Practice Course is flexible, practice-led, responsive and aims to foster excellence. This course will develop knowledgeable, critical thinking, proactive, professional practitioners who are fit to meet the changing demands of modern healthcare provision in the global arena....

  • Level Top-Up Pathways
  • Study mode Part Time
  • Award BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc
  • Start date September 2024, January 2025
  • Fees View course fees

This course is:

Overview

The Professional Practice Course is flexible, practice-led, responsive and aims to foster excellence. This course will develop knowledgeable, critical thinking, proactive, professional practitioners who are fit to meet the changing demands of modern healthcare provision in the global arena. 

The Professional Practice Course consists of a selection of modules that can be studied on their own or as part of an BSc/BSc (Hons) undergraduate or PG Cert/PG dip/ MSc postgraduate award. For help in deciding which modules to study or your outcome award please contact our Professional Navigators on navigator@bcu.ac.uk or potential Route Lead.

This course is not open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

This group of flexible acute care awards will help you to enhance your care of adults who experience acute health deterioration, and help you to take your professional knowledge in the field of acute care, one step further.

The awards will help you to respond to some of the challenges of today’s increasingly complex patient population, improving your confidence and ability to formulate effective patient centred decisions. You will gain enhanced skills in the early recognition of acute health deterioration and develop your knowledge of evidence-based approaches to the effective management of acute deterioration.

Once the two core modules are studied (RAPID and Management of Acute Deterioration), you will be able to access a range of optional modules that help you to get the bespoke learning experience that you need, relevant to your clinical environment.

This course will help you to gain confidence in both assessment and clinical decision making during acute episodes of acute health deterioration. The acute care courses can be studied by any registered healthcare professional with 6 months or more experience of caring for adults who experience acute health deterioration.

Why Choose Us?

  • Clinically focussed 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 and management of acutely ill adults
  • A strong focus on current issues in acute care, and the practical application of knowledge
  • Each module has a bespoke Moodle virtual learning environment to support your continued learning off campus
  • A big choice of optional modules allows you to build a bespoke learning experience, most appropriate to your career plans.
  • Ongoing support from university staff to facilitate your development as a learner.

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.

Award: BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc

Starting: Sep 2024

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Part Time
  • up to 5 years (part time) or 2 years (full time)
  • £820 per 20 credit module

Award: BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc

Starting: Jan 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Part Time
  • up to 5 years (part time) or 2 years (full time)
  • £820 per 20 credit module

International students

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

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.

Entry requirements

Level 6 study

For entry onto the BSc/ BSc (Hons) students must have a relevant Diploma In Higher Education or 240 credits of which at least 120 credits are at level 5.

Students who have a Dip HE or equivalent but do not have any previous BCU credits will need to complete three modules at Level 6.

For entry onto the Graduate Certificate award, students must have a relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent or a 60 credit Level 6 award in an appropriate subject area.

Level 7 study

For entry into the Post Graduate Certificate/Post Graduate Diploma/MSc award students must have a relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent or a 60 credit Level 6 award in an appropriate subject area. Applicants with evidence of successfully completed Level 6 study within the preceding 2 years.

Where appropriate and on an induvial basis students may be required to undertake a pre-course assessment to enable the course team to support students study skills. We will use this to navigate your appropriate pathway assessment.

To prevent duplication of study, a student that has previously completed a Level 6 module or pathway award within the last 5 years cannot access the equivalent pathway award at Level 7.

Recognition of Prior Learning – RPL

If students have gained Level 6 or 7 credits either at Birmingham City University or elsewhere in the last 5 years, it may be possible to use them towards an award. The amount of RPL is stipulated by the regulations that apply at the time of enrolment.

Access

Diploma HE in nursing or equivalent appropriate for level 6 study

EU/International students

IELTs of 6 with no element below 5.5.

Please read the 'Online application and enrolment process' and 'Method of payment' information below before making your application.

If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our pdf application form instead.

Online application and enrolment process

  1. Complete an online application form via the link. The form requires you to submit a completed authorised funding form which must be uploaded with the application. Alternatively, you can download a hard copy application form.
  2. When your submitted application form has been processed and approved, details of the module and enrolment details will be sent to the email address stated on your application form.
  3. You will be sent an email asking you to complete your online pre-enrolment. This must be completed before you enrol.
  4. Without proof of funding, you will not be able to complete your enrolment/receive online pre-enrolment email.  The funding form must be received within four weeks of the enrolment date; otherwise you will be withdrawn from the course.

Please submit your application as early as possible. We aim to give you a decision within two weeks of receiving your application. Please note that NHS Trust application deadlines may differ from our own and you should check with your NHS Trust training/education contact for confirmation of their deadlines.

Please ensure that you include full details of your qualifications and relevant work experience as part of your application.

Method of payment

The method of payment of your course fees will differ depending on whether you are a self-funding, sponsored or contracted/commissioned applicant. Definitions are provided below and you must choose the appropriate Apply online application button. If you are unsure which funding method applies to you please consult your training/education contact in your NHS Trust prior to applying:

1) Self-funding

You are paying for the course and responsible for the fees.

Select 'Self Funded' when making your application.

2) Sponsored

Course fees are paid directly by the employer/NHS Trust which means we invoice your employer/NHS Trust to obtain payment.

To apply for this course you must download and complete the CPD Sponsorship Agreement Form, and submit it with your application. The upload facility is available in Section 3 of the application form: Fees and Sponsorship.

Select 'NHS Funded' when making your application.

Download Financial Support Form Instructions

3) Contracted/Commissioned

The NHS Trust agrees with HE West Midlands for your course fees to be paid directly to the University from funds managed by HE West Midlands for pre-agreed programmes.

To apply for this course you must obtain a contracted/commissioned financial support form from your Trust contact and upload the completed form and submit it with your application. The upload facility is available in Section 3 of the application form: Fees and Sponsorship.

Select 'NHS Funded' when making your application.

Course in Depth

Degree (Level 6)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Year 1 Pathway Award - Exit Award: Grad Cert / BSc Professional Practice (Acute Care)

Year 2 Pathway Award (BSc Only) – Exit Award: BSc (Hons) Professional Practice (Acute Care)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from this list of additional optional modules* for Year 1 and an additional 40 credits for Year 2.

*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.

Postgraduate (Level 7)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):

Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: PG Cert Professional Practice (Acute Care)

Year 2 Pathway Award - Exit Award: PG Dip Professional Practice (Acute Care)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from ‘this list of additional optional modules* for Year 1 and Year 2.

*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.

MSc

Year 3 Pathway Award – Exit Award: MSc Professional Practice (Acute Care)

Option 1

Option 2

Download course specification

Download now

Facilities & Staff

 

Our Facilities

Our Nursing and Midwifery courses are 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

Course Enquiries

For all course enquiries please contact the Acute Care Pathway Leader, Claire Perkins on:

International Enquiries

If you are an international student please contact the international office for more information on entry requirements:

Professional Navigator

The Professional Practice Programme consists of a selection of modules that can be studied on their own or as part of an award. For help in deciding which modules to study or your outcome award please contact our Professional Navigators on navigator@bcu.ac.uk