Advanced Clinical Practice

This qualification will prepare you for an advanced clinical practice role by developing your knowledge and critical understanding of advanced clinical practice, leadership and management, research and education - the four pillars that underpin advanced practice - and developing skills that enable you to act with a high level of autonomy. You'll enhance your skills in holistic and systematic assessment, complex decision making, and the provision of high-quality evidence-based interventions for patients, clients and their families. You should be supported by your healthcare employer, and, by studying while you work, your learning will be strengthened by applying theory to your scope of practice.

This programme incorporates a Non-Medical Prescribing module which, upon successful completion, enables you to gain regulatory recognition as a non-medical prescriber within your scope of practice.

Key features of the course
• Encompasses the four pillars that underpin advanced clinical practice - clinical practice, leadership and management, research, and education.

• Develops your core capabilities for Advanced Clinical Practice and area-specific clinical practice.

• Provides learning and development of your leadership skills at a clinical and strategic level to inform people management and service development.

• Learn to critically appraise, evaluate, implement and disseminate research to support professional practice in your clinical environment.

On completion
On successfully completing this course, we'll award you our MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice. You'll be entitled to use the letters MSc ACP (Open) after your name.

If your masters degree is awardable with a distinction or a merit, the qualification regulations explain how you can achieve these.

You'll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.

Modules
To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits as follows:

Compulsory module Credits
Non-medical independent and supplementary prescribing (K803) 60
Developing advanced clinical practice (K804) 60
Advancing professional practice (K805) 60

You should note that the University's unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

You will need to:
hold a degree in a health-related discipline. Applicants with evidence of equivalent professional development or academic proficiency will be considered. Applicants with non-European academic qualifications will need to supply evidence of equivalency through NARIC.

be currently registered with one of the statutory regulators of health and care professions.

be employed as a health care professional.

provide evidence of your employer's recommendation for your application for a programme of study leading to an Advanced Practice role, including a formal reference from the employer confirming the applicant demonstrates professional values and behaviours, respecting people's diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values and preferences, and shows respect and empathy acting as a role model for others. It should also confirm your 'clinical readiness' to undertake the programme.

show evidence of employer support to undertake the programme including; the provision of a mentor to ensure appropriate learning in practice; the availability of appropriate supervision in clinical practice; and the provision of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) with evidence of a qualification at level 7 during the Non-Medical prescribing module.

have relevant post-qualification experience, as specified by the appropriate regulatory body.

There are additional entry requirements to study Non-medical independent and supplementary prescribing (K803) and you should read the module description for further details.
https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/modules/k803

180 Credits

2.5 – 5 years

How long it takes
It is expected that most students will complete the qualification in the minimum time of approximately 2.5 years by studying 60 credits a year, but there is flexibility to take up to four years to complete.

Career relevance
You'll be employed as a health professional when you start the course and have approval from your designated employer to undertake the qualification.

Once qualified, you'll have the knowledge and skills to work as an advanced clinical practitioner in a wide variety of clinical settings across primary and secondary care and other health and social care providers.