1st Year
Foundations of Professional Practice 
Contextualise health and social care by exploring its origins, philosophy and priorities – including the promotion of good health as well as the management of ill health. Health and social care have had a continued focus on client-centred practice for some years but have experienced concerns about the extent to which service users may not always have been treated with dignity and respect. Therefore, the module also seeks to explore ethical dimensions of caregiving to reinforce and instil respectful, reflective, professional practice - including the importance of safeguarding vulnerable people.
Introduction to Clinical Skills Â
Develop key concepts, models and therapeutic approaches that form the basis of contemporary practice across the lifespan. Develop your communication and clinical skills in preparation for practice and begin to learn fundamental aspects of person-centred care for safe, compassionate, and effective care. You will be required to reflect on professional issues surrounding the clinical practice and the range of behaviours that contribute towards the role of an Assistant Practitioner. You will be supported to explore the context of health, ill health, and disability, and the health and care needs across the lifespan, using a range of person-centred scenarios which recognise the diversity of the patient and client population.
Applied Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Disease Â
This module aims to provide an introduction, through in-depth study, to knowledge and an understanding of the theory and practice of the human anatomy and physiology of the major body systems and to characterise the aetiology, pathology, clinical presentation, and treatment of selected human diseases. The module will enable you to reinforce analytical, evaluative, and communication skills, research a topical issue in depth and present it at an appropriate level, and reflect on the topics studied and their application in biomedical practice.
Practice Based Learning 1
Promote your understanding of the responsibilities, challenges, and limitations of your professional role as an assistant practitioner. The module will provide you with the opportunity to develop core clinical competencies and underpin the knowledge required to enhance patient care provision. This knowledge and skill will be limited by a scope of practice and will be developed and applied under the direction or supervision of a registered practitioner.
As part of the module, you will complete a competency-based practice assessment document which has been developed to meet the requirements of the level 4 of the skills framework and aligns with nationally recognised competency frameworks. The core competencies are based on National Occupational Standards (NOS).
Positive Mental Health, Wellbeing and Resilience Â
The aim of this module is to provide you with a theoretical and practical understanding of positive mental health and well-being. You will recognise positive mental health as a component of total health and explore lifestyle strategies and interventions that enhance mental health and well-being. Common disruptions to mental health will be explored such as stress, anxiety and depression. You will develop practical coping skills that promote positive mental health and wellbeing. This module will empower you to work in partnership with people, families and communities to develop and utilise resources to promote mental health, prevent mental ill-health, and support people experiencing a range of challenges that may impact their wellbeing.
Communication and Working in Teams
This module will introduce and explain a range of concepts associated with e-health and consider some of the challenges around acceptance and use of e-health within multi-professional teams. This is a diverse module with a specific session explicitly considering cross-cultural dimensions of teams and leading across boundaries.
2nd Year
Practice Based Learning 2
This module will enable you to consolidate and transfer your knowledge, skills, and attitudes to specified clinical practice environments required for the care of service users with more complex needs in clinical practice environments. Under the supervision of registered professionals, you will rehearse and further develop your knowledge, skills, and attitudes by providing hands-on care for service users. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the delivery of health and care and the role of the Assistant Practitioner to facilitate clinical experiential learning and the development of work-based competencies, as defined by the nationally recognised competency frameworks and to develop knowledge & understanding as applied to these competences.
Research in Evidence Based Practice Â
Develop your knowledge of research concepts and methodologies, how to disseminate research findings, and how research leads to the development of service improvement. This module focuses on the concept of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and the theories and concepts in relation to EBP. You will explore the strengths and limitations of quantitative and qualitative research in health and social care and develop skills to critically appraise both research publications. The skills of critical appraisal will be developed to allow you to start engaging in critical reading of research articles and reports ensuring ‘quality’ in healthcare. This module will encourage critical thinking, analytical and evaluation skills, which are essential for a practicing accountable health care professional and for the implementation of EBP.
Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
This module aims to equip you with the knowledge to develop and evaluate the general principles of pathophysiology and pharmacology that can be applied to your area of specialist practice and to common conditions that may co-exist with conditions of their specialist area. The module enables you to synthesise theory and knowledge in pathophysiology and pharmacology in order to critically appraise the assessment and management of patients within your clinical setting. There will be a focus on applied pathophysiology and pharmacology to develop an understanding of clinical management relevant to the student's field of practice.
Choose your module
Choose one of three modules (equivalent to 20 credits)
- Long term Conditions: Care and Management
- Acute and Critical Illness : Foundations for Practice
- Foundations of Mental Health Practice
Specialist area specific module
This module will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and attributes required to work and develop as a competent practitioner within the changing health and social care environment within your specialism. The module will provide you as a practitioner with clinical scholarship, research skills, an in-depth understanding of evidence-based practice across the role, as well as leadership and innovation skills.