MSc Advanced Professional Practice Clinical Sciences

Units

• Professional Clinical Practice (worth 20 credits)
• This first unit lays the foundation of the course and aims to help you develop self-direction through experiential learning and reflective practice. This is taught alongside our Induction Seminar.
• Assessment: Critical reflective account, approximately 2,500 words, worth 50% and Case study, approximately 2,500 words, worth 50%.
• Evidence-based Practice (worth 20 credits)
• Healthcare is always changing and developing, so it’s important to keep up to date with current research evidence, and know when and where to include this in your clinical practice. You’ll develop skills in searching, finding, critically appraising, and applying research evidence to your patients.
• Assessment: Evidence-based case report, approximately 2,500 words, worth 50% and Critical Appraisal of a given research paper, approximately 2,500 words, worth 50%.
• Structured Learning Event 1 (worth 20 credits)
• Identifying your learning needs as a professional, going to learning events, and applying what you’ve learnt in your everyday practice is all part of your continuing professional development. This unit will help you develop skills in reflection and critical evaluation, application of new knowledge and skills, and reflection in evaluating changes in your own performance. You’ll attend a seminar (that has been approved by your Pathway leader) and your assignment will be based on your learning experiences and outcomes in practice. If you attend an AECC seminar then you’ll only have to pay the student rate.
• Assessment: Critical review of learning outcomes, approximately 5,000 words, worth 100%.

In this stage you’ll have the chance to select the units that suit you. All units have M Level Credits assigned to them. You’ll need to pick units that total 60 M Level Credits for the PgDip.

Units

• Structured Learning Event 2 (worth 20 credits)
• In this unit you’ll be given the chance to attend another seminar (that has been approved by your Pathway leader) and your assignment will be based on your learning experiences and outcomes in practice. If you attend an AECC seminar then you’ll only have to pay the student rate.
• Assessment: Critical review of learning outcomes, approximately 5,000 words.
• Structured Learning Event 3 (worth 20 credits)
• Attend a third seminar (that has been approved by your Pathway leader) and complete an assignment based on your learning experiences and outcomes in practice. If you attend an AECC seminar then you’ll only have to pay the student rate.
• Assessment: Critical review of learning outcomes, approximately 5,000 words.
• Current Advances in Practice (worth 20 credits)
• New research and information is constantly being shared, and it can be difficult to keep on top of it all. This unit aims to help you develop skills in searching and finding information, and understanding what to do with conflicting information and how to apply this to your patients and practice. You’ll have the chance to select your own topic depending on your needs and interests.  
• Assessment: Critical review of the literature, approximately 5,000 words, worth 100%.
• Clinical Placement (worth 40 credits)
• Develop expertise in clinical practice, learning in your clinic placement and through self-directed learning. You’ll arrange - in negotiation with your Unit Leader - a supervisor to support and direct you in developing your portfolio. Taking a self-directed approach to find material and reach your learning outcomes is important in this unit. The placement should, ideally, be in a specialism that interests you, and where you could complete a research dissertation during the Masters stage of the course. You’ll need to complete a logbook, too, summarising what you learned and the number of hours you spent in the placement or as self-directed study. You’ll spend a minimum of 25 hours in your placement, and your Clinical Supervisor should sign each entry in your logbook. A minimum of 50 hours in total will be spent on overall learning, a mixture of time at the placement and self-directed study.
• Assessment: Critical reflective report on the placement, approximately 3,000 words, worth 40%, and two evidence-based case studies, approximately 2,250 words, each worth 30%. You’ll also need to produce your logbook.
• Orthopaedic Practice (worth 20 credits)
• Enhance your knowledge and understanding of the diagnosis and management of orthopaedic conditions. You’ll reflect on the diagnostic accuracy of relevant investigations and evidence of efficacy of management options, while you develop the knowledge and understanding of an evidence-based approach to diagnosis and management. This unit will also aim to help you develop a critical awareness of particular issues in orthopaedic practice, specific to those in geriatric and paediatric groups.
• Assessment: Two critical accounts of the use of a problem solving approach and the assessment and management of orthopaedics conditions within clinical practice, approximately 2,500 words, worth a total of 100%.

For your final stage in MSc APP Clinical Sciences, you can pick between two unit groups.

Group 1

• Research Methods (20 credits)
• Understanding different types of clinical research designs and which designs are best to answer particular questions are important in evidence-based practice. You’ll not only develop skills in clinical research designs, data collection, and data analysis, but this unit prepares you to identify potential areas for research and plan an investigation.
• Assessment: Reflective Research Protocol, approximately 5,000 words, worth 100%.
• Dissertation (40 credits)
• You’ll complete a research investigation in an area that applies to your professional practice. You’re likely to carry out the investigation in your workplace, collecting and analysing real-time clinical data, but facilities at the AECC may also be available. You’ll be supported by expert research supervision, institutional research facilities, and ethics approval boards.
• Assessment: Research Dissertation, approximately 10,000 words, worth 100%.

Group 2

• Audit Methods (20 credits)
• This unit will develop your skills in data collection and data analysis based on audit findings, and ways to improve clinical practice.
• Assessment: Reflective audit protocol, approximately 5,000 words, worth 100%.
• Clinical Audit (40 credits)
• A clinical audit is very relevant to professional practice, as it allows recommendations to be made to improve both your practice and how you approach your work. You’ll complete a Clinical Audit as part of your Masters.
• Assessment: Clinical Audit, approximately 10,000 words, worth 100%.