The MSC Advanced Clinical Practice course, will offer you a course of study that has been developed to ensure that on completion you have reached the required educational level of an advanced clinical practitioner (ACP). The successful completion of the MSc Advanced clinical practice does not mean that you are able to work as an ACP, you must also meet your employer’s requirements through completion of their bespoke competencies, supported to enhance your scope of professional practice, to be able to be classified as an ACP.

The modules on the course will follow nationally prescribed guidance on the ACP role. The course at Canterbury Christ Church University is accredited by the Centre for Advancing Practice.

Please note that if your profession does not allow you to prescribe you are still able to complete the course and work as an ACP. Therefore, you will undertake modules that will enhance your role.

This course is based on developing your role to be able to fulfil this advanced practice specification. In addition, the course ensures that the 4 pillars of ACP are considered: Clinical practice, management/ leadership, education, and research. These 4 aspects are embedded within the modules.

We would encourage you to review the course structure and module options via your course page before you arrive.

Pre-course Tasks

Before the course begins take some time to familiarize yourself with the four pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice. 

 You could also look at the NHS England ACP website as well as the Multi-professional framework for Advanced Clinical Practice. Think about your own learning outcomes and how you plan to achieve them. 

Finally it would be useful if you have identified a co-ordinating education supervisor who can support you during the course. This should be a senior clinician. 

Please make yourself aware of:

• The NHS England Advanced Practice Multiprofessional Framework and the Centre for Advancing Practice website. https://advanced-practice.hee.nhs.uk/ 
• Health Education England (2018) Multiprofessional Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice in England. Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England.pdf (hee.nhs.uk) 

Further Reading

• Diamond-Fox, S., Hill, B., Stone, S., Gardner, N., McCrea, C., Roberts, A. (2023) The Advanced Practitioner in Acute, Emergency and Critical Care. Wiley. London.
• Higgins C (2007) Understanding laboratory investigations: for nurses and health professionals. Blackwell Publishing. UK 
• Hill, B. (2021) Non-Medical Prescribing at a Glance. Wiley. London.
• Hill, B. & Diamond-Fox, S. (2022) Advanced Practice at a Glance. Wiley. London.
• Huether, S.E.; McCance, K.L. (2016) Understanding Pathophysiology. 6th edition. St Louis: Mosby. 
• Kumar, P. & Clark, M. (2012) Clinical Medicine. 8th ed. London: Elsevier 
• Japp A, Robertson C ( 2013) Macleads's Clinical Diagnosis. Churchill Livingstone . London. 
• Llewelyn, H.; Hock, A.A.; Lewis, K.; et al. (2014). Oxford Handbook of Clinical Diagnosis. 3rd edition. Oxford University Press 
• Lovell, B.; Lander, M.;& Murch, N. (2020) Clinical Skills, Diagnostics & Reasoning. Oxford: Scion 
• Peate, I., Hill, B. & Diamond-Fox, S. (2023) The Advanced Practitioner. Wiley. London.
• Phipps, O. & Lugg, J. (2016). Rapid Emergency & Unscheduled Care. Wiley Blackwell. 
• Phipps, O, Setchfield, I, Diamond-Fox, S. & Hill, B. (2024) Pathophysiology, Diagnostics, and Decisioning Making in Advanced Practice. Wiley. London. (In progress).
• Talley N J, O Connor S ( 2014) Clinical examination: A systematic guide to physical diagnosis. 7th Ed. Elsevier. London.