Advanced Healthcare Practice (MSc)

How will I be taught?

The programme will be delivered in person.

The different methods that we will use as part of the MSc Advanced Healthcare Practice programme range from tutorials to seminars led by you as students, dialogue, discussion and debate, modules based on problem- based learning, appreciative enquiry, workshops and drop-in sessions to resolve module specific concerns, self-directed study, and expert led lectures. As our programme will draw on a wide range of professions, the differing methods will enable the facilitation of inter-professional learning and the sharing of differing professional perspectives and expertise.

As students, you will enter the programme from a wide varied range of professions, and with a wide range of skills; some of you may hold senior positions as healthcare professionals. These experiences will be used to enhance the learning process in terms of independent and shared learning.

The notion of adult learning will inform the learning and teaching process, as postgraduate degree level study involves you as students taking responsibility for your own learning which will be encouraged throughout the programme.

How will I be assessed?

Each module offers you an opportunity to demonstrate application to practice within your clinical speciality/ profession. The modules offer an opportunity to measure professional and academic development.

The different methods of assessment across all modules include research proposal development, critical reflections and reflective case studies, critically focused assignments, development and evaluation of (practice based) interventions, oral presentations, teaching/facilitated learning sessions, production of a report of a systematic review, implementation and/ or evaluation of a (quality improvement) work-based project, and completion of a portfolio of evidence of advanced level practice.

How will I be supported?

• We will support you: You will have academic support and be assigned a designated personal tutor throughout your studies.
• All modules within the programme make extensive use of Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Learning Central, on which you will find course materials, links to related materials and assessment exemplars. Normally, lectures are recorded via a variety of electronic platforms, and are available for you to view throughout your programme.
• The University offers a wide range of services and activities designed to support you. These include a student counselling service, a student advisory service, day care facilities, sport and exercise facilities, as well as campus information, library and IT services.
• Our student app allows you to access Cardiff University services and personalised information in one place in a simple and convenient way from a smartphone via the app store. 

Features include:

• Campus maps
• Student library renewals, payments and available items.
• Student timetable.
• Find an available PC.
• Access to help and student support.
• Student news.
• Receive important notifications.
• Links to launch other University apps such as Outlook (for email) and Blackboard (for Learning Central).
• Links to recommended apps such as next bike to help make the most of your student experience.

What skills will I practise and develop?

On successful completion of the MSc Advanced Healthcare Practice Programme, you will be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:

• Critically appraise and evaluate evidence and practice-based literature and theory, applying new knowledge and skills to your specialist areas of practice.
• Critically appraise and apply advanced and extended practice theory to the development of leadership, education, health policy, patient safety and risk assessment, service improvements and developments relating to your specific area of practice.

Intellectual Skills:

• Demonstrate a critical and systematic approach to search for current evidence, research, and service/ quality improvement developments.
• Develop and demonstrate a critical, analytical and focused questioning approach based on the current evidence and apply this to professional and autonomous decision making to develop a coherent and sustained argument.
• Articulate a critical understanding of the complex problems associated with advanced and extended practice.
• Demonstrate the ability to problem solve and develop solutions based on evidence and sound professional and clinical judgement, enabling service development and improvement within the field.
• Demonstrate a critical and independent reflective approach to your own and other individual’s and teams’ practice, analysing situations to develop innovative approaches to advanced and extended practice.

Professional Practical Skills:

• Identify contextualised solutions to problems, enabling development of safe and effective, high quality patient focused care.
• Demonstrate the ability to critically appraise communication strategies used to convey and disseminate knowledge to the patient, client groups, families, and inter-professional team.
• Critically appraise current practice to advance personal and professional development in line with professional, statutory and regulatory body requirements (where applicable).

Transferable/Key Skills:

• Critically appraise advanced and extended practice sources of evidence.
• Apply and synthesise advanced and extended theory to professional practice.
• Demonstrate problem solving on an individual level and/ or influence decision making as part of a team.
• Respect other views, taking responsibility and accountability for your own personal and professional learning and development, and recognise the developmental needs of your team.
• Demonstrate effective time management.
• Work independently and within and across teams.
• Meet programme assessment deadlines.
• Convey and disseminate information clearly and in an articulate manner.
• Display competence in digital literacy.