Combine classroom-based teaching and on-the-job learning on this advanced clinical practice apprenticeship programme, gaining valuable experience while remaining in full-time employment. You’ll be a highly effective leader with the skills and knowledge required to assess the development needs of yourself and others.
Advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) offer multiple benefits to health and social care sector. An apprenticeship in advanced clinical practice will allow you to gain valuable on-the-job learning while remaining in full-time employment.
You will undertake 180 credits of modules at Masters level and will be equipped to deliver, sustain and enhance safe, professional and ethical quality of care across health and care services in your field of practice. The degree is underpinned by the four pillars of advanced clinical practice: clinical practice, leadership and management, education and research.
To support this academic journey, apprentices undertake 20% of their clinical time in classroom-based teaching within the University.
All apprentices get a bespoke pathway which takes them from every day clinical practice to working as autonomous practitioners. This is supported by tripartite reviews between the student, University and employer, a unique feature of the apprenticeship.
An accredited degree
This MSc degree is accredited by The Centre of Advancing Clinical Practice. Successful completion of this MSc enables you to meet Health Education North West’s requirements to practise at an advanced level across the health professions spectrum, including roles such as paramedics, operating department practitioners, nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
The Centre for Advancing Practice -Accredited Course
The programme will support you in becoming a competent and capable advanced clinical practitioner. You will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding to deliver, sustain and enhance safe, professional, ethical and excellent quality of care across health and care services in your specific area or scope of practice. You will study these modules over the course of three years.
Advanced Clinical Practice Apprenticeship End Point Assessment
Advanced Clinical Practice Apprenticeship End Point Assessment will prepare you for your assessment through a combination of in-person teaching, workshops and tutorials. The module allows you to demonstrate that you have met the core capabilities in the domains of the four pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice, as defined in the Multiprofessional framework for advanced clinical practice, and as required by the Standards for Advanced Clinical Practitioner.
Module code: HEA4330_APP
Credits: 20
Context of Advanced Practice
Context of Advanced Practice is designed to provide a solid foundation in the four pillars of advanced clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research. You will gain a critical insight into the drivers and professional and clinical responsibilities for safe, holistic, person-centred care applied to your role and defined scope of practice. Assessing current policy and literature on patient safety, risk, governance and quality assurance, you will also enhance your understanding of therapeutic communication, reflect on your own leadership style and establish a personal development plan to support your journey as a trainee advanced clinical practitioner.
Module code: HEA4265
Credits: 20
Developing Clinical Skills and Capabilities in Advanced Practice (Adult)
Developing Clinical Skills and Capabilities in Advanced Practice (Adult) uses a body-systems based approach to support you in the development of competence and capability in clinical assessments and diagnostic skills within a practice setting. For each system, normal structure/function and common pathologies will be introduced prior to clinical skills, such as eliciting an accurate medical history, performing clinical examinations, requesting appropriate investigations, and applying critical clinical reasoning to effect safe, effective, evidenced based, person-centred management plans.
Module code: HEA4118
Credits: 40
Developing Research Capabilities for Advanced Clinical Practice
Developing Research Capabilities for Advanced Clinical Practice engages you in the critical analysis and synthesis of complex problems across a range of settings, enabling you to develop appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills to effect innovative solutions that enhance person-centred care and improve health outcomes. You will undertake research or quality improvement activity, adhering to good practice guidance and ethical and governance frameworks, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied in order to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money. The module will enable you to critically evaluate and synthesise evidence from relevant research to inform your own practice and that of the wider multidisciplinary team, critically analyse the outcome of your research or quality improvement activity and demonstrate critical insight to inform wider dissemination of your findings.
Module code: HEA4119
Credits: 20
E-Portfolio for Advanced Clinical Practice
E-Portfolio for Advanced Clinical Practice is a non-credit-bearing module that is designed to embed a spiral approach to learning in the workplace, revisiting and building on in-depth knowledge, understanding and skills in increasingly complex/challenging situations. The module will support you in the development of critical insight into your self-limitations and scope of practice as part of the wider multidisciplinary team. Producing an e-portfolio, you will need to evidence the development of your competence and capabilities to the level required of an advanced clinical practitioner, in a variety of situations and different case complexities in each domain of the pillars of advanced practice. Your e-portfolio will utilise PebblePad software, a dynamic, real-time platform that will guide and evidence your workplace journey, highlighting strengths and areas for further development, as well as allowing timely interventions to provide maximum opportunity for you to succeed in your workplace learning.
Module code: HEA4259
Credits: 0
Research Inquiry for Advanced Practice
Research Inquiry for Advanced Practice provides the opportunity to undertake a comprehensive study that aligns with your profession, scope of practice, job role, and professional development needs under the guidance of an experienced academic supervisor and your workplace coordinating education supervisor. You will be supported in taking a critical approach to the identification of gaps in the current evidence base related to your own specialist area/scope of practice upon which your research activity will be centred. This will allow you to develop a project that is forward-facing, critically evaluating and auditing practice to produce results that could impact on patient care and/or service delivery. This will enable you to progress into advanced practice as an educator, leader and innovator.
Advanced Respiratory Care Practice (Adult) offers you the opportunity to critically examine common respiratory conditions and their evidence-based management, aligned to the person-centred approach to care in adults. The module will enable you to advance your in-depth knowledge and understanding relating to respiratory conditions, supporting you in the development of the ability to compare and contrast common clinical presentations through the synthesis of clinical information, as well as in the application of evidence-based research and critical clinical reasoning, to generate patient-centred management and treatment. Additionally, you will develop a critical understanding and awareness of current issues in clinical practice and the application of new insights within respiratory practice.
Module code: HEA4262
Credits: 20
Developing a Business Case for Change and Innovation
Developing a Business Case for Change and Innovationwithin Health & Social Care provides you with an opportunity to appraise the rationale, evidence-base and drivers for change. The module challenges you to explore the feasibility, viability and risks of a business case for change and innovation. You will also examine how your chosen business case should be communicated, implemented and evaluated.
Module code: HEA4207
Credits: 20
Developing Potential in Others
Developing Potential in Others recognises that the people who work in health and social care are its greatest asset and are key to delivering high-quality care. To address the NHS challenge of the rising backlog of care, it is important to improve the retention of staff already working in the service. Consequently, health and social care must focus on becoming a more attractive employer through developing the potential of all health and social care workers. This module will equip you with the ability to develop the potential in others. You will discover how collective, compassionate and inclusive leadership can create cultures in which staff want to work and build their careers. You will develop the ability to push boundaries, challenge the status quo and champion new approaches in order to get the most out of members of your team.
Module code: HEA4507
Credits: 20
Identification and Management of Frailty and Complex Care
Identification and Management of Frailty and Complex Care develops expert knowledge and skills to identify and manage the frail population across a variety of settings informed by both local and national policy and best practice drivers, such as the NHS Long term plan (2019). You will develop an ability to employ assessment strategies and tools, evaluating the impact of multidisciplinary interventions and measures within your own practice and the wider health economy. You will also explore the anatomy and physiology of ageing through the prism of major frailty syndromes, developing an ability to critically appraise the assessment strategies and interventions used to enhance practice and service provision aligned to person-centred care.
Module code: HEA4266
Credits: 20
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: From Aetiology to Diagnosis and Management
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: From Aetiology to Diagnosis and Management has been designed in collaboration with Crohn's and Colitis UK, and supports the recent published framework for Professional Practice for Nurses Working in Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Adult and Paediatric Care Settings by the Royal College of Nursing. The module has been designed to facilitate the holistic care and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patient and covers both primary, secondary and tertiary care provision. The content has been tailed to support not only adult patients put also younger patients who are in transition between paediatric and adult healthcare services. You will develop the skills, ability, confidence and competence to holistically manage IBD patients within your scope of practice and as part of your clinical roles.
Module code: HEA4271
Credits: 20
Management of Balance and Dizziness Disorders in Adults
Management of Balance and Dizziness Disorders in Adults enables you to develop the in-depth knowledge, understanding and skills to identify and manage the most common vestibular and balance system (VBS) disorders causing dizziness and imbalance. It will develop your ability to employ relevant clinical assessment strategies and tools, evaluating the impact of multidisciplinary interventions and measures within your own practice and across all health care settings in the adult population. It will enable you to continue to advance your in-depth knowledge, understanding and skills relating to VBS health care through the synthesis of clinical information, the application of evidence-based research and critical clinical reasoning to generate patient-centred management. You will also develop a critical understanding and awareness of current issues in clinical practice and the application of new insights within the VBS Health care arena.
Module code: HEA4272
Credits: 20
Medical Needs of Adults with a Learning Disability
Medical Needs of Adults with a Learning Disability focuses largely on workplace learning and will enhance your skillset in providing high quality care to adults with a learning disability. A key theme of the module is person-centred care which covers areas such as acute assessment and management, health promotion, preventative medicine, rehabilitation and end of life care. The module will also prepare you for carefully considering best interests in your decision making, dealing with differences of opinion, and the role of the court of protection. You will look at safeguarding, clinical leadership and the coordination of the multidisciplinary team, while also exploring reasonable adjustments for diagnostics and care.
Module code: HEA4505
Credits: 30
Mentoring and Coaching in Clinical Education
Mentoring and Coaching in Clinical Education focuses on mentoring and coaching in relation to the purposes, context, processes, skills and impact on the clinical learning environment. You will engage in an analysis of the nature of supportive/developmental relationships in the field of clinical education, including conducting an evaluation of the theoretical constructs of mentoring and coaching, current research and the benefits to both the individual and the organisation. You will explore the roles of mentoring and coaching in your own specific area of clinical practice in some depth.
Module code: CPD7011
Credits: 20
Negotiated Learning Shell 7.20
Negotiated Learning Shell 7.20 provides an opportunity for you to study a topic or work-related issue at Masters level. It involves you identifying the chosen area for study before developing and negotiating a learning contract, which will outline the what, how, when, where and why of the study period as well as the means of assessment to showcase the acquired learning.
Module code: HEA4034
Credits: 20
Non-Medical Prescribing
Non-Medical Prescribing prepares eligible allied health professionals, nurses and midwives to prescribe safely, appropriately and competently. You will gain expertise relevant to your area of clinical practice and current prescribing legislation while meeting the standards for prescribing set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health and Care Professions Council. The module is designed to enable you to build upon your existing knowledge and skills while developing competence in prescribing practice. Following successful completion of the module and all assessments, you will be eligible to record your prescribing qualification on the register of your professional regulator, thereby gaining the legal right to prescribe medication in the United Kingdom.
Module code: CPD4904
Credits: 40
Promoting Integration and Collaboration for Mental Health
Promoting Integration and Collaboration for Mental Health supports you to develop critical perspectives on integration and collaboration, and to understand the evidence based presentation for people with a mental health condition. You will be supported to critically appraise the literature, considering preventative methods that aim to reduce significant health inequalities in mental health services access and provision. You'll also be encouraged to bridge the practice-theory gap, linking concepts to practice and clinical settings, across primary, secondary and tertiary care.
Module code: HEA4800
Credits: 20
Promoting Professionalism and Ethics in Multidisciplinary Practice
Promoting Professionalism and Ethics in Multidisciplinary Practice enables you to explore and critically appraise the notion of professionalism. You will critically examine ethical aspects associated with professionalism in healthcare, for example public expectations versus personal expression, to assist in reflective practice. The aim is to encourage you to critically reflect on your practices and values when working in a multi-disciplinary team. You will explore ways in which an individual can validate and support the development of professionalism, creating a professional environment in healthcare settings and role-modelling professional values and behaviours to enhance both the patient experience and the sharing of best practice.
Module code: HEA4220
Credits: 20
Strategic Clinical Leadership
Strategic Clinical Leadership provides a critical and evaluative perspective on leadership theories, styles and approaches in the context of health and social care. The module will facilitate the enhancement of your skills in the transfer of theoretical perspectives to practice and in the development of a strategic focus. You will critically appraise theoretical modelling frameworks of leadership and critically debate their relevance to current practice within the context of health and social care. You will also evaluate the multi-factorial influences which impact on the role of leaders within health and social care.
Module code: HEA4208
Credits: 20
Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context
Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context introduces and raises awareness of the key concepts involved in teaching and facilitating learning in both the clinical context and higher education. The module critically examines theories of learning and teaching and their relevance to learning and teaching facilitation in the clinical context. Topics include using the clinical environment for the teaching and facilitation of learning, theories of learning, aligning learning, teaching and assessment, reflective learning and a philosophy of teaching.
Module code: CPD4454
Credits: 20
Transforming End of Life Communication and Spiritual Care
Transforming End of Life Communication and Spiritual Care explores the psychology of spirituality, the individual meaning of life, and the impact of positive emotion for individuals. The module addresses the recognition and differentiation of the causes of distress – physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, religious and cultural – as observed by health, social and pastoral workers. You will investigate the parallel possible outcomes of stress-related illness and stress-related growth as responses to irreversible and unresolvable distressing situations and consider the ways in which health, social and pastoral workers can affect and impact these outcomes. Reviewing the tools and narrative for enquiring about spiritual distress, the module will focus on the challenges to such assessment, consider how to plan for spiritual care in a healthcare setting, and explore the similarities and differences of spiritual needs for those with and without religious and health beliefs. The need for good communication is a key focus of the module and you will learn how to recognise facilitative skills and blocking behaviours and consider the importance of cue-based and person-centred conversations and the value of silence.
Module code: HEA4252
Credits: 20
Transforming End of Life Trajectories
Transforming End of Life Trajectories enhances your skills and knowledge in understanding the similarities and differences in trajectories and impact of advanced progressive illness in malignant and non-malignant disease. The module focuses specifically on different individual disease trajectories, for example frailty, dementia and organ failure (including heart, renal and respiratory) and sudden unexpected death, while also considering the impact of multiple comorbidities, frailty and dementia. Some end-of-life trajectories result in unresolved symptoms and hidden psychological distress because neither the approach towards dying nor symptoms are recognised. This module will introduce you to the holistic care needed to provide effective care for this group of patients and their families.
Module code: HEA4219
Credits: 20
Transforming Integrated Palliative and End of Life Care
Transforming Integrated Palliative and End of Life Care enhances your skills and knowledge in understanding the signs, trajectories and impact of advanced progressive disease. The focus of the module is on symptom assessment and management, care planning, future care planning, and communication skills. You will learn how to recognise when individuals are approaching the end of life, discussing prognosis, involving the individual in shared decision-making about their care, and managing their transition to a positive palliative care approach. Attention will also be paid to the importance of ethics related to living the last months of life and spiritual assessment and care. Additionally, support for carers and those who have been bereaved will be highlighted.
Module code: HEA4197
Credits: 20
How you'll study
Diverse teaching and learning strategies will be used, ranging from individual personal teacher contact to supported online learning, small group work to teacher-led lectures.
The majority of classes will take place at Edge Hill University. However, some modules may involve study at sites other than Ormskirk, in which case you will be responsible for travel and parking costs.
How you'll be assessed
Assessment methods vary according to the demands of the module but can be through assignments, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, portfolios, seminar presentations and work-based learning projects.
Who will be teaching you
The programme team comprises of expert staff with many years experience in clinical practice in areas such as emergency care, paramedic practice, respiratory care, mental health, primary care and medical practice.
You will also be taught by associate tutors from primary and secondary care, neurology, biological sciences, and areas of senior healthcare management.
You can expect to receive your timetable at enrolment. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day or evening of the week.
Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements. Some restrictions on optional module choice or combinations of optional modules may apply.
Entry criteria
Entry requirements (2025 / 2026)
To join this course, you must be a practitioner who is a member of a UK-recognised Professional Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB).
You should typically have a degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above) in a relevant healthcare-related subject. Applicants with a third-class honours degree or a Diploma in a relevant healthcare-related subject, who have adequate clinical experience may also be considered.
You will also need to evidence that you have a Grade C or Grade 4 and above GCSE qualification in Mathematics and English Language, or that you have completed your Level 2 Functional Skills qualification.
You will need to demonstrate your ability to study at Masters level, evidenced within your application by your prior studies and/or experiential learning.
Your employer must also confirm that you are suitable for the role of advanced clinical practitioner in their organisation, with access to the appropriate workplace environment to gain relevant clinical experience throughout the programme, including appropriate clinical supervision by a designated Coordinating Education Supervisor and Associate Workplace Supervisors to meet Health Education England (HEE) requirements.
Working with your employer/workplace organisation, you should have a suitable job role identified for when you are qualified, compliant with the requirements of Health Education England Centre for Advancing Practice, that will direct your programme of study.
Applications must be supported by a reference from your current employer.
English language requirements
While international students who are not resident and working in the UK cannot currently join this course, if you are working and resident in the UK but your first language is not English, you will need IELTS 6.5 overall, with a score no lower than 6.0 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
Visit Edge Hill University
There’s plenty of opportunities to come take a look around campus. Attend one of our open days to see what life at Edge Hill University is all about.
The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine offers outstanding facilities for the education and training of health and social care professionals.
The contemporary teaching and learning resources include leading edge clinical skills facilities, an 860-seat lecture theatre, and a variety of teaching rooms and social learning spaces.
As an Apprentice you will not pay any fees for this course.
Tuition fees
Your future career
This programme will enhance your ability to gain employment in more senior roles as an advanced clinical practitioner, within your chosen field of healthcare.
Successful completion of this MSc enables you to meet Health Education North West’s requirements to practice at an advanced level across the health professions spectrum, including roles such as paramedics, operating department practitioners, nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
Course changes
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
Track changes to this course
Module changes - 3 June 2024
HEA4271 Inflammatory Bowel Disease: From Aetiology to Diagnosis Management, a new 20-credit optional module added
CPD7004 Educational Leadership in Health Settings removed
Module addition - 31 May 2024
HEA4800 Promoting Integration and Collaboration for Mental Health, a 20-credit optional module added
Module change - 21 March 2024
HEA4272 Management of Balance and Dizziness Disorders in Adults replaces HEA4331 Identification and Management of Neuro-vestibular Disorders. Module content and assessment methods are the same.
Accreditation - 14 September 2023
This course has gained accreditation from the NHSE. Logo has been added to the course page.
Module changes - 26 July 2023
Removal of the following optional modules – HEA4037 Leadership Self-Awareness and Self-Empowerment (20 credits) and HEA4308 Leading People through Change (20 credits).
Addition of the following optional modules – HEA4207 Developing a business care for change and innovation within Health & Social Care (20 credits), HEA4208 Strategic Clinical Leadership (20 credits) and HE4507 Development of Potential in Others (20 credits).
The Centre for Advancing Practice -Accredited Course
