Clinical Practice BSc(Hons) top-up degree

Course in brief

This is a part-time top-up course for the graduate health and social care practitioner wanting to obtain a level 6 academic and professional qualification in an acute care speciality pathway.

You should have a minimum of one year's post-registration experience and be in practice for at least 20 hours per week before applying for the course.

Modules of study are clustered together into five pathways, reflecting contemporary acute clinical practice. A choice of more than 50 modules means you can create your own study programme to suit your professional or personal aspirations.

We are known for our flexible approaches to practice-based learning, with course durations and intensities that can be adapted to your individual needs and outside commitments.

Our high quality teaching and research are renowned, and have an applied focus. We have established strong links with critical care practice educators to ensure the provision of support and guidance both within the university and in clinical practice.

The recognition that patients come first in everything the NHS does, and the values of the NHS constitution – respect, dignity, compassion and working together for patients – are embedded in our curriculum.

We have a dedicated team of academic staff who are actively engaged in internationalising the nursing and midwifery curriculum, and we offer all our students the chance to experience practice in another country.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

UCAS code Not applicable. Apply direct to the university.

Part-time up to 5 years

Our next open day for this course will take place in the autumn. Register your interest now and we will let you know when you can book your place.

Start in 2018: how to apply

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2018. They should be used as a general guide.

We operate a flexible admissions policy – this means that you could receive a lower conditional offer than the typical offer, informed by our assessment of your complementary non-academic achievements and experiences. For courses that require interview or portfolio review, this may also be considered in the level of any conditional offer that follows if your application is successful.

Degree and experience

Applicants to the course are expected to:

1. Have a health or social care related diploma of higher education, or foundation degree (minimum of 120 level 5 credits)

or:

Hold a current registered qualification in health or social care with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Health and Social Care Professions Council or equivalent PSRB.

2. Normally have successfully completed study within the last five years at Level 5 or 6

or:

Successfully completed a Level 6 module prior to registering on the award.

3. Be working in practice, but additional module specific rules apply.

4. Have a minimum of one year of post-qualified experience.

A maximum of 30 Level 6 credits APL / AP(E)L / RAWL may be brought into the course if they meet the learning outcomes and have been undertaken in the previous five years. For students who have obtained credit under the 4 HEI agreement, a maximum of 50% of the credits of the final award may be brought into the course provided they meet the learning outcomes and have been undertaken in the previous five years. The total combination of credits brought into the course must not exceed 50% of the final award and cannot include the dissertation module.

Course in detail

Course structure

To achieve the full BSc(Hons) you will need to earn 120 credits. You will accumulate 60 credits from clinical modules, and a further 60 from the research (20 credits) and dissertation (40 credits) modules.

Attendance requirements vary according to the modules you choose to study. For a 20-credit module you will typically attend university for a total of 60 to 70 hours.

You should expect 15 study days for 30-credit modules, and 10 study days for 20-credit modules, attended as one day per week during the semester of study.

Modules are delivered in intensive or extensive mode over a semester. The course is delivered in a variety of ways, and is flexible enough to meet the needs of part-time students. Delivery is typically via e-learning, lectures, seminars, workbooks for work-based learning and simulation in our Clinical Skills and Simulation Suite.

You should be working a minimum of 20 hours per week in relevant practice areas, so that you can integrate theory and practice, and complete practice assessments. Assessments include clinical skills assessed by a mentor in practice or a lecturer in the Clinical Skills and Simulation Suite at the university.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through our applicant portal.

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Clinical pathways

There are five clinical pathways at level 6, with some optional modules at shared delivery level 6/7 such as Advanced Heart Failure, Cancer Care: Survivorship, and Living with Cancer. You will be advised by your course leader or nominee as to which modules best suit your anticipated career pathway.

Pathways

Acute care
Cardiac care
Emergency care
Intensive care
Neonatal care

Some clinical pathways contain only mandatory modules, for example the intensive care pathway comprises three 30-credit modules: Intensive Care Ventilation, Intensive Care Cardiovascular, and Intensive Care Specialities.

Popular modules on other pathways include: 12-lead ECG, Physical Assessment of Adults, Care of the Acutely Ill Adult, and Emergency Care Admissions.

Syllabus

You will complete the clinical pathway (60 level 6 credits) to receive an ordinary degree or a total of 120 level 6 credits, comprising the pathway plus research and dissertation modules for the honours degree.

Each module is at level 6 unless otherwise stated.

All modules may be taken as stand alone modules for CPD purposes.

Modules

Clinical pathway (60 credits)
Research module (20 credits)
Dissertation (40 credits)

Any module from any pathway plus the following, each worth 20 credits at level 6 unless stated otherwise.

Care of the Acutely Ill Adult
Neurological Patient Care
Acute Stroke
Respiratory Care Adult
Physical Assessment of Adults
Operating Theatre Practice
Advanced Physical Assessment – Adult (Level 7)
Advanced Respiratory Care (Level 7)
Complex Wound Management
Diabetes – Delivering Innovative Care
End of Life: Principles of Care
Leg Ulcer Management
Work-based Learning

Nurse and doctor using diagnostic equipment

Study abroad

Post-registration students

As a qualified nurse or midwife you may be interested in developing a European or an international dimension to your learning and development.

Here at the School of Health Sciences we can offer the opportunity to do this through our international work-based learning module. If you have a particular clinical interest, for example public health nursing, and are interested in how this is delivered and practised in Scandinavia we can arrange for you to access a placement area with one of our partners in Finland, Norway, Sweden or Denmark. We can also help structure your experience through establishing focused learning outcomes and detailed preparation.

Our courses are vibrant and internationally aware. Many of our academic staff have international health and education experience and some are members of groups such as Sigma Theta Tau and the Florence Nightingale Scholars.

We also have a vast range of modular opportunities for the following students:

UK nurses seeking additional hours/knowledge to enable registration in the USA and links with recruitment agencies
EU nurses wanting to register in the UK with the NMC and requiring additional hours/knowledge
International nurses wanting to register in the UK with the NMC and requiring additional hours/knowledge

Please do contact the admissions team for further information about these modules, by emailing namcpeadmissions@brighton.ac.uk.

Careers and employability

The course educates practitioners with at least one year of post-registration experience, to the recognised practice standards of the acute care pathway.

Once qualified, you will have the opportunity to enhance your acute clinical practice, progress to a higher-graded band and take part in research and practice development.

Graduates of the course have progressed into roles as clinical nurse specialists (band 7) and nurse consultants (band 8).

Fees and funding

Your fees

This course, which provides professional development for qualified health practitioners, is not currently affected by the recent government changes to funding for new students starting health courses in 2017.

For up-to-date details of fees, contact our admissions team at namcpeadmissions@brighton.ac.uk or telephone 01273 644016. Most students obtain funding through their trust, some choose to self-fund and others secure funding through scholarships or bursaries.

How to apply

Download the application form and associated documents from the how to apply section on the modules page
If you require funding via NHS Trust Health Contract (formally the PTD contract), you may need to submit your application to a panel and/or need a designated signatory before you send it to the university.

For more information, contact the School of Health Sciences at namcpeadmissions@brighton.ac.uk.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the option modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding, scholarships and other financial support provided by the university as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Surrounded by the South Downs National Park and just five miles from the centre of Brighton, our Falmer campus has benefited from over £60million of investment over the past 10 years. 7,000 students are based here, studying subjects including English, education, social science, nursing and medicine.

Recent developments include the Falmer Sports Centre – with its fitness suites and sports hall – and the innovative Checkland Building, which has natural ventilation systems and an insulating green roof.

Falmer has also recently installed more than 600 solar panels, which reduce the campus’s carbon emissions by more than 80 tonnes. The renovation has made us one of the top universities in the UK for on-site renewable energy production.

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Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. We recommend Unihomes and House Share when you’re balancing learning with placements, shifts and other commitments, because they give you more choice and flexibility.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Falmer campus

Find out more

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