Clinical Practice GradCert

Course structure

Attendance requirements vary according to the modules you choose to study on your chosen pathway. 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 state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Suite. 

Virtual attendance for part(s) of any module within the pathway can be considered under special circumstances. This is limited to a maximum of two places per module and is at the discretion of the pathway leader.

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.

Acute Care

You can choose any module from any of the following areas of practice: acute care, burns and plastic reconstructive surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, child health, emergency care, intensive care, neonatal care, ophthalmic care or renal care.

To be awarded the Graduate Certificate, you will need to achieve 60 credits at level 6, with a choice of any module from any pathway, plus the following (Each is worth 20 credits and is at level 6 unless otherwise stated):

• 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

Cardiac Care 

To achieve the graduate certificate you will need to complete the clinical pathway of 60 credits from the module choice listed. Each module is worth 20 credits and is at level 6 unless otherwise stated.

The aim of the pathway is to allow you to study a collection of modules relevant to your individual learning needs rather than to study a pre-determined route which may not suit your clinical focus or personal interests.

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

Modules

• 12-lead ECG (10 credits)
• Acute Coronary Syndromes and Management 
• Cardiac Arrhythmias and Interventions 
• Heart Failure (10 credits)
• Physical Assessment Cardiac and Respiratory Conditions 
• Advanced Physical Assessment of Cardiac and Respiratory Conditions (level 7)
• Advanced Heart Failure (level 7)

Emergency Care 

The content of the modules encompasses a wide range of clinical conditions of illness and injury, and is designed to meet the needs of health care practitioners working in urgent and emergency care settings.

To achieve the graduate certificate you will need to complete the clinical pathway of 60 credits from the Emergency Care pathway and optional clinical modules from the Acute care pathway These include comprehensive system assessment, cardiac, respiratory, abdominal, musculoskeletal, neurological, mental health, ear nose and throat, ophthalmology, wound care, burns, and maxillofacial. 

The aim of the pathway is to allow you to study a collection of modules relevant to your individual learning needs rather than to study a pre-determined route which may not suit your clinical focus or personal interests. 

Each module listed below is worth 30 credits and is at level 6 unless otherwise stated. All modules may be taken as stand alone modules for CPD purposes.

Modules

• Emergency Care Developing Autonomous Practice 
  The development of autonomous practice for effective management of a specified range of minor injuries and illnesses within an emergency care area of practice.
• Emergency Care Trauma 
  The assessment, prioritisation, planning, implementation and evaluation of emergency care for patients attending with acute minor to major/multiple injury trauma presentations.
• Emergency Care Admissions
  The assessment and management of undifferentiated, undiagnosed acute/chronic deteriorating emergency illness/disease/conditions which require emergency admission to hospital.

Intensive Care 

Completion of the pathway includes three mandatory modules for a total of 60 credits: Intensive Care Ventilation, Intensive Care Cardiovascular, and Intensive Care Specialities. Each module is worth 20 credits and is at level 6 unless otherwise stated.

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

Modules

• Intensive Care Ventilation 
  In addition to caring for patients with acute respiratory failure, this module covers current issues in preventing hospital acquired infections, research, and evidence-based practice in intensive care.
• Intensive Care Cardiovascular 
  This module prepares students to care for patients with cardiovascular instability and also explores psychosocial care and the role of the multidisciplinary intensive care team.
• Intensive Care Specialties 
  This module includes caring for intensive care patients with gastrointestinal, renal, and neurological dysfunction. Other topics integrated into this module as related to intensive care are management, education, ethics, and end-of-life care.

Neonatal Care 

To achieve the graduate certificate you will need to complete the clinical pathway of 60 credits from the module choice listed. Each module is at level 6 unless otherwise stated.

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

Modules

• Neonatal High Dependency and Intensive Care (30 credits)
• Neonatal QIS Consolidation (10 credits)
• Work-based Learning (20 credits)

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.

Course fees

For up-to-date details of fees, please 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

You apply by choosing modules through the Continuing Professional Development route first and if you meet the criteria you will be transferred to the Clinical Practice PGCert. Please see the links below.

• Online application guidance notes (pdf)
• 2019-20 Module timetable (pdf)
  Includes module dates and costs
• 2018-19 Module timetable(pdf)
  Includes module dates and costs
• Module withdrawal policy, with change/withdrawal form (pdf)
• Sponsor form (other sponsors) (pdf)

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2019–20.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

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 optional 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 us for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly. You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Falmer campus