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BSc (Hons) PGCE
Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Primary Care)*

Location
Southwark

Duration
2-2.5 years (part-time)

Start date
September and February

Number of places
30

Simple timetable info
Part-time attendance for one day per week. The day of attendance at the University for teaching sessions may change in each semester

How to apply
Direct to LSBU

Course contact
Katrina Maclaine

Course Director
maclaik@lsbu.ac.uk – 020 7815 6751

Non-standard entry requirements

To be eligible to enter this course you need to be:

– A registered nurse who has been qualified for a minimum of 2 years

– Able to provide evidence of recent academic level study

– Employed for a minimum of 20 hours per week in one of the following :

– A primary care setting such as general practice, walk-in centre, unscheduled care facility (A&E, MIU’s etc), out of hours services

– Within intermediate care services, or a role which crosses traditional health care boundaries

– Able to demonstrate the support of your employer for you to undertake the course and for your development as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP)

– Able to organise for a doctor/qualified NP to act as your ‘facilitator’ to initially supervise and subsequently support you with your practice–based learning activities and overall clinical development

– Able to dedicate 3 hours per week (in addition to your study day in college) to work in a ‘supernumerary capacity’ in order to focus on your development as a NP

– Motivated to undertake this course of study and to develop your practice to become an NP. These criteria will be assessed from application and at interview.

*Subject to validation (March 2009)

Course description

This innovative programme will enable you to reach a new advanced level of practice commensurate with the RCN definition of an ANP (2008) to take full advantage of the opportunities within primary health care. It has been developed from our experience of providing RCN Accredited, high quality ANP programmes since 1990.

For the first two years, you will undertake a prescribed sequence of six degree level units, followed by the Non-medical Prescribing programme, to initially be awarded a BSc (Hons) Enhancing Clinical Practice (Primary Care) at the end of that period. The majority of students will then progress immediately to undertake three masters level units in the following semester, and through this gain a final award of PgCert Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Primary Health Care). This will ensure undergraduates who enter the programme will have demonstrated Masters level outcomes upon graduation as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, consistent with current thinking regarding advanced nursing practice (NMC, 2006; CNO Scotland, 2008).

Focused practice–based learning activities are integrated to complement classroom learning and develop our clinical and professional scope of practice to an advanced level. The requirements for this extend beyond normal LSBU semesters to include the summer periods.

Career opportunities

Graduates have excellent employment opportunities in general practice, walkin centres, urgent care centres, minor injury units, A&E departments, refugee/asylum seekers/homeless projects, elderly care facilities, ‘out-of-hours’ developments, outreach initiatives, intermediate care teams and community matron roles. Some graduates are now directors of nursing, lead nurses in nurse-led initiatives, partners in general practices and nurse consultants.

Progression routes to postgraduate study

The format of this programme, facilitates progression to an MSc; students need to complete two core units and two units of their choice (e.g. to develop mentorship, management, business skills or greater expertise with children) and a dissertation to be awarded the MSc.

Course units

Year 1

– Underpinning Physiological Principles for Advanced Nurse Practitioners

– Health Assessment for Advanced Practice

– Therapeutic Consultation Skills for Advanced Nurse Practitioners

– Applying Research to Practice

Year 2

– The Presenting Patient

– Professional Issues for Advanced Nurse Practitioners

– Non-medical Prescribing

Year 3

– Innovation for Excellence

– Management of Patient Care

– Practice-based Learning