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PgDip/MSc
Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Cancer Care)

Location
Royal Marsden School of Cancer Nursing and Rehabilitation (RMSCNR)
Southwark

Duration
PgDip: 2 years (part-time)
MSc: 3 years (part-time)

Mode of study
Part-time

Start date
September

Number of places
20

Simple timetable info

Part-time attendance for one day per week split between RMSCNR and LSBU The day of attendance for teaching sessions may change in each semester

How to apply
Direct to RMSCNR
Course contact
Jacquie Woodcock

Course Director
Jacquie.woodcock@rmh.nhs.uk – 020 7808 2118

Non-standard entry requirements

– Normally at least a second class Honours degree

– Current registration on part 1 of the NMC register and a minimum of 3 years postregistration experience

– Current employment in professional practice (minimum 20 hours per week)

– Evidence of employer’s support

– Has an appropriately qualified and experienced nominated practice facilitator

– Ability to dedicate appropriate time within a clinical setting in order to focus on the practice-requirements of the course

Course units
Year 1

Core units:

– Underpinning Physiological Principles for ANPs

– Clinical Pathway Unit 1 Optional units

– Non-medical Prescribing level M or Applied Pharmacology for ANPs plus 15 credit M level unit of choice


Year 2

Core units:

– Research Methodology and Strategy

– Clinical Pathway Unit 2

– Innovation for Excellence

– Clinical Pathway Unit 3

Year 3

Core units:

– Research Philosophies and Methods of Enquiry

– Dissertation


Course description

This advanced nurse practitioner cancer care preparation programme is aimed at nurses working in a range of cancer clinical settings including primary, secondary and tertiary care and provides an excellent opportunity to develop the competencies required for advanced nursing roles (NMC, 2006, RCN, 2008, CNO Scotland, 2008). This programme has been developed from the experience of providing RCN accredited, high quality, advanced nurse practitioner programmes since 1990. Your learning on this programme will take place in taught units.

Specialist cancer units will be provide on site at the RMSCNR. Core generic units will be on site at LSBU. The teaching and learning strategies utilised are student-centred and designed to facilitate you to become an autonomous learner, able to identify your learning needs, develop a strategy to meet those needs and to evaluate your learning.

You will experience a range of assessment strategies designed to assess both your academic learning and your clinical practice. These include written assignments and examinations, practical examinations (e.g. the OSCA – Objective Structured Clinical Assessment) and submission of a clinical portfolio demonstrating your learning and development in clinical practice.

Career opportunities

Graduates from this programme can expect to work in advanced practice roles in their particular cancer clinical setting and will be well placed to continue their career progression to Nurse Consultant and Lead Nurse in nurse-led initiatives.

Typical background of applicant

Applicants will be experienced nurses with at least three years postregistration experience who are looking to develop competencies required to undertake advanced practice roles in cancer care.

Professional contacts/industry links
RCN Accreditation will be applied for.

Additional notes

The programme commences with an orientation event designed to prepare students for Masters level study as well as introducing them to the programme structure and content this is an event shared with students on the Advanced Nurse Practitioner pathways. A Professional Development day is organised at the beginning of the second year where content related to professional identity and recent policy developments are covered and students from all the Advanced Nurse Practitioner programmes (Adult, Child, Cancer Care) experience shared learning.

Practice-based learning forms a key element of this programme to enable students to develop their clinical and professional scope of practice to an advanced level. Therefore, learning activities extend beyond normal LSBU semesters to include the summer period.