DA7008 - Managing Clinical Complexity in Advanced Clinical Practice

What will I learn on this module?

In this module you will continue to develop and build upon your Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) development. This module will aid you in the development of the following areas of your ACP role and will be tailored to your specialist field of practice: you will be able to assess and provide on-going review of patients through the assimilation of complex clinical data; monitor and modify collaborative management plans across complex disease continuums, attain technical ability to perform required interventions to our practice; order and/or interpret clinical and diagnostics interventions to evaluate treatment plans for ongoing management, whilst providing a critical rational for actions; critically appraise the clinical progress of patients to plan care, and communicate findings to patients, relatives, and members of the multi-disciplinary team as appropriate to your practice area; critically review patients, relatives, and members of the multi-disciplinary team participation in decision making for care; explore ethical issues in relation to your advanced practice role; critically appraise contemporary sources of evidence (e.g. research, local, national, and international guidelines, and legal, ethical and professional frameworks) and demonstrate utilisation of this information in clinical decisions; and, finally, demonstrate development of management and leadership skills in the organisation of care.

The module utilises a structured core lecture and specialist applied seminar approach to enable you to tailor your learning to your specialist area. You will be encouraged to attend the seminar that is most suited to your learning needs; however, if you are completing a specialist named award you will be required to attend the seminars that are identified as being a core component of your recognised curriculum or standard. The specialist named awards and their recognised standards are as follows:

Emergency Care- ACPs working in Emergency Care will work towards the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Emergency Care Advanced Clinical Practitioner Curriculum. https://rcem.ac.uk/acp-curriculum/

Primary Care- ACPs working in Primary Care will work towards the Royal College of General Practitioners Core Capabilities Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice (Nurses) Working in General Practice/ Primary Care in England. https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/services/item/724-advanced-clinical-practice-core-capabilities-for-nurses-working-within-general-practice-settings-in-england

Advanced Critical Care Practitioner- ACPs working in a Critical Care setting will work towards the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicines Advanced Critical Care Practice curriculum. https://www.ficm.ac.uk/careersworkforceaccps/accp-curriculum

Sexual Health- ACPs working in Sexual Health will work towards the FSRH, BASHH and NHIVNA Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) Integrated Sexual Health and HIV Specialist Training Curriculum. https://www.fsrh.org/news/fsrh-bashh-and-nhivna-advanced-level-curriculum-acp-for-nurses/
Acute Medicine- ACPs working in Acute Medicine will work towards the Health Education England and Royal College of Physicians Advanced Clinical Practice in Acute Medicine Curriculum Framework. Accessed via https://advanced-practice.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/credentials/endorsed-credentials/.

Older People- ACPs working with older People will work towards the Health Education England and Royal College of Physicians Advanced Clinical Practice in Older People Curriculum Framework. Accessed via https://advanced-practice.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/credentials/endorsed-credentials/.

If you are studying for a specialist named award, you will be expected to demonstrate that you have developed your knowledge and skills in the context of the nationally recognised standard of advanced practice associated with that award. Please refer to the programme specification document for more information about specialist named awards.

How will I learn on this module?

The module will be delivered through a blended learning approach, including a combination of guided study (including the use of a scenario-based learning (SBL) platform), structured core lectures and specialist applied seminars (including simulation and virtual reality platforms where applicable). The classroom-based sessions will be interactive and designed to help you to explore your topic areas identified within your guided study. You will be expected to participate in class discussion and group work, share your own expertise and develop debate and make recommendations for practice. These sessions will be designed to help you to explore your topic areas identified within your guided study. The core lectures will focus upon a body systems approach (e.g. respiratory) and will explore emerging issues surrounding the complexities of acute and chronic disease management. The specialist seminars will be tailored to your field of clinical practice and mapped to relevant national curricular/specialist bracketed awards. The sessions will utilise a case-based discussion approach in which you will present to your lecturer and peers, the findings generated from your activities using the SBL platform.

You will also be expected to develop and apply your knowledge and skills in the clinical practice environment, and you will work with your employer and educational (clinical) supervisor to identify learning opportunities appropriate to your ongoing development.

You must successfully complete both theoretical and competence-based assessments for this module. Theoretical assessment will take the form of a viva voce examination which will examine your clinical reasoning behind an element of clinical management of a single case example of your choice (pertinent to your specialist field), including data acquisition, diagnostic development and the evidence-base surrounding the chosen management pathway. Competence-based assessment for this module will be assessed in the clinical practice environment and confirmed by your educational (clinical) supervisor via submission of a portfolio of evidence. If you are studying for a specialist named award, you will develop your portfolio to evidence achievement of the nationally recognised standard associated with that award.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

You will be supported by the module team, who are specialists in their clinical field. Formative feedback will be provided in group-led seminars and will also be available via individual tutorials throughout the module. You will also receive feedback from your peers, as many of the activities are designed to be student-led with module tutor facilitation. Contact with the module team is available in person, or via telephone, email, and the electronic learning portal.

You will be assigned an educational (clinical) supervisor whose responsibility it is to ensure that you are supported in your clinical practice area, have the appropriate experiences to allow you to progress, monitor your progress, and provide individual feedback and sign off your competence documentation. Methods of learning development and assessment include Assessment of Clinical Expertise (ACE or mini-ACE) Case-Based Discussions (CBD), Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (MiniCEX), Directly Observed Practical Skills (DOPS), Multisource Feedback (MSF) and Acute Care Assessment Tool (ACAT) where appropriate. These are recognised methods of assessment used by medical practitioners and endorsed by several medical colleges, including the Royal College of Physicians. You will be required to engage in regular tripartite meetings with your educational (clinical) supervisor and Personal Tutor to provide support for your development.

You will have access to both library and student support services. The latter is offered via a 24-hour IT Helpline, Student Support and Wellbeing Services, Skills Plus to support your academic work and an Ask4Help Service for other enquiries. These are all available in person at Student Central on Coach Lane Campus and online. You will be allocated an individual tutor for the duration of the programme who will provide appropriate pastoral support and guidance.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding (K&U):
K&U 1. - You will provide ongoing review of patients within your specialist field of practice and assimilate complex, clinical data to implement, monitor and modify collaborative management plans.

2. You will critically reflect on the clinical decisions and actions that you take in relation to evidenced-based literature and medico-legal requirements appropriate to your clinical role.

Intellectual/Professional skills & abilities (IPSA):
IPSA 3. You will use clinical investigations and diagnostic procedures to evaluate treatment plans for ongoing management and provide critical rationale for your actions.

4. You will demonstrate achievement of applied clinical competencies within the practice setting and submit a portfolio of evidence.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
PVA 5. You will critically reflect on your learning and its application to your advanced clinical practice, including your ability to develop competence, capability, and confidence.

How will I be assessed?

Formative

Throughout the module you will receive feedback from module leaders, practice mentors and peers through seminar discussion of the framework that underpins advanced clinical practice. This will provide you with the opportunity to improve and develop learning through deeper understanding, reflection, and peer experiences. There will be seminar discussion of the underpinning theories of competency development.

You will be required to submit a short PowerPoint presentation which will provide an overview of your patient and chosen area of clinical management for your viva panel.

Summative

There are two elements:

Submission of Competence portfolio (Pass/Fail). Your educational (clinical) supervisor will be the signatory of completion. This will be a hardcopy submission and feedback will be given electronically via the eLearning portal.
(MLOs- ALL)

Viva voce examination (100%). This will examine your clinical reasoning behind an element of clinical management of your case example, including data acquisition, diagnostic development and the evidence-base surrounding the chosen management pathway. Brief feedback will be given on the day of the viva. Detailed feedback including your mark will follow electronically.
(MLOs- 1, 2, 3, 5)

Pre-requisite(s)

DA7011 Health History and Examination or equivalent
And
DA7007 Life Science for Advanced Clinical Practitioners or equivalent

Co-requisite(s)

None

Module abstract

This module is aimed at those who wish to become advanced clinical practitioners in their clinical speciality. It aims to develop mastery in the complex knowledge and technical ability needed to assess, monitor, and develop collaborative management plans across complex disease continuums. You will be expected to demonstrate the ability to make autonomous decisions, communicate effectively and ensure timely referral of patients to more senior members of the multi-disciplinary team, and/or to specialist services.

The module will be delivered via a combination of guided study (including the use of a scenario-based learning (SBL) platform), structured core lectures and specialist applied seminars (including simulation and virtual reality platforms where applicable). You must successfully complete both the theoretical (viva voce) and competence-based assessments. The viva will examine your clinical reasoning behind an element of management of a single case example of your choice (pertinent to your specialist field), including data acquisition, diagnostic development and the evidence-base surrounding the chosen management pathway.