Advancing Assessment and Reasoning Skills

Course Content

• Course Details

  During the module you will develop the skills required to undertake a comprehensive and holistic health assessment of service users including history taking, physical examination and psychosocial assessment. Relevant anatomy and pathophysiology will be applied to aid in the analysis and interpretation of the data gained from the assessment.

  Consideration will be given to differential diagnoses, service user risk assessment, diagnostic tools utilised in practice and the management of common conditions. Theories and methods underpinning clinical reasoning and decision-making in healthcare, advanced communication strategies, legal and ethical issues of advanced assessment and evidence-based practice will be explored.

  Using an active-blended learning approach teaching approaches are varied and include lectures, interactive group work, online learning activities, enquiry based learning and practical simulation sessions within the clinical skills laboratory at the University.

  Students will be taught and have access to tutor support over two semesters. The module will have approximately 12 taught days at the University which includes both face to face and online teaching and 1 assessment day.

  You will take a structured approach to holistic health assessment with the opportunity to develop skills to enhance their practice.

  There are two items of assessment which must be successfully completed to pass the module, each with a 50% weighting to the overall mark:

  1) Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) 2.5 hours

  The OSCE assessments will be used to assess competency, based upon objective testing through direct observation. Areas to be evaluated include communication, general and focused history taking, physical examination, investigations, patient advice and documentation.

  2) Reflective Case Study 2 x 2000 words

  Students will be asked to write 2 x 2,000 word critically ‘reflective cased-based analyses’ of their advanced clinical assessment, decision making and management of two patients within their area of clinical practice.

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 23/24. The modules relating to the academic year 24/25 will be available from June 2024.

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• Entry Requirements

  Admissions to the module enables all nurse, midwife and SCPHN registrants OR Allied Health Professionals registered with the HCPC (including NHS, Self-employed or non-NHS employed registrants) to apply.

  Applicants must hold an appropriate healthcare or bachelor’s degree with honours, be employed within a health and social care related environment and be a UK registered healthcare professional.

  Applicants who do not have a relevant bachelor’s degree may still apply as relevant personal, professional and educational experience will also be taken into consideration.

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• Fees and Funding

  2024/25 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • Part time: £1,840 per 40 credit module

  2023/24 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 23/24 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • Part time: £1,780 per 40 credit module

  Please contact Karen Edwards for further information about fees for this module.

  For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.

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• FAQs

  Who can I contact for more information?

  For further information on the module please contact Laura Elliott, Module Lead on advancedpractice@northampton.ac.uk

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