Enhance your practice with our postgraduate diploma, preparing you for enhanced care in urgent hospital settings, ambulance trusts, and primary care.

About the apprenticeship

Course length: 16 months, part-time, plus 3 months for end-point assessment

Start date: October

Course level: Level 7

University award: PGDip in Enhanced Practice

How much it costs: Funded through the employer

This programme was developed by paramedic practice but would be suitable for any AHP that has a role within urgent care, critical care and mental health and wants to enhance their skills.

Course summary

• Enhance your practice and make complex clinical decisions in various settings.
• Develop enhanced skills, knowledge, and evidence-based practice with critical thinking, enabling you to safely discharge on scene, or transport patients to appropriate care settings.
• The course covers enhanced patient assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic management, and holistic care, focusing on critical thinking, research, and leadership.

This course meets the enhanced clinical practitioner apprenticeship standard. 

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Enhance your professional practice, through collaboration with peers and work-based learning, while thriving in your new role and environment. 

You’ll learn through:

• Keynote lectures 
• Online learning, both self and tutor-directed
• Video-based skills demonstrations 
• Active classroom learning
• Critical reflection on and in learning 
• Written assessments 
• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)

During your learning on campus and in the workplace you will be supported by academics, work-based mentor, clinical and support staff. 

You will also complete an integrated end-point assessment towards completion of the apprenticeship.

Applied learning

All two years of the course are structured around applied learning. This links your studies to real-world situations.

This course is designed to enhance your current knowledge and develop skills and behaviours to meet the needs of your organisation, as it delivers healthcare for the 21st century. 

Work placements 
You may have placements organised by your organisation as part of your work-based learning.

Live Projects 
You may be invited by your organisation to be involved in live projects.

Field Trips 
You may have opportunities to experience other work-based environments. 

Networking Opportunities 
You are encouraged to Join the College of Paramedics to expand your learning opportunities. Network at conferences such as the International College of Paramedics.

Professional and practical skills 
By the end of the course, you will have gained enhanced clinical assessment skills, diagnostic skills, clinical decision-making skills and develop the ability to manage patients in distress. 

Campus facilities

You'll learn in modern facilities at our Collegiate Campus including mock wards and operating rooms, simulation suites, and interactive manikins.

On this course you work with: 

• Simulated environments 
• High fidelity simulation equipment 
• Cutting-edge pre-hospital equipment 
• Specialist manikins 

Entry requirements

The entry requirements ensure the apprenticeship is accessible to a diverse range of applicants while maintaining appropriate standards.

Applicants must:

• have the right to abode in the UK
• meet the course entry requirements

GCSE (or equivalent)

Maths and English at level 2 or above (grade 4, or previously C).

If you don't have this yet, we will refer you to our functional skills training partner where you'll need to complete the relevant qualifications during the first year of your apprenticeship.

If English is not your first language, you will also need an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your level of English language is below IELTS 6.5 we will recommend an appropriate pre-sessional English course. Which will allow you to achieve the required level of English. 

Additional qualifications

Plus the following:

• A first degree 2:2 or equivalent (Diploma graduate with evidence of CPD should be accepted). 
• Current registration with their professional regulatory body.
• At least three years post-registration experience, currently working in a relevant clinical area with access to a suitable co-ordinating education supervisor/mentor.
• To engage in university learning during term time with the full support of workplace management. 

Other qualifications may be considered in discussion with the university. 

Applicants will be expected to have a Diploma or equivalent experience for entry onto the course.

Modules

The course is designed so that learners will apply their learning back to the workplace as part of every module. Delivered through a combination of academic learning and work-based learning.

Mandatory modules

• Consultation and assessment skills in enhanced practice  
• Pharmacology and pathophysiology in enhanced practice 
• Personal and professional development in enhanced practice 
• End-point assessment

Elective modules 

• Urgent care in enhanced practice
• Mental health care in enhanced practice
• Out of hospital critical care in enhanced practice 

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change.