School of Service Development and Improvement

Faculty ofHealth Studies

School of Service Development and Improvement

Programme Specification

Programme title:PG Dip/PG Cert in Cardiology for Practitioners with a Special Interest

Academic Year: / 2016-17
Degree Awarding Body: / University of Bradford
Partner(s), delivery organisation or support provider (if appropriate): / The Ridge Training Limited
Final and interim award(s): / [Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) level 7]
Postgraduate Diploma
Postgraduate Certificate
Programme accredited by (if appropriate): / Royal College of General Practitioners
British Cardiovascular Society
Programme duration: / Normally 18 months part-time (maximum 5 years)
QAA Subject benchmark statement(s): / N/A
Date of Senate Approval: / 2013
Date last confirmed and/or minor modification approved by Faculty Board / August 2015

Introduction

This programme is one of a series of programmes taught by The Ridge Training Limited and awarded by the University of Bradford. The programmes fall under the collaborative provision regulations, so although the programmes are taught wholly from within the NHS, quality assurance and assessment are governed by University of Bradford regulations.

This part-time diploma programme contains a large element of work-based and shared learning. As attendance in Bradford only requires a total of 7 study days on 4 separate occasions throughout the 18 months, the course is accessible to students nationally. It enables Practitioners with a Special Interest to gain a formally recognised standard of competence in the area of cardiology as a special interest. It is the first postgraduate competence-based programme for PwSIs to offer national accreditation in this subject, and is run from within the NHS and taught by consultants and Practitioners with a Special Interest. In this regard, the course has been well received by key professional medical bodies.

The programme structure is specifically designed to encourage the development of the specialist practitioner role, by encouraging collaborative clinical work-based training between the practitioner and the consultant.

Students who successfully complete the Diploma will be able to progress to the MSc in Cardiology for Practitioners with a Special Interest. Students who successfully complete the Diploma will have a greater breadth of knowledge of Cardiology than those who complete the Certificate. This programme is delivered through the Faculty of Health Studies at the University of Bradford.

Programme Aims for the PG Certificate

The programme is intended to:

A1.1develop the subject-specific knowledge and skills to enable GPs and other practitioners to work independently to treat patients with either heart failure and valvular disease or hypertension, arrhythmias and conduction disorder or ischaemic heart disease at a higher level and to deal with complex clinical situations systematically;

A1.2develop a subject-specific understanding of the role and responsibilities of consultant specialists and the multi-disciplinary team in secondary care and to establish appropriate relationships with these professionals;

A1.3position practitioners at the forefront of their subject-specific area of cardiac care to develop and establish the most appropriate integrated care pathways for that area between primary and secondary care for the patient within current NHS guidelines;

A1.4engage practitioners in life-long learning through the enhancement of key skills, a thorough knowledge of critical appraisal and reflective practice;

A1.5provide practitioners with a special interest with transferable nationally recognised training in with either heart failure and valvular disease or hypertension, arrhythmias and conduction disorder or ischaemic heart disease.

Programme Aims for the Postgraduate Diploma

The programme is intended to:

A2.1develop wider specialist knowledge and skills to enable GPs and other practitioners to practice cardiology at a higher level and to deal with complex clinical situations systematically;

A2.2develop a thorough understanding of the role and responsibilities of consultant specialists and the multi-disciplinary team in secondary care and to establish appropriate relationships with these professionals;

A2.3position practitioners at the forefront of their area of cardiac care to develop and establish the most appropriate integrated care pathways between primary and secondary care for the patient within current NHS guidelines;

A2.4engage practitioners in life-long learning through the enhancement of key skills, a thorough knowledge of critical appraisal and reflective practice;

A2.5provide practitioners with a special interest with transferable nationally recognised training in cardiology.

Programme Learning Outcomes for the PG Certificate

When you have completed the programme you will be able to:

B1.1Subject knowledge and understanding

B1.1.1 critically analyse and apply current and emerging knowledge at the forefront of the subject- specific area(s) (heart failure and valvular disease or hypertension, arrhythmias and conduction disorder or ischaemic heart disease) of study with regard to the pathophysiology and epidemiology of that subject;

B1.1.2 contribute to the development of clinical protocols and practice within the subject-specific care pathway linking primary and secondary care in line with current recommendations;

B1.1.3 make strategic and appropriate clinical decisions within the relevant subject-specific care pathway with regard to the treatment and referral of patients.

B1.2Discipline skills

B1.2.1 Diagnose and manage/refer patients whose symptoms may be due to cardiac disease in the subject-specific area(s) (heart Failure and valvular disease or hypertension, arrhythmias and conduction disorder or ischaemic heart disease) studied.

B1.2.2 Critically reflect and make sound clinical judgments on the most appropriate treatment modality for patients who present with cardiac disorders in the subject-specific area(s) studied and treat or refer accordingly;

B1.2.3 Communicate complex clinical conclusions clearly to patients and the clinical team;

B1.2.4Critically appraise and update your own clinical knowledge and skills in the subject-specific area(s) studied.

B1.2.5Evaluate the PwSI role and its implications for the whole patient pathway and current techniques for improving the delivery of patient care.

B1.3Personal Transferable Skills

B1.3.1 Act autonomously and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary context.

B1.3.2 Communicate effectively.

B1.3.3Critically reflect on and evaluate a wide range of information, and make complex decisions as a result of this process.

B1.3.4Use information technology as a medium for communication and presentation of data.

B1.3.5 Gain the skills to enable continuous professional development.

Programme Learning Outcomes for the PG Diploma

When you have completed the programme you will be able to:

B2.1Subject knowledge and understanding

B2.1.1critically analyse and apply current and emerging knowledge at the forefront of the discipline with regard to the pathophysiology and epidemiology of cardiac disease;

B2.1.2 contribute to the development of clinical protocols and practice within the care pathway linking primary and secondary care in line with current recommendations;

B2.1.3 make strategic and appropriate clinical decisions within the relevant care pathway with regard to the treatment and referral of patients.

B2.2Discipline skills

B2.2.1 Diagnose and manage/refer patients whose symptoms may be due to cardiac disease.

B2.2.2Critically reflect and make sound clinical judgments on the most appropriate treatment modality for patients who present with cardiac disorders and treat or refer accordingly;

B2.2.3 Communicate complex clinical conclusions clearly to patients and the clinical team;

B2.2.4 Critically appraise and update your own clinical knowledge and skills.

B2.2.5 Evaluate the PwSI role and its implications for the whole patient pathway and current techniques for improving the delivery of patient care.

B2.3Personal Transferable Skills

B2.3.1Act autonomously and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary context.

B2.3.2 Communicate effectively.

B2.3.3 Critically reflect on and evaluate a wide range of information, and make complex decisions as a result of this process.

B2.3.4 Use information technology as a medium for communication and presentation of data.

B2.3.5 Gain the skills to enable continuous professional development.

Curriculum

Each of the three clinical modules lasts six months. The fourth module is the Applied Methodologies module (AM) which can be taken alongside one or more of the other modules, over a maximum period of 18 months.

Each module is worth 30 credits, amounting to a total of 120 credits. For the Postgraduate Diploma, all 30-credit modules are core modules. For the Postgraduate Certificate, the only core module is the Applied Methodologies (AM) module. One or two options may be chosen from the clinical modules to form your programme of study. Any 30-credit module can be studied independently, outside of a Postgraduate award. However, it is recommended that you study for the diploma in order to gain the value of a broad education, and the course provides flexibility to enable this.

Postgraduate Certificate

Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study period
PSI7001-C / Applied Methodologies / Core / 30 / 7 / Up to 18 months
PSI7002-C / Heart Failure and Valvular Disease / Option / 30 / 7 / 6 months
PSI7003-C / Hypertension, Arrhythmias and Conduction Disorder / Option / 30 / 7 / 6 months
PSI7004-C / Ischaemic Heart Disease / Option / 30 / 7 / 6 months

Postgraduate Diploma

Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study period
PSI7001-C / Applied Methodologies / Core / 30 / 7 / 18 months
PSI7002-C / Heart Failure and Valvular Disease / Core / 30 / 7 / 6 months
PSI7003-C / Hypertension, Arrhythmias and Conduction Disorders / Core / 30 / 7 / 6 months
PSI7004-C / Ischaemic Heart Disease / Core / 30 / 7 / 6 months

The curriculum may change, subject to the University’s course approval, monitoring and review procedures.

Teaching and Assessment Strategies

The Postgraduate Diploma is run by The Ridge Training Limited and the award is made through the University of Bradford.

A variety of teaching methods is employed in the programme, to enable you to fulfil the varied modular learning outcomes. The learning within the programme is gained through:

1face-to-face tuition: this occurs at the beginning of each module in Bradford. Tutors are available by email if required during placement periods to handle learning queries. Tutors are clinical practitioners (consultant specialists and PwSIs).

2work-based learning: this forms the central part of the programme of study, in the form of clinical placements – each six month module should contain at least 14 weeks of hands-on practical study in a secondary care environment. This learning is undertaken on placement in the locality, under the supervision of a clinical mentor. You will approach the mentor in the first instance: they must be a GMC registered consultant in cardiology whose name appears on a national register of practitioners, and who has teaching experience. The clinical mentor will receive a specific Mentor Guide including advice and support from the course management team in fulfilling the role of mentor.

3guided reading (given by tutor and mentor): this complements the placement and enables you to fulfil the theoretical background necessary for your placement activities, and prepares you for your written and presentational assignments.

4e-learning: the virtual learning environment gives access to the peer group and tutors during placement, facilitating learning through clinical discussion, as well as providing support.

5local research and application: The AM module involves working within the healthcare community to apply 3 different methodologies; learning takes place during the activities of researching and reading information, planning, preparation and application of these.

Assessment is designed to enable you to have a rounded measurement of the skills needed for your role in the healthcare community.

Clinical competence is verified through mentor signature after observation (by mentor and where appropriate other relevant clinical professionals) and discussion during the placement periods. The issues of ethics and informed consent are an integrated part of the students’ daily practice, and it is implicit in all the modules that there is conformity to the usual standards and guidelines in these areas.

Optionality is available to students studying for the Certificate in their choice of modules. It is available to students studying for the Diploma in the choice of cases for the written reflective studies and the presentations.

Assessment Regulations

This Programme conforms to the standard University Assessment Regulations which are available at the link below

However, there are two exceptions to these regulations as listed below:

You will be required to pass all components of assessment at 40% or above without compensation, with the exception of the clinical competence element of each module which is marked on a pass/fail basis. All clinical elements must be passed.

If your overall mark for any module is below 40% you will have an automatic opportunity to undertake a second attempt at any assessment or components of assessment you have failed. A date will be given to you by when you will need to submit your second attempt. You will not need to wait until your marks have been presented to a Board of Examiners.

Admission Requirements

The University welcomes applications from all potential students regardless of their previous academic experience; offers are made following detailed consideration of each individual application. Most important in the decision to offer a place is our assessment of a candidate’s potential to benefit from their studies and of their ability to succeed on this particular programme. Entrance requirements for each programme will vary but consideration of your application will be based on a combination of your formal academic qualifications and other relevant experience.

We are continually reviewing and developing our practices and policies to make the University more inclusive, but if you are disabled we may need to make some adjustments to make sure that you are not disadvantaged. We would advise you to contact the programme leader before you apply to discuss these.

The entry requirements for this programme are as follows:

• you must be a suitably qualified registered primary or secondary care practitioner, demonstrating successful study skills at level 6, with at least two years relevant work experience;
• you must obtain written support from an NHS hospital trust consultant (GMC Registered) in Cardiology for mentorship and the provision of a clinical attachment;
• You must produce evidence of relevant registered qualification, currency and academic qualifications:
• As the assessment elements of the postgraduate diploma require a substantial amount of written work at level 7, in accordance with regulations from the University of Bradford we ask that non-native speakers complete an IELTS English Language Exam at a minimum of 6.5 before they begin their studies.

It is desirable for you to have experience in postgraduate education.

Recognition of Prior Learning

If applicants have prior certificated learning or professional experience which may be equivalent to parts of this programme, the University has procedures to evaluate and recognise this learning in order to provide applicants with exemptions from specified modules or parts of the programme.

Minor Modification Schedule

Version Number / Brief description of Modification / Date of Approval (Faculty Board)
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