NU7513 Advanced Practice (20 ECTS)

Learning Outcomes

Following completion of this module the student should be able to:

MLO-01	Demonstrate clinical competencies and advanced psychomotor skills appropriate to the scope of practice for ANP/AMP
MLO-02	Demonstrate competence in history taking and physical assessment.
MLO-03	Critically analyse presenting complaints and clinical findings to develop differential diagnosis and plan of care
MLO-04	Analyse the critical elements related to clinical diagnostic reasoning/ clinical decision making skills.
MLO-05	Demonstrate problem solving ability when faced with difficult clinical presentations.
MLO-06	Demonstrate competence in contemporaneous documentation of the clinical episode of care.
MLO-07	Demonstrate competence in safely, efficiently and effectively conducting a full episode of care which includes appropriate interventions such as medication management and utilisation of diagnostic procedures (if relevant) such as ionising radiation, ultrasound, laboratory testing of samples to inform the development of a diagnosis leading to safe discharge or referral of a range of clinical presentations.
MLO-08	Combine elements of prior learning and new learning to support professional development and demonstrate synthesis of information at an advanced practice level.
MLO-09	Demonstrate the ability to offer health promotional advice and support to patients/clients and their immediate family/care-givers
MLO-10	Critically analyse, evaluate and address personal limitations in competence and knowledge when faced with unfamiliar clinical presentations.
MLO-11	Demonstrate the ability to share and disseminate knowledge to other healthcare staff.

Methods of Teaching and Student Learning

Lecture, practical/clinical tutorials, supervised clinical exposure, group work, group discussions, one to one teaching, small group teaching, student presentations.  At the commencement of the course, each student will be assigned a personal preceptor.  This preceptor will act as clinical supervisor/teacher and provide educational and personal support to the student.  The preceptor will also participate in clinical competency appraisal, feedback and evaluations.  Finally, the student is continually supported by the multi-disciplinary team of experts contributing to this programme.

Module Learning Aims & Rationale

Advanced Nurse Practitioners are autonomous practitioners, who demonstrate practical and theoretical knowledge and critical thinking skills that are acknowledged by their peers as exemplary. They conduct skilled and comprehensive health assessment and demonstrate expert skills in the diagnosis and treatment of a specific patient group. Students undertaking this module require preparation for clinical and professional leadership in order to become competent clinicians who exercise high levels of judgement, discretion and decision-making. This is achieved through role-modelling, mentoring, and sharing of information in the classroom, clinical environment and through supervised clinical practice and clinical supervision. This clinical module is inextricably linked to the theory modules which include the Concepts of Advanced Practice, Prescribing of Medication and Ionising Radiation, and Anatomy and Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice.
The aims of this module are:

• To educate students for advanced clinical practice by integrating the knowledge and skills gained across the range of relevant course modules.
• To enable students to develop specific assessment and diagnostic skills to manage a discreet patient caseload, safely, efficiently and effectively.
• To enable students to develop her/his role as an autonomous member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team within the healthcare environment

To enable students to transition from experienced clinical nurses to advanced nurse practitioner candidates who meet the requirements and standards to apply for registration as Advanced Nurse Practitioners (RANP).

Module Content

• Epidemiology
• Population demographics
• Patterns of clinical presentations
• Physical assessment & clinical examination techniques
• History Taking
• Documentation
• Patient Consent
• Specialist Field of practice  lectures

Recommended Reading List

Indicative Resources - additional references will be provided by module lecturers

• Kleinpell R. (2001) Outcome Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing. New York. Springer Publishing Company.
  
• Begley C., Murphy K., Higgins A., Elliott N., Lalor J., Sheerin F., Coyne I., Comiskey C., Normand C., Casey C., Dowling M., Devane D., Cooney A., Farrelly F., Brennan M., Meskell P.& MacNeela P. (2010) An Evaluation of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners in Ireland. National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NCNM), Dublin.
  
• National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (2010) Clinical Outcomes – Discussion Paper. NCNM, Dublin.
  
• National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (2010) Nurse and Midwife Clinical Competency Determination and Competency Development Planning. NCNM, Dublin.
  
• National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (2009) Guidelines for Portfolio Development for Nurses and Midwives. 3rd Ed. NCNM, Dublin.
  
• National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (2008) Accreditation of Advanced Nurse and Advanced Midwife Practitioners .2nd Ed National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NCMI) Dublin.
  
• National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (2008) Discussion Paper 1: Clinical Supervision: A Structured Approach to Best Practice.
• National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NMBI) Dublin.
  
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (2017) Advanced Practice (Nursing) Standards and Requirements.Dublin, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
  
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (2015) Guidance to Nurses and Midwives on Medication Management Dublin. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
  
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (2008) Requirements and Standards for Nurse Education Programmes for Authority to Prescribe Ionising Radiation (X-Ray).Dublin Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
  
• Sullivan-Marx,E.  Mc Givern,D. Fairman, J.Greenberg , S (2010) Nurse Practitioners- The Evolution and Future of Advanced Practice. 5th Ed. New York. Springer Publishing Company
• Talley NJ, O’Connor S (2010) Clinical Examination: A Systematic Guide to Physical Diagnosis. 6th ED. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.