Prescribing Practice PGCert

Overview

This programme has been designed for nurses, midwives, mental health nurses and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCHPN) who wish to qualify for the Nursing and Midwifery Council recordable qualification of Independent Prescriber.

This course will include the Non-Medical Prescribing module with the Physical Health and Wellbeing module or the Advanced Physical Assessment module.

Course content

Over the course of the programme, you will:

• Increase and enhance your professional knowledge and practice
  • Physical assessment modules for mental health nurses
  • Physical assessment modules for adult, child nurses and midwives
• Develop your physical assessment and clinical skills and enhance your professional practice.
  • Non-Medical Prescribing Module

Successful completion of the programme will result in the V300 recordable qualification of independent prescriber.

Learning and teaching

A range of assessment strategies will be used to develop your professionalism including reflection and discussion as well as group presentations. Teaching will utilise online resources and lectures, and discussion groups involving critical incident analysis.

Formative and summative assessment will be used throughout through Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE), examinations and assignments.

Assessment

The Physical Health and Wellbeing module is a summative assessment through a written examination of multiple choice and structured questions (1 hour and 15 minutes).

The Physical Assessment module is a summative assessment through an OSCE with focused and general assessment of key systems taught.

The Non-Medical Prescribing module will be examined through a multiple choice and short answer examination of pharmacology and numeracy and prescription as well as through a 3,000 word assignment. You will also have to successfully complete a Clinical Assessment Document following 12 days of supervised clinical practice with a designated assessor.

Entry requirements

• You must be a registered nurse with a minimum of one year post-registration experience (part time equivalent)
• You must provide evidence of ability to study at Level 6 with a good command of written and spoken English
• You must be able to demonstrate a good standard of numeracy skills
• You must hold a current DBS (within the last three years at the end of the course)
• You must have completed the physical assessment course or be doing this as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Prescribing or Graduate Certificate in Prescribing
• Your prescribing lead confirms that you have expertise in your clinical area
• You will be competent in clinical history-taking, undertaking clinical assessments and diagnosing in your area of practice
• There must be a clinical need to prescribe within the current role.

How to apply

For how to apply and teaching dates, please refer to the individual module pages:

• Physical assessment modules for mental health nurses
• Physical assessment modules for adult, child nurses and midwives
• Non-Medical Prescribing Module

Please note that once you are undertaking the physical assessment course you will need to apply for the non-medical prescribing course and  must submit the entry criteria. If you successful at interview and offered a place on the non-medical prescribing course, this will be on condition that you are successful on the physical assessment module.