Entry requirementsApplicants should normally hold a UK or overseas degree from a recognised institution, or an equivalent professional or other qualification. Access to the Infection Control and Prevention course is open to practitioners who meet the following criteria. You must: * Normally be registered as a health or social care professional. * Have a minimum of one year’s post-qualifying experience.
Academic titleMSc / PGDip / PGCert Infection Prevention and Control
Course description MSc / PGDip / PGCert
Effective infection control is essential to safeguard the welfare of patients and the staff that care for them. This course is designed to equip health care practitioners with the advanced skills and knowledge necessary to lead innovative and effective practice in infection control.
The course is aimed at hospital and community health care practitioners who manage patients with infections and protect other patients from acquired infection. Infection control is now an integral part of all healthcare workers’ roles. During the course, you will enhance your knowledge base and develop safe practice in infection control.
Key features of this course are:
* the use of blended learning using workbooks, the use of a virtual learning environment (Brookes Virtual), and seminars which will give you the opportunity for some taught sessions plus some distance learning
* practical laboratory sessions in the microbiology module
* a focus on clinical practice
* expertise within the course team in the area of infection prevention and control
* opportunity for you to network and share experiences of investigating and managing outbreaks of infection
* a global perspective on infection control and prevention
* principles of clinical governance will be linked to each module.
Course content
The PG Certificate consists of the following three modules:
Microbiology and Immunology
This module will provide you with the opportunity to examine how viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa cause disease in humans and identify techniques for studying these organisms and diagnosing specific infections. The module content will cover the principles and problems in applying antibiotic therapy and vaccines, the control of infection in hospitals and the community and the role of the immune system in preventing infection and the consequences of immunodeficiency. Teaching takes place in Semester 1, which starts in September.
Principles of Infection Prevention and Control
This practice related module focuses on the principles of infection prevention and control related to your own clinical area and will incorporate microbiology, communicable diseases and epidemiology both in the hospital and community settings. It will enable you as a practitioner to contribute to the creation and maintenance of a safe environment which will promote infection prevention and control practice for the patient, their family and health care workers. Teaching takes place in Semester 2, which starts in January.
Communicable Diseases
This module focuses on communicable diseases from a broad public health perspective. You will gain an increased understanding of the way in which a number of factors interact in the development of communicable disease and explore how legislation, environmental factors and ethical/cultural considerations can affect health. Teaching takes place in Semester 2, which starts in January.
The PG Diploma consists of six modules, which includes the above modules, plus:
Epidemiology
This module introduces the concepts and methods of epidemiology and its application in primary and community health. It includes an introduction to epidemiological research, including different methods of statistical measurements used in epidemiology. You will have the opportunity to relate this to infection prevention and control. Critical appraisal of the research evidence is an important feature of this module. Teaching takes place in Semester 1, which starts in September.
Advanced Research Design
This module aims to equip you with the skills to find, appraise and utilise research, as well as plan and design a piece of research work. It seeks to prepare you to define a suitable research question and to use this as a basis for identifying appropriate research methodologies for a small-scale research project or dissertation. This module is designed to impart the skills to enable you to plan and outline a rationale for a piece of primary research, secondary analysis, literature review or audit. It focuses on research as part of a body of evidence used for health and social care practice, and provides an overview of methodologies and methods commonly used in health and social care policies and working environments.
One acceptable module
You have a choice of one acceptable module from a list of modules which include leadership, statistics, health promotion, rehabilitation, disability, palliative care, human resource management, work based learning, creating frameworks for learning, facilitation and group process, non-medical prescribing etc. The acceptable modules provide you with the flexibility to select the modules most suited to your career ambitions or clinical practice area.
The MSc consists of nine modules which includes the above modules plus:
MSc Dissertation
This module is the equivalent of three modules and will enable you to design and conduct a small research project relevant to infection prevention and control. It is permissible to collect primary data or undertake secondary data analysis. You will be allocated a supervisor for the duration of the module and receive individual research supervision.
To ensure logical progression through the course, you are encouraged to undertake the microbiology module in Semester 1 as your first module.
Teaching, learning and assessment
The philosophy of the course is to provide an excellent learning opportunity which will enable you to increase your knowledge of infection prevention and control and communicable diseases and to gain an insight into the impact that these have locally, nationally and globally.
All our courses adopt a student centred approach to teaching and learning and are strongly focused on encouraging each individual to attain their full potential as life-long learners. To facilitate this, a variety of teaching methods will be used, including seminars, group work and skills suites sessions. The teaching and learning strategies will embrace the realities of clinical practice. This will enable you to reflect on both the necessity and the benefits of multi-disciplinary, inter-professional and collaborative approaches to solving infection problems to minimise the spread of disease.
The assessment methods used within the course are varied; they are designed to be stimulating as well as academically rigorous, and are based on your learning needs, individual aims and content, and the academic standards expected for the course. Assessment is focused on coursework, which includes academic essays and presentations.
Each module consists of 200 hours of student effort which generally consists of:
Most of the teaching sessions will be at Marston Road site. However, there will be some practical microbiology sessions at the Gipsy Lane site, and two external visits.