Course description
PGCert
Accredited by Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health Professions Council
This course provides a programme of preparation for registered nurses, midwives, health visitors, therapists and podiatrists to prescribe safely and competently as independent prescribers. In addition, the course is designed for Allied Health Professionals to prescribe as supplementary prescribers.
Course content
The Postgraduate Certificate for Non-Medical Prescribing consists of three modules totalling 60 CAT credits:
1. Non-Medical Prescribing: 30 CATs credits
This module prepares you to prescribe safely and competently from the Extended Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary as independent prescribers and additionally as supplementary prescribers. The course introduces pharmacology, legal and ethical prescribing, interpersonal skills and quality assurance aspects of prescribing. These are underpinned by reflection on your own experience, applying theory to practice and evaluating your own performance.
2. Advanced History Taking and Assessment: 20 CATs credits
This practice based module aims to enable you to develop the skills and knowledge to take a comprehensive patient history and a thorough physical and psychosocial assessment. This module will significantly enhance your assessment skills and ability to accurately describe the patient/client's history and examination findings using appropriate terminology, reporting deviations from normal in a succinct manner to colleagues within the multidisciplinary team.
3. Advancing Professional Practice: 10 CATs credits
This module will enable you to analyse and debate key issues in the advancement of professional health and social care practice. You will examine developments within your professional field, and in relation to your own role. You will be supported in the enhancement of self-awareness and personal/professional growth through the use of strategies that include reflective practice and critical thinking. You will be facilitated in the analysis and debate of real issues from your practice, through student-centred learning approaches such as action learning, student presentation and discussion.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Modules within the Non-Medical Prescribing course are designed in a ‘blended learning’ framework which combines attended taught sessions with distance learning, supported by the use of a virtual learning environment (Brookes Virtual). Please note: You will require an internet connection to access this.
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, you will encounter a variety of teaching methods, which are designed to support your needs both within the taught sessions and the distance learning components.
