MSc Adult Critical Care

University of Wolverhampton

The course is attended by staff working in critical care unit across the Midlands region, this provides students with the opportunity to gain further knowledge and understanding of different specialities and practice techniques. Allowing students to network within the community of practice and learn from one another. Students work in a variety of critical care units, from speciality critical care units to general critical care. This allows the opportunity for placements, where possible. These are arranged by the local critical care staff and not monitored by the University of Wolverhampton. The core academic team have a varied and expert knowledge and experience providing care to the critically ill and specialist environments. The level 6 and level 7 Critical Care courses are taught together in the same classroom, maximising this opportunity and ensuring inclusivity of teaching and education for all students, level 7 students will be provided with some additional sessions relating to the additional requirements of this level. Students completing the MSc in Adult Critical Care will be able to work independently to provide clinical care and demonstrate leadership within the critical care environment. The completion of the MSc Adult Critical Care will prepare students for career progression and management within the critical care environment. The adult critical care course meets the National Standards for Critical Care Nurse Education published by the Critical Care Network National Nurse leads (CC3N, 2023) and incorporates the relevant steps of the National Competency Framework for Adult Critical Care Nurses (CC3N, 2015). This ensures the adult critical care course meets the recommendations for Critical Care nurse education set out in the Guidelines for the Provision of Intensive Care Services (GPICS) published by the UK Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine and the Intensive Care Society (FICM & ICS 2022). The course curriculum is aligned to meet the national standards ensuring that the award achieved remains one which is professionally recognised and transferable and will be adapted as required to continue to maintain these. The course continues to build and maintain close working relationships between the university and the critical care units within the local region and beyond. This is maintained through yearly review meetings with the course team and unit practice development nurses (PDNs), PDN input to course developments and regular contact by the course leader with the practice areas. This relationship ensures that the content of the course remains responsive to the reality of practice in the clinical environment.

Educational Aims of the Course:
This course aims to facilitate the registered healthcare professional to continue to develop their theoretical knowledge and practical skills to provide a patient-centred approach to the care of the critically ill adult. The course will provide learners with the ability to apply up to date and research-based learning into the clinical setting enabling health care professionals to deliver high quality patient care safely. Students will be able to demonstrate leadership skills to enable them to educate and train their peers, disseminating their newly acquired knowledge. The course will provide a deeper understanding of the structures and processes which underpin the critical care environment. Students will have a conceptional knowledge of the requirements and skills required within senior roles within critical care.