Enhance your professional development and prepare for future facing roles in healthcare with this Postgraduate Diploma for graduate health professionals. Tailor this highly flexible course to your individual requirements and develop advanced research skills.
Providing a comprehensive, innovative, diverse and flexible portfolio of modules within a multi-professional framework, this Postgraduate Diploma enables graduate healthcare professionals to support their ongoing professional development.
The programme is suitable for a wide range of graduate health professionals, including medical doctors, dentists, physician associates, nurses, and those working in the allied health professions. Patient safety is at the heart of the course, underpinned by professional knowledge and a robust evidence-based approach to practice.
The flexibility in module choice will ensure you can tailor the course to your individual needs and career plan, enhancing your employability and translating theory into practice to improve health outcomes. The modules you select can evolve as you study to complement your current and changing job role as a healthcare professional.
You will be supported in the development of transferable skills, research skills and professional attributes throughout your student journey. Successful graduates of the course are well placed to play a significant role in the delivery and development of aspects of medical and clinical practice, education, leadership, research and policy.
What you'll study
The PGDip Clinical Professional Development is a part-time programme where students will usually study 60 credits in each academic year.
A typical student journey of two years would allow you to choose any of the programme’s optional modules in your first year of study up to a maximum of 60 credits. While offering a significant degree of optionality, individual modules will focus on integrating theory into practice. They also aim to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding, as well as behaviours and skills, to support you in working safely and autonomously in a complex and challenging work environment.
In the second year of study, you will be required to complete one of two core research methods modules, the choice being dependent on your job role and area of expertise. You’ll also study additional modules to provide you with a further 60 credits in total.
Developing Research Capabilities for Advanced Clinical Practice
Developing Research Capabilities for Advanced Clinical Practice engages you in the critical analysis and synthesis of complex problems across a range of settings, enabling you to develop appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills to effect innovative solutions that enhance person-centred care and improve health outcomes. You will undertake research or quality improvement activity, adhering to good practice guidance and ethical and governance frameworks, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied in order to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money. The module will enable you to critically evaluate and synthesise evidence from relevant research to inform your own practice and that of the wider multidisciplinary team, critically analyse the outcome of your research or quality improvement activity and demonstrate critical insight to inform wider dissemination of your findings.
Module code: HEA4119
Credits: 20
Research Methods
Research Methods introduces you to the research process including the philosophical fundamentals of both quantitative and qualitative traditions and a range of research methodologies. The module will enable you to demonstrate the ability to critically appraise a range of research methodologies and plan a small-scale empirical project in your chosen discipline, as well as gaining awareness of the theoretical and practical implications of undertaking such a study.
Advanced Respiratory Care Practice (Adult) offers you the opportunity to critically examine common respiratory conditions and their evidence-based management, aligned to the person-centred approach to care in adults. The module will enable you to advance your in-depth knowledge and understanding relating to respiratory conditions, supporting you in the development of the ability to compare and contrast common clinical presentations through the synthesis of clinical information, as well as in the application of evidence-based research and critical clinical reasoning, to generate patient-centred management and treatment. Additionally, you will develop a critical understanding and awareness of current issues in clinical practice and the application of new insights within respiratory practice.
Module code: HEA4262
Credits: 20
Assessing Learning and Evaluating Teaching
Assessing Learning and Evaluating Teaching provides the opportunity to examine the form of assessment used in your profession and the different means by which teaching is evaluated and learning facilitated. The module reviews and critically analyses the principles informing assessment and evaluation and applies them to actual practice within the clinical context. There will also be opportunities for you to practice your teaching skills and to observe and give feedback to your peers. Topics include assessing learning, evaluating teaching, methods of assessment and evaluation, and peer observation of teaching.
Module code: CPD4455
Credits: 20
Context of Advanced Practice
Context of Advanced Practice is designed to provide a solid foundation in the four pillars of advanced clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research. You will gain a critical insight into the drivers and professional and clinical responsibilities for safe, holistic, person-centred care applied to your role and defined scope of practice. Assessing current policy and literature on patient safety, risk, governance and quality assurance, you will also enhance your understanding of therapeutic communication, reflect on your own leadership style and establish a personal development plan to support your journey as a trainee advanced clinical practitioner.
Module code: HEA4265
Credits: 20
Delivering Teaching and Facilitating Learning Opportunities
Delivering Teaching and Facilitating Learning Opportunities allows you to examine the variety of approaches to teaching and learning and to experience/develop skills in a number of teaching techniques. The module will also examine the role of learning support and learning resources in promoting teaching and learning. It will relate research on the effectiveness of various approaches and techniques to the actual experience of participants. Topics include approaches to and techniques used in teaching and learning facilitation, selecting appropriate approaches and techniques, supporting student learning and using learning resources.
Module code: CPD4456
Credits: 20
Developing a Business Case for Change and Innovation
Developing a Business Case for Change and Innovation provides you with an opportunity to appraise the rationale, evidence-base and drivers for change. The module challenges you to explore the feasibility, viability and risks of a business case for change and innovation. You will also examine how your chosen business case should be communicated, implemented and evaluated.
Module code: HEA4207
Credits: 20
Developing Clinical Skills and Capabilities in Advanced Practice (Adult)
Developing Clinical Skills and Capabilities in Advanced Practice (Adult) uses a body-systems based approach to support you in the development of competence and capability in clinical assessments and diagnostic skills within a practice setting. For each system, normal structure/function and common pathologies will be introduced prior to clinical skills, such as eliciting an accurate medical history, performing clinical examinations, requesting appropriate investigations, and applying critical clinical reasoning to effect safe, effective, evidenced based, person-centred management plans.
Module code: HEA4118
Credits: 40
Developing Potential in Others
Developing Potential in Others recognises that the people who work in health and social care are its greatest asset and are key to delivering high-quality care. To address the NHS challenge of the rising backlog of care, it is important to improve the retention of staff already working in the service. Consequently, health and social care must focus on becoming a more attractive employer through developing the potential of all health and social care workers. This module will equip you with the ability to develop the potential in others. You will discover how collective, compassionate and inclusive leadership can create cultures in which staff want to work and build their careers. You will develop the ability to push boundaries, challenge the status quo and champion new approaches in order to get the most out of members of your team.
Module code: HEA4507
Credits: 20
Health Promotion
Health Promotion introduces the concepts of health and illness in the health care context. It develops in-depth knowledge and understanding of the importance of promoting health in all aspects of care practice, encompassing some key themes in care practice such as advocacy, empowerment and effective communication. Critical understanding of the theories of health, illness and health promotion are developed during this module. You will gain skills in targeting, planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion strategies on an individual, group or population basis. The module also enables you to explore the impact of social determinants and the social significance of health promotion with a focus on translation to practice and improving health outcomes.
Module code: HEA4508
Credits: 20
Identification and Management of Frailty and Complex Care
Identification and Management of Frailty and Complex Care develops expert knowledge and skills to identify and manage the frail population across a variety of settings informed by both local and national policy and best practice drivers, such as the NHS Long term plan (2019). You will develop an ability to employ assessment strategies and tools, evaluating the impact of multidisciplinary interventions and measures within your own practice and the wider health economy. You will also explore the anatomy and physiology of ageing through the prism of major frailty syndromes, developing an ability to critically appraise the assessment strategies and interventions used to enhance practice and service provision aligned to person-centred care.
Module code: HEA4266
Credits: 20
Inclusivity in Clinical Education
Inclusivity in Clinical Education enables you to critically examine the concepts of equality, diversity and inclusivity within your clinical discipline. You will critically reflect on your responsibilities, accountability, practices and values and develop a culture of inclusivity to enhance clinical education within your workplace. This will be achieved through role modelling inclusive behaviours and recognising how these can contribute to a good patient experience and sharing of best practice. You will also explore how to break down barriers to equity of outcome and experience in clinical education, including unconscious bias and stereotypes, and discover how to challenge unacceptable behaviour effectively.
Module code: HEA4251
Credits: 20
Leading People Through Change
Leading People Through Change provides a critical and evaluative perspective on change theories, styles and tools in order to implement change in the context of health and social care. The module will facilitate the further enhancement of skills in the transfer of theoretical perspectives to practice and enable you to critically reflect upon, and learn from, your actions and the actions of others.
Module code: HEA4038
Credits: 20
Medical Leadership
Medical Leadership examines the importance of the personal attributes of a leader, including emotional intelligence and personality type, using psychometric tools such as the Jungian Type Indicator (JTI). You will have the opportunity to analyse and reflect upon your personal effectiveness against Covey’s seven effectiveness domains. You will also use Belbin’s team roles as a way of understanding your own and others’ contributions to team meetings.
Module code: HEA4117
Credits: 20
Non-Medical Prescribing
Non-Medical Prescribing prepares eligible allied health professionals, nurses and midwives to prescribe safely, appropriately and competently. You will gain expertise relevant to your area of clinical practice and current prescribing legislation while meeting the standards for prescribing set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health and Care Professions Council. The module is designed to enable you to build upon your existing knowledge and skills while developing competence in prescribing practice. Following successful completion of the module and all assessments, you will be eligible to record your prescribing qualification on the register of your professional regulator, thereby gaining the legal right to prescribe medication in the United Kingdom.
Module code: CPD4904
Credits: 40
Promoting Professionalism and Ethics in Multidisciplinary Practice
Promoting Professionalism and Ethics in Multidisciplinary Practice enables you to explore and critically appraise the notion of professionalism. You will critically examine ethical aspects associated with professionalism in healthcare, for example public expectations versus personal expression, to assist in reflective practice. The aim is to encourage you to critically reflect on your practices and values when working in a multi-disciplinary team. You will explore ways in which an individual can validate and support the development of professionalism, creating a professional environment in healthcare settings and role-modelling professional values and behaviours to enhance both the patient experience and the sharing of best practice.
Module code: HEA4220
Credits: 20
Strategic Clinical Leadership
Strategic Clinical Leadership provides a critical and evaluative perspective on leadership theories, styles and approaches in the context of health and social care. The module will facilitate the enhancement of your skills in the transfer of theoretical perspectives to practice and in the development of a strategic focus. You will critically appraise theoretical modelling frameworks of leadership and critically debate their relevance to current practice within the context of health and social care. You will also evaluate the multi-factorial influences which impact on the role of leaders within health and social care.
Module code: HEA4208
Credits: 20
Supporting the Postgraduate Learner in the Medical Workplace
Supporting the Postgraduate Learner in the Medical Workplace offers you an in-depth exploration of the role and remit of the Educational Supervisor in the medical workplace. The module will introduce and raise your awareness of key concepts involved in educational supervision, drawing on theory, practice and broader scholarly literature. You will explore the assessment of learning needs, learning agreements and learning objectives, appraisal, report writing, the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) cycle, and assessment for learning and feedback. The module also covers supervising and supporting diverse trainees, such as those in difficulty.
Module code: CPD4707
Credits: 20
Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context
Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context introduces and raises awareness of the key concepts involved in teaching and facilitating learning in both the clinical context and higher education. The module critically examines theories of learning and teaching and their relevance to learning and teaching facilitation in the clinical context. Topics include using the clinical environment for the teaching and facilitation of learning, theories of learning, aligning learning, teaching and assessment, reflective learning and a philosophy of teaching.
Module code: CPD4454
Credits: 20
Teaching and Learning in the Medical Workplace
Teaching and Learning in the Medical Workplace offers an introduction to the role of the Clinical Supervisor in the medical workplace. The module will raise your awareness of key concepts involved in teaching and facilitating learning, including understanding the theories of learning, the educational climate, adult learning, styles of learning, styles of teaching, clinical skills teaching and clinical workplace teaching. You will also explore your personal approach to teaching and peer observation of teaching and be introduced to reflective practice, workplace assessment and feedback, portfolios and supervision.
Module code: CPD4706
Credits: 20
Transforming End of Life Communication and Spiritual Care
Transforming End of Life Communication and Spiritual Care explores the psychology of spirituality, the individual meaning of life, and the impact of positive emotion for individuals. The module addresses the recognition and differentiation of the causes of distress – physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, religious and cultural – as observed by health, social and pastoral workers. You will investigate the parallel possible outcomes of stress-related illness and stress-related growth as responses to irreversible and unresolvable distressing situations and consider the ways in which health, social and pastoral workers can affect and impact these outcomes. Reviewing the tools and narrative for enquiring about spiritual distress, the module will focus on the challenges to such assessment, consider how to plan for spiritual care in a healthcare setting, and explore the similarities and differences of spiritual needs for those with and without religious and health beliefs. The need for good communication is a key focus of the module and you will learn how to recognise facilitative skills and blocking behaviours and consider the importance of cue-based and person-centred conversations and the value of silence.
Module code: HEA4252
Credits: 20
Transforming End of Life Trajectories
Transforming End of Life Trajectories enhances your skills and knowledge in understanding the similarities and differences in trajectories and impact of advanced progressive illness in malignant and non-malignant disease. The module focuses specifically on different individual disease trajectories, for example frailty, dementia and organ failure (including heart, renal and respiratory) and sudden unexpected death, while also considering the impact of multiple comorbidities, frailty and dementia. Some end-of-life trajectories result in unresolved symptoms and hidden psychological distress because neither the approach towards dying nor symptoms are recognised. This module will introduce you to the holistic care needed to provide effective care for this group of patients and their families.
Module code: HEA4219
Credits: 20
Transforming Integrated Palliative and End of Life Care
Transforming Integrated Palliative and End of Life Care enhances your skills and knowledge in understanding the signs, trajectories and impact of advanced progressive disease. The focus of the module is on symptom assessment and management, care planning, future care planning, and communication skills. You will learn how to recognise when individuals are approaching the end of life, discussing prognosis, involving the individual in shared decision-making about their care, and managing their transition to a positive palliative care approach. Attention will also be paid to the importance of ethics related to living the last months of life and spiritual assessment and care. Additionally, support for carers and those who have been bereaved will be highlighted.
Module code: HEA4197
Credits: 20
Ultrasound Scanning for Reproductive Medicine
Ultrasound Scanning for Reproductive Medicine develops your skills in the utilisation of ultrasound scanning for reproductive medical practice. The focus will be on the particular use of scanning for fertility investigations and interventions. The module provides you with comprehensive training in screening for female pelvic anomalies with respect to infertility investigation and treatment of the common causes of infertility. It will also provide tuition in the physics of ultrasound and the utilisation of equipment. You will gain a thorough working knowledge of the physics of ultrasound and the use of ultrasound equipment to enable you to further develop your skills in advanced fertility practice.
Module code: HEA4112
Credits: 20
Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements. Some restrictions on optional module choice or combinations of optional modules may apply.
How you'll study
Diverse teaching and learning strategies will be used, ranging from individual one-to-one sessions to supported online learning, small group work and tutor-led lectures.
While the majority of classes will take place at Edge Hill University, some modules may involve studying at sites elsewhere, in which case you will be responsible for travel and parking costs. Other modules may be delivered online or be available in a hybrid format where you can attend online or in person.
You can expect to receive your timetable at enrolment. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day or evening of the week.
How you'll be assessed
Assessment methods vary according to the demands of the module but can be through assignments, objective structured clinical examinations, portfolios, seminar presentations and work-based learning projects.
Who will be teaching you
The programme team comprises of expert staff with many years of experience in clinical practice. This includes working in areas such as emergency care, paramedic practice, respiratory care, mental health, primary care and medical practice.
You will also be taught by associate tutors from primary and secondary care, neurology, biological sciences, and areas of senior healthcare management.
Entry criteria
Entry requirements
To join this course, you should be a graduate health professional with a degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above) in a relevant healthcare-related subject. Applicants with a third-class honours degree with additional evidence of academic ability may also be considered.
You will need to provide evidence that you have access to a suitable workplace environment. A suitable reference, normally from your line manager, to confirm your suitability to join and complete the course is also required to support your application.
An interview forms part of the selection process.
English language requirements
While international students who are not resident and working in the UK cannot currently join this course, if you are working and resident in the UK but your first language is not English, you will need IELTS 6.5 overall, with a score no lower than 6.0 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
How to apply
There is an online application process for this course.
Please choose the application form for your preferred intake date and mode of study.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
Visit Edge Hill University
There’s plenty of opportunities to come take a look around campus. Attend one of our open days to see what life at Edge Hill University is all about.
The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine offers outstanding facilities for the education and training of health and social care professionals.
The contemporary teaching and learning resources include leading edge clinical skills facilities, an 860-seat lecture theatre, and a variety of teaching rooms and social learning spaces.
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Financial support
Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students joining postgraduate courses at Edge Hill University.
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Please see our EU student finance page for further details.
Your future career
On successful completion of this course, you will have the skills, knowledge and expertise needed to play a significant role in the delivery and development of aspects of medical/clinical practice, education, leadership, research and policy.
Patient safety will be at the heart of your practice, underpinned by professional knowledge, values and behaviours.
You may wish to continue postgraduate study may use the credits achieved within this award towards other programmes at Masters level within the Postgraduate Clinical Professional Development Framework at Edge Hill University, subject to meeting entry requirements and any specific core module criteria within those awards.
The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine offers outstanding facilities for the education and training of health and social care professionals.
