Research Inquiry for Advanced Surgical Care Practice – HEA4518

Overview

This Core year 3 module has been designed to complete the academic journey of Trainee Surgical Care Practitioners (TSCP) providing the opportunity for their engagement in independent, in-depth research inquiry directly aligned with the required research capabilities. The module is also aligned with the four pillars of the Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England (HEE, 2025), with a particular emphasis on pillar 4 – research and the GMC Generic Professional Capabilities Framework. The TSCP will undertake a comprehensive project that aligns with their surgical speciality, profession, scope of practice, job role, and professional development needs under the guidance of an experienced academic supervisor (AS) who will oversee and advise on individual learning needs and progression.

Module code:	HEA4518
Level:	7
Module credits:	40
Cost for new students:	The full cost of the programme for the 2026/2027 academic year is £10,701

If your tuition fee is being paid by a sponsor or you are a sponsor paying a student’s fee, you are required to send a copy of a purchase order to [email protected].

For further guidance please visit: Sponsored students – Edge Hill University

Who is this module for?

This module can only be studied as part of the MSc Surgical Care Practice.

What are the key aims of the module?

To undertake a comprehensive project that aligns with own surgical speciality, profession, scope of practice, job role, and professional development needs under the guidance of your educational supervisor (ES) and an experienced academic supervisor (AS).

What will I study?

The module will explore relevant appropriate theoretical models that will support the TSCP to engage critically with a quality improvement project related to their scope of practice, selecting and applying valid, reliable methods, and then acting on the findings to enhance quality, safety, and productivity.

Content will include:

• Revisit research methodologies including quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Skills for critical evaluation of policy/guidance and scoping the literature.
• Clinical audit and quality improvement methodologies, ethical issues in the workplace.
• Leadership styles to support collaboration with the wider multidisciplinary team and management of change in the healthcare setting.
• Writing for publication and oral poster presentation.

How will I be assessed?

15 minutes defended oral poster presentation

4,000 word assignment in the style of a Journal article arising from the project undertaken

On successful completion you will:

Demonstrate the ability to critically appraise the evidence base, its application to surgical care practice, and make recommendations to enhance safe, effective, person-centred care

Critically appraise and synthesise the outcome of relevant research/ service improvement projects, using the results to enhance surgical care practice and disseminate to a variety of audiences using variety of media.

Demonstrate critical consideration of ethics and governance issues related to research/quality improvement projects and quality/efficiency/effectiveness/safety of healthcare service provision.

Demonstrate critical insight to identify the need for further research/quality improvement to strengthen the evidence base for best practice.

Study dates and venues

How to apply

This module can only be studied as part of one of the MSc Surgical Care Practice Programme pathways

For details of how to apply, please visit the apply page.

Pathways

This module can only be studied as part of the MSc Surgical Care Practice.