Advanced Level Practice
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2025) define Advanced Practitioners as registered nurses or midwives working at an advanced level who are expert professionals with additional post-graduate education and experience. They use their evidence informed knowledge, skills and capability to influence, shape, deliver and lead safe and effective care, while managing risk, uncertainty and complexity
Nurses and midwives practising at an advanced level do so in a range of settings and roles as leaders, educators, researchers and practitioners. They may manage complete episodes of person-centred, complex care; design and develop educational programmes; or conduct high-quality research and/or audit that informs policy and practice and optimises people’s experiences and outcomes (NMC 2025).
NHS Lothian in collaboration with Queen Margaret University deliver the first 2 modules of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice. For details of the Advanced Practice Clinical education collaborative module see Programme summary This programme is for trainee APs and Clinical Nurse Specialists working at an advanced level of practice.
Prerequisites
Current registration as a Health Care Professional.
Successfully completed a level 9 or 10 module with evidence of clinical competence in history taking and clinical examination. For example, Clinical Decision Making or Community Clinical Decision Making or equivalent.
Have agreed support of a medical practice assessor within the same clinical speciality as the student, and/or Advanced Nurse Practitioner or Advanced Practitioner practice supervisor/assessor, to support clinical learning and development of clinical expertise.
Agreement from clinical nurse manager, line manager or practice manager to participate in learning activities including attendance at study days and completion of formative and summative assessments.
Employed in a substantive Trainee Advanced Nurse Practitioner post (Annex 21 post), Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practitioner or a Clinical Nurse Specialist working in an advanced level of practice role whose role requires further development of clinical competence, clinical expertise and clinical decision making to the level defined by the Scottish Government.
Module 1. Advanced patient history taking and clinical examination for Advanced Practitioners
This module aims to support trainees will the skills, knowledge and clinical competence to work at an advanced clinical practice level in a safe, effective and person centred manner.
Learning outcomes
Demonstrate in depth and applied knowledge of anatomy and pathophysiology and behavioural sciences to underpin safe, effective and person centred advanced practice
Undertake competent, systematic patient history taking and clinical examinations in order to develop a differential diagnosis in the person with undiagnosed, undifferentiated and/or complex clinical presentation.
Formulate and justify a person centred plan of appropriate investigations and subsequent treatment options for a person with undiagnosed, undifferentiated and complex clinical presentation.
Demonstrate effective communication strategies and the ability to develop person centred relationships to enable interprofessional and collaborative working within health and social care contexts.
Critically reflect on own and others advanced clinical decision making skills with an awareness of scope of professional practice
Critically evaluate the evidence base that informs and guides effective clinical decision making.
Assessment
Completion of 30 Clinical Competencies and overall sign off by practice assessor
Objective Structures Clinical Examination (OSCE)
2000-word Critical Analysis of an episode of care which draws on the evidence of clinical decision-making theory to inform practice
Module 2. Clinical work based learning for advanced practitioners
This module aims to further develop advanced clinical practice competence and expertise to support the timely assessment, diagnosis and management of undiagnosed complex clinical presentations, for people within primary or secondary care, with an evidence based, safe, effective and person centred manner.
To further develop critical thinking, clinical decision making and problem solving skills, to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic interventions, , autonomously or as a member of the health and social care team.
Learning outcomes
Apply in-depth knowledge and understanding of physiology and pathophysiology in the assessment, investigation and management of the person with an undiagnosed, complex, clinical presentation in a range of clinical contexts.
Demonstrate safe and effective person-centred clinical decision making skills through the development of critical thinking, clinical reasoning and problem solving skills whilst planning, implementing and evaluating therapeutic interventions, autonomously or as a member of the health and social care team.
Justify and critically reflect on clinical decision making, to provide patients or clients with a robust, evidence based management plan that addresses their needs and responses to treatment and is based on the best possible outcomes.
Evaluate the research and evidence regarding the role and impact of the Advanced Practitioner within the rapidly evolving and changing health and social care landscape.
Demonstrate a critical awareness of the value judgments underpinning the complex decisions practitioners make when working collaboratively with patients or clients, families and the health and social care team.
Assessment
Speciality specific record of completed clinical assessments outlined in the learning action plan including Consultant/GP/ANP practice assessor final sign off.
2000 word written assignment: Written critique of the role of the Advanced practitioner within own speciality.
Observed, Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
Independent and Supplementary Prescribing for Healthcare Professionals
This module is facilitated by prescribing team – further information can be found on the NHS LOTHIAN intranet as per below link:
http://intranet.lothian.scot.nhs.uk/Directory/NonMedicalPrescribing/Pages/Non-Medical-Prescribing-Course.aspx
APPLICATIONS
How to apply for this module. Line Manager (Band 7 and above) are permitted to complete the application form to ensure the applicant has allocated funding and supervision in place.
Application’s completed by the potential students will NOT be accepted.
Internal cost £1,000.00 per student.
We are unable to accept self-funding students on NHS Lothian modules. For application forms or any other enquiries please contact the module team on ANPEducation@nhs.scot
