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Overview

This course is aimed at registered nurses currently working within a critical care setting. It provides you with an opportunity to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiological effects of critical illness. Emphasis is placed on the holistic assessment of the individual with the development of subsequent management plans from which to provide optimum care.

  • Structured around the Critical Care National Network (CC3N) Step 2 and Step 3 competencies, your studies will focus on advancing your knowledge and applying skills in critical care practice.
  • This course was designed and validated in conjunction with local employers and aims to develop you academically as well as clinically.
  • You will examine the current evidence and developments in this field of care.
  • You will be taught by experienced acute and critical care practitioners. Guest speakers with current clinical expertise will also contribute to the teaching.
  • This course will develop/enhance your life-long learning and may assist your career progression.

To support the taught elements of the course, your competency/practical skills will be assessed whilst working under the supervision of an experienced critical care practitioner/mentor in a relevant clinical setting in order to demonstrate your achievement of Critical Care Networks-National Nurse Leads (CC3N) (2015) Step 2 and Step 3 competencies.

Key Information

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

  • Be a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registrant with 12 months experience and currently working in a critical care setting.
  • You must have completed step 1 of The Critical Care National Network Nurse Leads Forum (CC3N) competencies prior to commencing the course.
  • You must possess a Diploma of Higher Education in a relevant health profession for example Nursing.
  • Have an honours degree at 2:2 or above, have studied at honours level or can demonstrate appropriate knowledge and skills at honours degree standard. We will consider other qualifications and experience on an individual case basis.
  • To undertake this course, students must identify, negotiate and access relevant opportunities and experiences to demonstrate their skills and competencies in Critical Care under the supervision of an appropriately experienced/qualified mentor.

Start dates

22 September 2025

Duration

1 year part-time

Course Detail

Critical Care - Knowledge and Skills (Stage 2)

Structured around the Critical Care National Network stage 2 competencies, this module will provide you with the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiological effects of critical illness along with the examination of current evidence and developments in this field of care. You will focus your studies on developing your knowledge and applying skills in critical care practice. Emphasis is placed on the holistic assessment of the individual with the development of subsequent management plans from which to provide optimum care.

Critical Care - Advanced Knowledge and Skills (Stage 3)

Structured around the Critical Care National Network stage 3 competencies, this module will provide you with opportunity to enhance your advanced knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiological effects of critical illness along with the examination of current evidence and developments in this field of care. You will focus your studies on developing your knowledge and applying skills in critical care practice. Emphasis throughout the module will be placed on holistic assessment of the individual with the development of subsequent management plans from which to provide optimum care.

The modules are delivered through a range of teaching methods including lectures, small group tutorials and simulation. Assessment involves a variety of methods including essays, individual presentations and practice-based portfolios of evidence.

Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria relevant to your course.

Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results.Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

The University of Huddersfield operates an attendance monitoring system. Further details can be found in the Attendance Monitoring Policy.

  1. Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

  2. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

  3. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

Placements

You will be required to undertake practice based learning and assessment, which will normally be within your own critical care setting. However, if there are core competencies that are not achievable you will need to arrange alternative settings which will allow you to meet these.

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Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

Changes to a course you have applied for

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

Termination of course

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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