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Critical Care - Knowledge and Skills (Stage 2)

2026-27 (also available for 2025-26)

Start date

21 September 2026

Duration

1 year, part-time

Credits: 30 Masters level credits

Code: HMH2035

Places available (subject to change)

25

About the course

This course is designed for registered nurses currently working in a critical care setting. It 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.

  • Structured around the Critical Care National Network Step 2 competencies, your studies will focus on developing 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 be taught by experienced acute and critical care practitioners, some of whom have current and on-going clinical practice. Guest speakers with current clinical expertise will also contribute to the teaching.
  • This module will develop/enhance your life-long learning and prospects of career progression.

Emphasis is placed on the holistic assessment of the individual with the development of subsequent management plans from which to provide optimum care. To support the course theory and taught elements, your competency/practical skills will be assessed whilst working under the supervision of an experienced critical care practitioner/mentor in a relevant clinical setting.

Course detail

Teaching is delivered through a range of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials, simulation, practice based learning and guided study. Assessment will involve a written essay and submission of your completed Step 2 competency booklet. Your module specification/module handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria for this module.

This course has modules making up 30 credits, with each credit being 10 hours of study (300 hours in total). An average [Approximately*] 20% (60 hours) of the study time on this course is spent with your tutors [face to face or online] in [lectures, seminars, tutorials, practicals and workshops]. The remainder of the time will be spent on independent study. Assessments takes place through a variety of [exams, coursework, etc].

Subject to mode of study. *Based on current core and compulsory modules. Calculated using data from the academic year 2024/25, as of November 2024.

Teaching

The teaching year for most courses normally starts in September with breaks at Christmas and Easter, finishing with a main examination/assessment period around May/June. Teaching on other courses including professional courses, postgraduate taught, research, distance learning and apprenticeship may have other start dates including January and May. All start dates can be found on each course page and term dates are also available. Students on a full-time course may have to attend every day of the week. Students who choose to study a full-time course on a part-time basis will generally attend modules at the same time as our full-time students. Timetables are normally available one month before registration.

Our courses are taught at our University campus and you can expect that your lectures and seminars will be held face to face, except in cases of emergency or if specifically stated otherwise in the module description.

Feedback

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.

Progression

You may progress to the next stage of your course or research degree, subject to meeting University assessment criteria and professional, statutory, or regulatory body guidelines.

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.
  • 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.

Postgraduate Open Days


Learn more about Postgraduate Study at one of our upcoming Open Days

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Placements


You will be required to undertake a period of supervised critical care practice in order to demonstrate achievement of Critical Care Networks-National Nurse Leads (CC3N) (2015) Step 2 competencies. This supervised practice will usually take place in your usual clinical setting, although you may have to arrange a visit to an alternative area for some of the competencies. It will be your responsibility to organise this if necessary.

Enhance your career


Previous graduates from courses in this subject area have gone on to work in a variety of roles such as Advice worker, Care manager, Community development worker, Community education officer, Family support worker, Health improvement practitioner, Health service manager, Youth worker, Equality, diversity and inclusion officer.*

*Source: Prospects
**Percentage of the University’s postgraduate students go on to work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating. (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22, UK domiciled, other activities excluded).

93.4%** Graduates employed

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Research excellence

Research plays an important role in informing all our teaching and learning activities. Through research our staff remain up to date with the latest developments in their field, which means they can help you to develop knowledge and skills that are current and highly relevant.

Find out more about our research staff and centres

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

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. 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. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If 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

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 an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. 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 non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes 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), 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 or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. 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, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. 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.

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 in accordance with the student protection plan.

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

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