An exploration into the curricular development of a master's programme designed to support advanced nurse practitioner education

With such fluidity within the NHS, the need to provide provision for health care to the general population is a challenge for government, professionals and the structures that support that development. This has necessitated a need to consider the current workforce and how it can be expanded and adapted to meet these expectations without compromise to patient safety and satisfaction. As nursing is one of the largest professions within the NHS this has meant that advanced nurse practice has grown to meet that demand, but without a consistent and clear framework for the underpinning educational development. Whilst this is certainly under current review and there is much local and national activity to address this issue, debate continues as to what educational provision should be in place. - The development of competencies by professional and governmental bodies is offering a national perspective on the skills and knowledge required by advanced practitioners. However, these competencies are left to be interpreted at a local level whilst trying to map to the proposed national view. The development of an educational programme is influenced by these external forces, with the additional need to accommodate the students’ professional standards of practice and acquisition of characteristics conducive with academic study at master’s level. - Agreeing what an educational curricular should entail in light of the fore mentioned complexities may prove problematic and result in a plethora of titles with differing underpinning knowledge and skills and as such a worrying lack of consistency. - Aim - To develop a programme which meets the academic requirement offering a systematic understanding of knowledge and critical awareness within the field of advanced practice. - Objectives - Establish the knowledge and skills required to support advanced practice - To constructively align the students’ acquisition of knowledge and skill development within the curricular design - To support the development of a practitioner who can demonstrate safe, autonomous practice and problem solving skills in complex and unpredictable situations.

With such fluidity within the NHS,
the need to provide provision for
health care to the general
population is a challenge for
government, professionals and the
structures that support that
development. This has
necessitated a need to consider
the current workforce and how it
can be expanded and adapted to
meet these expectations without
compromise to patient safety and
satisfaction. As nursing is one of
the largest professions within the
NHS this has meant that advanced
nurse practice has grown to meet
that demand, but without a
consistent and clear framework for
the underpinning educational
development. Whilst this is
certainly under current review and
there is much local and national
activity to address this issue,
debate continues as to what
educational provision should be in
place. - The development of
competencies by professional and
governmental bodies is offering a
national perspective on the skills
and knowledge required by
advanced practitioners. However,
these competencies are left to be
interpreted at a local level whilst
trying to map to the proposed
national view. The development of
an educational programme is
influenced by these external
forces, with the additional need to
accommodate the students’
professional standards of practice
and acquisition of characteristics
conducive with academic study at
master’s level. - Agreeing what an
educational curricular should entail
in light of the fore mentioned
complexities may prove
problematic and result in a
plethora of titles with differing
underpinning knowledge and skills
and as such a worrying lack of
consistency. - Aim - To develop a
programme which meets the
academic requirement offering a
systematic understanding of
knowledge and critical awareness
within the field of advanced
practice. - Objectives - Establish
the knowledge and skills required
to support advanced practice - To
constructively align the students’
acquisition of knowledge and skill
development within the curricular
design - To support the
development of a practitioner who
can demonstrate safe,
autonomous practice and problem
solving skills in complex and
unpredictable situations.