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Postgraduate Diploma in Enhanced Clinical Practice

This qualification prepares registered health professionals for enhanced clinical practice roles. You'll develop your knowledge and critical understanding of enhanced clinical practice, leadership, research and education, and the skills that enable you to act with a high level of autonomy. You will enhance your skills in holistic and systematic assessment, complex decision making, and provision of high-quality evidence-based interventions for patients, clients and their families.

The diploma also incorporates a Non-Medical Prescribing module which, upon successful completion, will enable you to gain regulatory recognition as a non-medical prescriber within your scope of practice.

Diploma

Course code: E95
Credits: 120
How long it takes: 18 months – 4 years
Read more about how long it takes
Study method: Distance learning
Find out more in Why the OU?
Course cost: See Fees and funding
Entry requirements: Find out more about entry requirements.

Course details Entry requirements Careers

Course details

Modules

To gain this qualification, you will study 120 credits from the following modules:

Compulsory module	Credits	Next start
Non-medical independent and supplementary prescribing (K803) This module enables you to gain the knowledge and skills required for safe, appropriate and effective prescribing practice and become an Independent/Supplementary Prescriber. See full description	60	20 Feb 2021
Developing advanced clinical practice (K804) PLANNED	60	Nov 2021

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 17 March 2020.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

Knowledge and understanding
Cognitive skills
Practical and professional skills
Key skills

Credit transfer

If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study.

You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

On completion

On successful completion of the required module you can be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Enhanced Clinical Practice entitling you to use the letters PG Dip ECP (Open) after your name.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Postgraduate Diploma in Enhanced Clinical Practice (E95)

Entry requirements

You will need to:

hold a degree in a health-related discipline. Applicants with evidence of equivalent professional development or academic proficiency will be considered. Applicants with non-European academic qualifications will need to supply evidence of equivalency through NARIC.
be currently registered with one of the statutory regulators of health and care professions.
be employed as a health care professional.
provide evidence of your employer’s recommendation for your application for a programme of study leading to an Advanced Practice role, including a formal reference from the employer confirming the applicant demonstrates professional values and behaviours, respecting people’s diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values and preferences, and shows respect and empathy acting as a role model for others. It should also confirm your ‘clinical readiness’ to undertake the programme.
show evidence of employer support to undertake the programme including; the provision of a mentor to ensure appropriate learning in practice; the availability of appropriate supervision in clinical practice; and the provision of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) with evidence of a qualification at level 7 during the Non-Medical prescribing module.
have relevant post-qualification experience, as specified by the appropriate regulatory body.
There are additional entry requirements to study Non-medical independent and supplementary prescribing (K803) and you should read the module description for further details.

You will need to complete an application form for this qualification. If you are interested in applying, please contact us.

How long it takes

It is expected that most students will complete the qualification in the minimum time of 18 months by studying 60 credits a year, but there is flexibility to take up to four years to complete.

Career relevance

You’ll be employed as a registered health professional when you start the course and have approval from your designated employer to undertake the qualification.

Once qualified, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to work at an enhanced level of practice in a wide variety of clinical settings across primary and secondary care and other health and social care provider environments.

Postgraduate Diploma in Enhanced Clinical Practice

Diploma

Course details

Modules

To gain this qualification, you will study 120 credits from the following modules:

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

Credit transfer

On completion

Regulations

Entry requirements

You will need to:

How long it takes

Career relevance

The Open University

OU Community

OU Students Community

Support

Study

Policy

Course details

Modules

To gain this qualification, you will study 120 credits from the following modules:

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

Credit transfer

On completion

Regulations

Entry requirements

You will need to:

How long it takes

Career relevance

Where do you live?