Delivered in partnership with employers, this flexible and innovative Level 7 Apprenticeship will prepare experienced registered healthcare professionals to develop their professional careers as Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs). 

Apprentices will develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to act with a high level of autonomy by learning about the four pillars that underpin advanced clinical practice (ACP), clinical practice, leadership and management, research and education. Apprentices will enhance their skills in holistic and systematic assessment, complex decision making and the provision of high-quality evidence-based interventions for patients, clients and their families. Apprentices will be supported in practice within the workplace, strengthening their learning through the application of theory to their scope of practice.

This programme incorporates a Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) module which, upon successful completion, enables apprentices to gain professional, statutory and regulatory body recognition as a non-medical prescriber within their scope of practice as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing awarded by The Open University.

Why choose The Open University’s Advanced Clinical Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship?

The Advanced Clinical Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship:

• Improves clinical outcomes, continuity of care and patient waiting times.
• Empowers the multi-professional team to respond to changing demands on services.
• Makes better use of the skills of health professionals, enabling them to perform at the top of their licence.
• Provides staff with career development opportunities which values their skills and aids retention.
• Makes use of the apprenticeship levy.
• Provides tutor-supported online learning delivered flexibly around the demands of your organisation, enabling apprentices to balance study with personal commitments and minimising time away from the workplace.
• Offers learning that is consistently high-quality and accessible 24/7 and for multiple staff, regardless of their location.
• Allows apprentices to apply what they learn immediately into practice, for the positive benefit of the organisation.
• Benefits from the OU's 50+ years’ experience of providing knowledge and skills to busy working adults and proven history of delivering apprenticeship programmes to organisations from the NHS to FTSE 100 companies.
• Includes non-medical, independent and/or supplementary prescribing.

To learn more or to find out how we can help your organisation, please contact us.

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• Prepares registered healthcare professionals to develop as Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs).
• Allows organisations to invest in staff training and nurture talent, in order to support their growth and efficiency.
• Apprentices can immediately apply new learning into practice, for the benefit of service users.
• Allows organisations to maximise the use of the apprenticeship levy. 

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This programme is aimed at registered and experienced nurses, midwives, pharmacists and Allied Health Professionals who are supported by their employers to develop into advanced clinical practice roles in a variety of clinical settings.

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Below is a summary of the eligibility criteria as set by the government for apprentices. For further information, see the Government funding rules.

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As well as meeting the eligibility criteria, applicants will need:

• To hold a degree from a UK university or equivalent, or, if they are a registered non-graduate practitioner, be able to demonstrate equivalent academic ability and professional experience. Applicants with non-European academic qualifications will need to supply evidence of equivalency through NARIC / ENIC.
• English and maths functional skills at Level 2 or equivalent. If an apprentice doesn’t hold an English and maths level 2 certificate, they must achieve these qualifications before they can be admitted to the end-point assessment to complete their apprenticeship programme. The OU will support apprentices to achieve these qualifications if needed. The OU strongly recommends that these qualifications are achieved within the first 12 months of the apprenticeship in order to have maximum benefit on academic study and workplace development.
• Current registration with one of the statutory regulators of health and care professions.
• Employment as a healthcare professional in an appropriate setting on a minimum contract, normally of 30 hours per week.
• Evidence of their employer’s recommendation for their application for a programme of study leading to an advanced practice role. This will include a formal reference from the employer confirming the applicant:
  • Demonstrates professional values and behaviours
  • Respects people’s diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values and preferences
  • Shows respect and empathy acting as a role model for others, and
  • Has ‘clinical readiness’ to undertake the programme.
• Evidence of employer support to undertake the programme, including:
  • The provision of an appropriate mentor to ensure relevant learning in practice
  • The availability of appropriate supervision in clinical practice
  • For the Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) module, the provision of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP).
• Normally a minimum of two years post-qualification experience in the workplace.
• For the latest information on vaccination requirements for frontline health and social care workers, please check the NHS England website and the Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Pre-Registration Nursing and Midwifery and Allied Health Profession Students.

Apprentices undertaking the Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) module will need to meet the specific regulatory requirements of that module, as follows:​

• Hold a degree from a UK university or equivalent, or, if you are a registered non-graduate practitioner, be able to demonstrate equivalent academic ability and professional experience.
• Be a level 1 NMC registered nurse (RN) or midwife or a pharmacist registered with the GPhC, or an allied health professional registered with the HCPC and satisfy the professional regulatory requirements to enter onto a prescribing programme.
• Have a current and valid (within the last three years, or online) enhanced DBS certificate with checks made against all 5 registers.
• Have as a minimum the appropriate length of experience as set by the respective regulatory body. This is currently one year for the NMC, two years for the GPhC, and three years for the HCPC.
• Have been deemed competent to safely and effectively practice clinical/health assessments, diagnostics/care management, planning and evaluating care within their proposed area of prescribing practice.
• Have identified an appropriate DPP, for nurses this is a Practice Supervisor, to supervise clinical practice and a Practice Assessor to assess clinical practice.

Apprentices will study the following modules.  Each module is offered once a year:

• Non-medical and independent supplementary prescribing (60 credits)
• Developing advanced clinical practice (60 credits)
• Advancing professional practice (40 credits)
• Advanced clinical practice – End-point Assessment (20 credits)

The topics covered will encompass the four pillars that underpin advanced clinical practice:

• Clinical practice
• Leadership, management and collaborative practice
• Education and facilitation of learning
• Research and enquiry-based practice

By the end of the programme, apprentices will be able to demonstrate they have met the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the apprenticeship standard for advanced clinical practice which include:

• Demonstrating core capabilities and area-specific clinical competence
• Managing clinical care in partnership with individuals, families and carers
• Demonstrating analysis and synthesis of complex problems across a range of settings
• Providing innovative solutions to enhance people’s experience and improve outcomes

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We are a national provider with a local presence. Our apprenticeship programmes are supported closely by academic and practitioner colleagues who connect with employers to provide ongoing management of the programme delivery. The Open University has the experience and support in place to help apprentices succeed and make a positive impact on practice.

Your organisation and apprentices will be supported by expert staff who will work collaboratively with the relevant roles in your organisation:

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