Which course are you studying and which employer is your apprenticeship with?
“I am currently completing my MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner as a degree apprenticeship. This means my masters is fully funded by my employer Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.”
How would you describe your apprenticeship to someone who has no knowledge of apprenticeships?
“A master’s degree apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity for you to further your knowledge and skills without having to worry about getting into debt. You will be assigned a personal tutor from the university with knowledge of the course content, and you will have a practice assessor who is a clinician from your organisation. Both your tutor and your assessor will meet with you regularly to ensure you are getting the most from the course and will be there to support you with any concerns you have.”
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship and what do you enjoy the most about it?
“Completing my masters as an apprenticeship is a unique opportunity as it was the first time my employer had considered this route of training for my profession. It allows me to earn as I learn and apply the course content in real time which helps me to reflect on the benefits and shortfalls of the theories we discuss in lectures. Moreover, the experience acquired working in healthcare over the years, it sets an amazing baseline to understand and enjoy what I am doing. Along with the support I am receiving every time I ask for help. I never feel alone on the way.”
What gives you the most satisfaction in your apprenticeship?
“The Advanced Clinical Practitioner course is interesting and engaging as it covers a wide variety of topics, including physical assessment system reviews. The course enables you to learn new advanced assessment skills and also helps you to focus on your individual development needs and how you can work on these in practice with support from the university.”
What do you find the most difficult about your apprenticeship and how do you overcome this?
“The key difficulty is time management as I still work clinically face-to-face with patients four days a week, so you need to be incredibly organised to ensure you are protecting time to complete course-related reading and assignments. A job plan where you split your week into AM and PM tasks is essential in ensuring all commitments and deadlines are met. Another top tip is to book annual leave two weeks prior to your deadlines as you should never risk submitting on the day or even the day before an assignment is due!”
How would you describe your course to someone who has no knowledge of your course?
“Health Education England (2017) state advanced clinical practice is delivered by experienced registered health and care practitioners. It is a level of practice characterised by a high degree of autonomy and complex decision making which enables innovative solutions to enhance people’s experience and improve outcomes. This is underpinned by a master’s level award that encompasses the four pillars of clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research, with demonstration of core capabilities and area specific clinical competence. See the Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England for more information.”
What careers do people who study your subject go into?
“I already have a permanent job secured as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner dietitian in Enteral Nutrition. I will be the first ACP that is a dietitian by background in my organisation. On completion of the course, you can apply for any Advanced Clinical Practitioner roles across NHS England that you meet the essential criteria for.”
What impact does your subject have on people’s lives?
“I work with patients who are unable to meet their nutrition and hydration needs by mouth due to a variety of physical conditions (e.g. stroke, head and neck cancer, etc.) and/or psychological conditions resulting in the need for a feeding tube. My role is to safely insert, manage and provide education on enteral feeding devices (e.g., nasogastric tubes, gastrostomies, etc). Enteral nutrition support can be used as an emergency treatment to facilitate recovery and as a long-term life-sustaining treatment. Without a route for adequate nutrition and hydration patients would become deconditioned and eventually die.”
How will your apprenticeship help you with your career and development?
“This apprenticeship provides me with the opportunity to take on an extended scope of practice which will be reflected by an increase in banding (pay) on completion of the course as I will take on more responsibilities. For allied health professionals, you often lose clinical contact with patients the more senior a position you have, whereas for me this ACP course creates a new career path where clinical practice will be the largest component of my job plan. I will also have senior roles and responsibilities with regards to research, education, leadership, and management.”
Apply for this degree apprenticeship here.
