University of Limerick - Interprofessional Acute and Emergency Care

Course Overview/Contact:

This is an exciting and innovative, interprofessional programme bringing together acute and emergency care nurses and pre-hospital care practitioners. Current national and international policy and practice development in this field highlights the need to develop and deliver integrated care based on interdisciplinary working. The focus of the programme is on the potential for interprofessional working to improve acute and emergency care practice across pre-hospital and hospital settings. This is a collaboration between the Department of Nursing and Midwifery and the Graduate Entry Medical School at the University of Limerick. Core to the programme will be two specialist interprofessional modules (Principles of Interprofessional Working in Acute and Emergency Care and Interprofessional Working in Acute and Emergency Care Practice). These may be taken as part of the programme or as stand alone modules.

On completion of the programme the student will:

• Demonstrate in–depth knowledge and understanding of therapeutic interventions used in the management and care of patients requiring acute and emergency care.
• Apply critical thinking skills and ethical decision making required for advancing practice.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of theory in underpinning clinical excellence.
• Apply principles of interprofessional working to the practice of acute and emergency care.
• Critically examine the value of interprofessional collaboration in the provision of quality; evidence based acute and emergency care.
• Critically review innovations and developments in leading and managing change in interdisciplinary acute and emergency practice.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the role of evidence and research in underpinning practice.
• Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning while fostering self-development and self-evaluation.
• Demonstrate responsibility for personal and professional development in advocating person and relationship–centred care for people requiring acute and emergency services.
• Apply critical thinking and reflective skills in promoting and advancing an interprofessional approach to person and relationship–centred acute and emergency care.
• Appreciate the contribution of research in informing and advancing care in the acute and emergency settings

 Contact

Prof Fiona Murphy
Course Director, Interprofessional Acute and Emergency Care
Department of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Telephone: 00 353 61 234224
E-mail: fiona.murphy@ul.ie
Web: www.ul.ie/nm

Graduate Profile:

Policy and practice drivers strongly point towards integrated service delivery and interprofessional working to offer optimal patient care in this field. Thus the importance of the interface between pre-hospital and acute hospital care is increasingly recognised both nationally and internationally. As patient safety is paramount, there is a need to provide effective and evidence based integrated care in which the multi-disciplinary team work together. The MSc in Interprofessional Acute & Emergency care is innovative in utilising interprofessional learning and education to promote the development of integrated approaches to the care and management of patients requiring pre-hospital, acute and emergency services. This programme will provide practitioners with the opportunities to develop expert knowledge, skills and competence related to person and relationship centred acute and emergency care in an interprofessional framework. The concepts underpinning interprofessional working, relationship, person-centred care, quality care, safety and evidence based practice are seen as central to the overall philosophy of the programme. It is imperative that healthcare practitioners at this level can critically evaluate and lead specialist/advanced assessment and therapeutic interventions, informed by evidence based practice guided by local, national and international policy. The programme is designed therefore to provide these healthcare practitioners with the theoretical underpinnings and clinical experience for the development of contemporary and high level practice skills in the assessment and provision of effective interprofessional care to persons requiring acute and emergency services. 

Programme Content:

Year 1		Year 2
Autumn Semester		Autumn Semester
Health Research Methods/Methodology (12 Credits)		Dissertation 1 (9 Credits)
Principles of Interprofessional Working in Acute and Emergency Care (9 Credits)		Clinical Practicum 1 (nursing) (9 Credits)
Clinical Practicum 1 (nursing) (9 Credits)
or
Clinical Practicum 3 (pre-hospital care) (9 Credits)
Spring Semester		Spring Semester
Promoting Quality and Safety in Healthcare (12 Credits)		Dissertation 2 (21 Credits)
Interprofessional Working in Acute and Emergency Care Practice (9 Credits)		Clinical Practicum 2 (nursing) (9 Credits)
or
Clinical Practicum 4 (pre-hospital care) (9 Credits)
Student attendance 6 (weekly) sessions held on Tuesdays

Entry Requirements:

1. For nurse applicants; a registered nurse on the current register of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. For pre-hospital care applicants; PHECC Registered Advanced Paramedic or Paramedic Studies B.Sc. Graduate. B
2. Engaged in practice as a registered nurse for at least two years in an acute and/or emergency care setting or be engaged in practice as a registered paramedic/advanced paramedic for at least two years.
3. Students would normally possess a primary degree (Minimum 2.2) or show evidence of recognised prior learning (RPL) as outlined in the (RPL) policy of the University and Department of Nursing and Midwifery and GEMS Paramedic Studies.
4. Students are required to be working in a practice setting where there are patients with acute and emergency care needs for the duration of the programme.
5. Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of either prior successful completion of a degree qualification taught through the medium of English or meet criteria identified in the English Language qualifications set by the University of Limerick. 

The MSc in Interprofessional Acute and Emergency Care will be offered as a full time programme but taken on a part time basis over two years with the option of an exit award on completion of year 1 (Graduate Diploma). Students can also opt to progress to year two for the MSc award having attained a minimum QCA of 2.00 at the end of year one.

Standard Degree Applicants/ Include with your application

• Full degree transcript and certificates/awards (including English translation if applicable)
• English language qualifications   (Taken in the last 2 years,if English is not your first language)
• Copy of current Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland  registration certificate
• A copy of birth certificate (Long Document)
• An application fee of €35 (electronically) or €40 Bankdraft/Cheque.

Recognized Prior Learning Applicants /who do not meet standard entry requirements / Include with your application copy of birth certificate (Long Document)

• Copy of current Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland registration certificate. For pre-hospital care applicants copy of  PHECC Registered Advanced Paramedic
• 1000 word typed Recognized Prior Learning Statement
• Copies of all certificates or diploma’s as part of prior learning to date
• An application fee of €35 (electronically) or €40 Bankdraft/Cheque