Graduate Certificate/Diploma Clinical Practice

Graduate Certificates are ideal for those wishing to expand their general, or specific, clinical knowledge and prepare themselves for further study at Masters level. Within the community practice course, Chronic Conditions Management is ideal if you hold the recordable District Nursing Qualification.

The Social Care specialism is ideal if you are already qualified as a social carer, health visitor or school nurse. Within the clinical practice course the Non-Medical Prescribing Graduate Certificate is intended as a qualification for pharmacists, podiatrists and physiotherapists.

Key facts

• Within the Graduate Certificate you may undertake modules in prescribing approved by your Professional Regulatory Body
• The modules available within the Certificate and Diploma have been developed at the request of local healthcare employers
• For most applicants fees are paid by either their employer or the Welsh Assembly Government
• You may negotiate learning specific to your area of practice to add to your programme
• An additional Graduate Certificate/Diploma in Healthcare Leadership and Management is being added to this portfolio subject to validation

Course content

Typical course content

For the generic option you may pick modules from across the specialist routes. To study a specialist route you must choose at least two modules for the Certificate or three modules for the Diploma out of the specialist modules for that named route.

Graduate Certificate/Diploma Clinical Practice  

Study options covered by Acute and Critical Care include:

• Head and Neck Nursing
• The Principles, Integration of Theory and Practice and Promoting Leadership and Management in Peri-operative
• Foundation in Care of the Person in a Critical Condition and Foundation in Care of the Person with Higher Dependent Needs

The Long Term Conditions Management specialism includes:

• Care of the Person with Diabetes
• Management of Coronary Heart Disease
• Tissue Viability
• The Management of the Person Following a Stroke
• Palliative Care and Chronic Disease Management

The Mental Health options include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Principles and Practice
• Risk Management in Mental Health Services
• Multi-disciplinary Approach to Assessment in  Forensic Mental Disorder
• Dementia Care

Areas of study for the Care of Elderly Persons route include:

• Care of the Person with Diabetes
• Tissue Viability
• Management of the Person Following a Stroke
• Palliative Care
• Chronic Disease Management
• Dementia Care

Ophthalmic Nursing specialism covers Conditions of the Outer Eye, Inner Eye, and the Wider Aspects of Care.

The Non-Medical Prescribing option covers Independent Prescribing for Nurses and Pharmacists and Supplementary Prescribing for Allied Health Professionals.

Course duration

Graduate Certificate: three years

Graduate Diploma: six years

Entry requirements and applying

You need to hold an honours degree in nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, radiography, physiotherapy, podiatry/chiropody; or professional registration and a degree in a cognate discipline. For modules leading to a professional qualification additional requirements apply, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance (previously known as CRB)