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The Critical Care MSc course is intended to provide participants with a thorough grounding in the discipline, together with the tools to maintain their knowledge base, through a course of advanced, specialist instruction.

The programme is designed to ensure that course participants acquire the theoretical understanding and skills to advance and promote knowledge in the specialty and develop their leadership skills. Accordingly, students will be carefully selected to ensure that they are able to meet the high academic standards required to successfully complete the course.

This programme aims to:

• To provide advanced theoretical and practical teaching covering a broad range of key topics related to the management of the critically ill or injured patients.
• To develop the skills, knowledge and confidence required to provide leadership in the provision of the highest standards of critical care.
• Demonstrate their achievement of the specific learning outcomes detailed in each of the modules of the course.
• To develop and demonstrate competence in critical appraisal of research and the skills to conduct robust clinical audit.
• To develop the problem-solving skills which will enable independent practice as a specialist.
• To develop related skills such as correct use of statistics, use of databases, literature searches, reviewing evidence, critical appraisal of scientific literature, writing papers and articles.

What you'll study

The curriculum will be covered in a ‘taught course’ of 3 terms divided into modules. Three modules will be covered in each of the first and second term and two modules in the third term, thus there are 8 taught modules Â鶹ԭ´´ (for students completing the full MSc programme) a 60-credit dissertation module. Each taught module accounts for 15 credits and each module takes 4 weeks to cover the taught materials including one or more module assignments.

On the residential course, teaching will mainly be in the form of lectures, with self-directed learning following these. Each module will be accompanied by a tutorial to consolidate the learning and answer any questions. There will also be a day of simulation training, as well as sessions with clinical exposure to patients on the ICU with ward round style teaching, X-ray and results interpretation. The observership module will provide further clinical exposure with the medical, nursing, outreach and allied health specialist teams.

Following on from the above modules you will work on and complete a dissertation for the remainder of the programme. The project title and research / dissertation format will be agreed between yourself and the course organiser and may take the form of independent clinical research or a dissertation based on a literature/systematic review.

Occasionally, students may choose to omit the dissertation, completing the programme at the stage of postgraduate diploma.

Structure

Eight compulsory modules:

• Module 1: Pathophysiological basis of critical illness
• Module 2: Supportive care for failing organ function
• Module 3: Care of the unconscious patient
• Module 4: Neurocritical Care and Trauma management
• Module 5: Decision making, communication and ethics
• Module 6: Research and Audit methodology
• Module 7: Special Patient Groups
• Module 8: Observership

Career paths

With an aging population, the demand for qualified professionals in the field is increasing. There is a growing need for trainee doctors, specialist nurses and allied health professionals to deliver safe and effective patient care. This programme, aimed at clinicians and senior nurses working in Intensive Care Medicine, will give you the skills to advance your knowledge in the field.