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We have adopted an online ‘blended’ learning approach to teaching on the ultrasound programme and our modules are taught in block release. Our suggestion is therefore that you are given this time by your placement to access the learning materials and tutorials on the scheduled module dates/times in a location that is best suited for you to learn, e.g. in a suitable quiet location at your placement site, or at home.
Most modules will have an element of live virtual tutorial type sessions using Blackboard Collaborate or Microsoft Teams, which you will be expected to engage with. You will need a suitable laptop or PC with speakers and a webcam and adequate internet access/broadband speed to work remotely on-line. Some modules may also have a campus based clinical skills element to the teaching.
The delivery of your modules may vary from tutor to tutor, module to module, so please always follow the guidance of your module leader and module Blackboard site. Please understand this approach to module delivery is new to us as well, so please try to be patient and understanding, we are doing our very best to ensure you remain supported throughout your learning.
*Start date to be confirmed and subject to a viable cohort
This module will allow you to focus on an aspect of your contribution to the development of the service in your particular area of practice and, as such, the indicative content will be negotiated on an individual basis through the use of a learning contract. For those already in possession of a CASE accredited ultrasound qualification (PGCert or above) who wish to expand their scope of practice this module can be taken as a single module for continuing professional development.
This module covers the following:
This module focuses on the student’s contribution to the development of the service in their particular area of practice and as such the indicative content will be negotiated on an individual basis through the use of a learning contract.
Working closely with a work place mentor and academic supervisor you will be encouraged to define your own learning needs.
The module content will be agreed by formation of a negotiated learning contract between you, your work place Mentor and academic supervisor.
This may include:
Rationale for the provision of a specialist ultrasound service.
Review of current relevant international, national and local legislation, healthcare policy and professional guidelines.
Review of relevant anatomy, physiology and pathology.
Physical and psychological care of service users; communication issues.
Patient presentation, preparation and consent, use of chaperones.
Clinical history and clinical examination skills, clinical investigations and implications for the ultrasound examination.
Selection, evaluation and safe use of ultrasound equipment.
Ultrasound image optimisation, interpretation and report writing.
Safe scanning practice; prevention of risk to the patient, self and others
The relevance of ultrasound findings in patient management and decision making.
Comparison of ultrasound with other imaging modalities and diagnostic tests.
Clinical Governance and Medico-legal issues.
Professional conduct and accountability
CPD and skills maintenance.
The module is part of the MSc Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) programme, which is accredited by CASE (Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education), allowing you to practice ultrasound in the UK and some overseas countries, on successful completion of the programme. The module itself is not CASE accredited as a stand-alone module.
Course options
This course can also be taken as part of a postgraduate degree.
On successful completion of the course, you will be able to provide evidence of preparation for practice to the standards required for a first post-qualification sonographer role. We have consulted with local ultrasound service partners who have confirmed that this would allow employment of graduates in most regional NHS contexts. However, applicants from a non-health care background should note that, at present, employment in some NHS Trusts would not be possible due to the requirement for professional registration. These potential restrictions on employment will be discussed with you during the application process and you will be asked to sign a memorandum of agreement confirming your understanding and acceptance.
The overall aim of this module is to enable you to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding complex anatomy and physiology relating to an aspect of negotiated ultrasound practice and the theoretical principles and applications of the more complex imaging techniques and associated pathology applied to this area.
Please note: Optional module choices are made by the placement and not you the student, and these are based fundamentally on patient caseload availability, mentor support and service need.
Modules
Year one
Optional modules (subject to availability and demand)
HMSU7070 Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 1 (Theory)
HMSU9070 Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 1 (Clinical Practice)
HMSU7071 Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 2 (Theory)
HMSU9071 Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 2 (Clinical Practice)
HMSU7072 Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 3 (Theory)
HMSU9072 Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 3 (Clinical Practice)
(Please note for each named module both ‘Theory’ and associated ‘Clinical Practice’ elements must be studied together)
The teaching timetable should be available from the end of August. Access to the timetable is through the Student Hub – you will be able to access the Student Hub after you have completed online registration. The teaching day is 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; please keep your other commitments open until confirmation of your teaching timetable, and bear in mind that many courses will offer placements or fieldwork which sometimes extends into the evenings and weekends.
1st or 2nd class honours degree in a science or healthcare subject.
Students with other qualifications may be admitted to the course via Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) procedures. APL will usually be granted for academic credits achieved at another CASE accredited UK ultrasound course, provided an adequate match can be made to this course. APL from other courses will be considered on a case by case basis, but must always be at the appropriate academic level and have a high similarity to the learning outcomes of modules on this pathway.
Selection criteria
This module is only available for stand-alone study, where applicants can prove underpinning relevant previous study, such as an existing CASE accredited ultrasound award from this or another UK academic institution or successful APL against the minimum core modules for PGCert.
You must have organised and secured access to a suitable clinical placement, mentor and patient case load for a minimum of 15 hours per week, for the duration of the module. If your placement is terminated for any reason, the university cannot assist you in finding another placement. If a suitable clinical placement cannot be found in these circumstances, you will be required to withdraw from the course.
Applicants should be eligible for registration by their respective UK professional or regulatory body e.g. Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), Society of Vascular Technology (SVT). You will also need to provide one reference in support of your application, from the department offering a clinical placement who can confirm your suitability to train in ultrasound.
Overseas students can only be considered if they are able to secure a suitable placement in the UK or Ireland. Regretfully the university are unable to assist in this process.
You will be required to pass an element of pre-course assessment, carried out in the department sponsoring you. It is the sponsoring department’s responsibility to facilitate this assessment and this will be carried out to ensure that you show an aptitude for Ultrasonography. You will need to undertake a preliminary practical assessment to demonstrate the relevant psychomotor skills such as hand-eye co-ordination, pattern recognition and spatial awareness. The assessment will be of an informal nature, carried out by experienced practitioners in your clinical placement, who will then provide a written reference to confirm your suitability.
Before being accepted onto the course, all applicants will be interviewed, usually by telephone. Interviewers from the course team will, amongst other attributes, be looking for a commitment to further study, an understanding of content and standard of the course and interpersonal skills.
As part of the recruitment process, applicants may be assessed for their values using the core requirements set out in the Value Based Recruitment (VBR) Behaviour Framework as outlined in the NHS Constitution.
Applicant information
Applications should be made online directly to the university via the apply button above. If you need more details or guidance, please contact enquirycentre@cumbria.ac.uk. There is no official closing date but we would encourage you to apply as early as possible, as many courses are competitive.
Please note that the direct entry application system will not recognise your current Student IT Network login. Please select the New User option from the Apply Now button.
We like all our applicants to demonstrate an understanding of what the role of a sonographer involves and a clear rationale for applying for this award. Applications cannot be considered without a suitable clinical placement being secured. This must be in place before commencing the course.
We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first year students with a household income of less than £25,000.
All students will need to purchase stationery, course books and personal equipment. Extra costs may also be applicable to cover field trips, membership fees etc.
We officially opened our high-tech ultrasound skills hub, one of the largest installations of its kind in the world, last year.
The skills hub is equipped with revolutionary ultrasound simulators which will enable students to gain basic skills by experiencing lifelike, hands-on training before entering the busy clinical environment of sonography.
With a UK-wide shortage of sonographers being identified by the government*, this half million-pound project was funded jointly by the university and a grant from Health Education North West.
The University of Cumbria has responded to the sonography workforce gap by expanding its portfolio of ultrasound courses to meet the needs of an increasingly pressured health care system. This advanced virtual-reality technology has facilitated the provision of a new accelerated route to a medical ultrasound postgraduate degree, aimed at students from non-clinical health and sciences backgrounds.
Emma Timperley (24), from Lancaster is one of this first cohort of full time postgraduate sonography students at the university. She says:
“My first degree was in biomedical sciences, but this postgraduate course will allow me to become a trained sonographer in two years. I had the opportunity to use this new technology for a few weeks before going out on my first placement and it’s been invaluable.
It not only gives you a real feel for the orientation of the ultrasound, but also provides all the basic information about anatomy that you need at this stage.”
Professional lead for medical sciences at the university, Charles Sloane, says:
“Students at the University of Cumbria are very fortunate to have access to this world-leading ultrasound skills development facility.”
“It will enable us to help address the shortage of sonographers that currently exists and ensure patients can continue to access the services they need to get a quick diagnosis of potentially life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.”
ScanTrainer, created by MedaPhor, is a specialist ultrasound skills training simulator made using ‘real feel’ technology which gives students a chance to learn what it feels like to carry out a real-life scan, preparing them for what they’ll experience in a clinical environment. In addition, its ‘virtual tutor’ technology means students are in control of their own learning, both in and out of class time.
Iain Dunbar, International Sales Manager at MedaPhor, comments:
“The new skills lab signals that the ultrasound education industry in the UK, and across the world, is finally responding to the demand for sonography skills as ultrasound grows in popularity as a diagnostic modality. The university’s approach is truly pioneering and we are delighted to be at the forefront alongside them.”
The new ‘Ultrasound Skills Hub’ at the university’s Lancaster campus was officially opened on 17 March 2016 by the then university vice chancellor Professor Peter Strike. An audience of invited guests from the healthcare professions was also given a demonstration of the new scanning equipment by postgraduate students.
