If you are a registered nurse/practitioner or paramedic working in an emergency/urgent care setting and want to enhance your knowledge and skills base to improve your career prospects, this course can do that.
Nurses and paramedics are now expected to take on more in-depth roles and responsibilities in emergency/urgent care and on this course you gain the competences needed to achieve this.
The modules on this course give you the necessary skills to deal with the continual changes to practice in the evolving field of emergency and pre-hospital care.
You will follow an emergency care pathway and complete a period of assessed practice in your workplace, which comprises of a learning practice profile of competencies developed by the Faculty of Emergency Nursing.
Why Choose University of Cumbria
We want you to succeed and enhance your professional prospects to play an active role in practice development in your field, and so, we provide a flexible course to best fit with your lifestyle and commitments.
- We are amongst the UK’s leading health and social care departments
- We have extensive experience as CPD distance learning providers
- Choose to study at our Lancaster campus or complete the course entirely by distance learning
- Study on a modular basis and so you don’t need to commit to the full course – learning at your own, comfortable pace
- All tutors are experienced clinicians in the NHS
- Close support and guidance throughout your studies from a personal tutor
- Interactive online classrooms give you the opportunity to debate and discuss real life scenarios and experiences with fellow students
- Bring your previous university credit with you – whether from us or another institution. We have generous allowances for the accreditation of prior learning (APL)
After completion of this course students can progress to futher study, including for an MSc.
Course study options
We also run this course as a University Advanced Diploma - click the button for more information.
Course outline
Course summary
This 60 credit award is designed for those working with clients in an emergency care setting who wish to enhance and develop their clinical and academic skills at level 7.
You will be required to attend one of the induction days prior to starting the first module of your course (distance learning students excepted). If you have studied at the University of Cumbria in the past two years, the requirement to attend the induction day may be waived. The closing date for applications is 5 working days prior to the module start date or, if this is your first module, 5 working days prior to the induction date.
Modules
Year one
Compulsory modules
- Emergency Care: Care of Minor Illness and Trauma
- Emergency Care: Management ogf Acute Illness amd Major Trauma
- Qualificatory Practice Unit for the Practice Development: Emergency Care Pathway
- Consultation and Physical Examination: Health Assessment Skills or Advanced Pathophysiology and Disease in Practice
Optional modules (subject to availability and demand)
- Evidence Based Practice
- Negotiated Learning
- Work Based Learning
Programme Specification
Assessment, Feedback, and Teaching and Learning methods
Full details are available in the programme specification.
Timetables
As this is an online course which offers great flexibility, the overview of the year will be made available late Aug and your tutor will arrange online dates and times when the module commences
Entry requirements
Have a question about our entry requirements?
Entry Requirements
See course specific entry requirements listed below.
Selection criteria
You will need to be a qualified nurse or health care professional, with active registration with the NMC Nursing Register or equivalent, and at least 6 months post registration experience. You will also need a mentor who is suitably qualified to assess your development of competence within the field of emergency care. A minimum of 135 hours direct contact time (typically 3 hours per week) with your mentor is required to fulfil the learning outcomes of the Qualificatory Practice Unit (QPU) for this award. The period of practice development begins at commencement of the PgC and continues throughout all 3 contributing modules.
Admissions criteria are outlined in the University Admissions Policy. Normally, applicants will be required to hold an honours degree classification second-class honours, lower division or above in a cognate subject. For applicants who do not meet this requirement, non-standard entry criteria will apply. In such cases, applicants will be interviewed using a proforma. It is expected that such candidates will have evidence of successful study at level 6 (or equivalent) within the preceding 5 years.
Applications will be reviewed on an individual basis and potential students will be offered advice by an academic tutor on the suitability of the award and their module choice within the award, dependent on factors such as currency of prior learning, and their personal and professional development needs. Students should be able to show potential benefit from studying for the award and a commitment to attempting the assessment items.
Application information
Making your application
Applications should be made online directly to the university - visit our website or contact enquirycentre@cumbria.ac.uk for details and guidance. There is no official closing date but we would encourage you to apply as early as possible, as many courses are competitive.
What makes a good application?
We consider all aspects of your application, not simply your qualifications and grades. We look at your academic background and performance, relevant experience (particularly for professional courses where some voluntary or paid experience is required) and your reference. Above all, we look for motivation, commitment and potential - evidence that you can benefit from study at higher education level.
Make sure you include:
- Relevant qualifications/evidence of ability: check our website for the specific entry requirements required for each course. Tell us your previous academic results and your projected grades.
- A supportive reference, from an employer or your school or college.
- A good personal statement.
Explain clearly what attracts you to the course and tell us about your wider interests and experience. If you are applying for a course that incorporates professional training and placements, you should include any relevant experience or visits you have made in the workplace. Highlight your individual strengths and qualities, personal skills, capacity for teamwork, contribution to the community and your enterprise, originality and determination. Select some activities which bring out these qualities.
What next?
When we receive your application, we will send you an acknowledgement and if you are successful at this stage you will get either - an offer (with an invitation to visit the campus to which you have applied), or - an invitation to interview on a particular date. If we are not able to offer you a place on your chosen course we will usually try to offer you a place on a similar course and will contact you to discuss this. Alternatively, if we think you are suitable, but cannot offer you a place on your preferred campus because of the level of competition, we will offer you a place at another campus if one is available.
And if I accept?
The admissions team will contact you and send further information from February onwards about accommodation, and from May/June onwards about preparing to join the university. If you have any other queries, please telephone the admissions offices for information and advice on 0845 6061144.
Deferred entry
We welcome applications for deferred entry on some courses. If you have specific plans during your year out, indicate these on your personal statement as they may be relevant to your course and could enhance your application.
International students
Please see the international pages of our website for full details of our entry requirements (including English-language skills) as well as contacts for advice and support.
From 2009 the UK Border Agency introduced a Points-Based Immigration System (PBS) for students coming to the UK from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
Students entering higher education will need to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance (CAS) plus finance confirmation to obtain a Tier 4 student visa.
UK education providers are licensed by the UK Border Agency. When students apply for their visa (or entry clearance) they will need a valid Certificate of Acceptance of Studies from the university. Please note that a CAS is not a guarantee that a visa will be issued.
See the following websites for further details:
Tuition fees for UK students
Postgraduate tuition fees vary based on the intensity and length of the course. The links below provide details of the tuition fees the University charges for each programme.
If the programme you are interested in is not listed or you have further questions, please contact our Course Enquiry Centre.
For information about postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, please visit their website.
Taught Degrees
Postgraduate Taught Fees 2019-20
Postgraduate Taught Fees 2020-21
Please note that fees for modules and programmes will increase due to inflation.
Paying your fees
You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.
Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.
Make a payment - without an invoice
Make a payment - with an invoice
Research Degrees (PhD)
Fees for 2018-19 academic year (PDF)
Download the 2019-20 fees list (PDF)
Please note that fees will increase due to inflation.
Paying your fees
You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.
Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.
Make a payment - without an invoice
Make a payment - with an invoice
Alumni Discount
If you are interested in continuing your studies past graduation, then we’re here to help you get started. We offer a discount on postgraduate fees to eligible graduates of the University of Cumbria.
For your first postgraduate award, you could receive as much as a 20% discount on taught courses, or 10% on research degrees. This is for awards of up to a maximum of 180 credits, and does not apply to PGCE students. International students will be entitled to the same absolute discount (not percentage) as home and EU students.
To receive this discount, you must have previously studied at the University of Cumbria as an undergraduate in the last 5 years and achieved an award of 120 credits minimum, as well as meet the relevant entry requirements for postgraduate study. Accreditation of Prior Learning charges are not included in this discount.
We want to reward our students who choose to continue with academia, so for more information on this discount or anything about postgraduate study, please contact the Enquiry Centre.
Financial support
There's a range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and other funding available to support you in getting your degree.
Student Loans
Postgraduate master's loan
If you’re starting a master’s degree, you could get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan to help with course fees and living costs. For MSc Physiotherapy and MSc Occupational Therapy, please see the NHS Master's Courses below.
What you’ll get
| Academic year | Maximum Loan (£) |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | £10,906 |
| 2020/21 | £11,222 |
Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you normally live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.
NHS master's courses
Student loan
MSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Physiotherapy students who live in England will be able to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 from the Student Loans Company. This can be used as part payment (MSc Physiotherapy) or full payment (MSc Occupational Therapy) of tuition fees.
Your loan application is likely to take around 2 months to finalise so it is important to complete your application as soon as possible. We recommend completing your application by the end of May (new students) or June (continuing students) to avoid any delays in receiving your funding.
Maintenance loan
You can apply for a maintenance loan to assist with meeting living costs such as food, accommodation and travel expenses. These are normally paid in three instalments throughout the university year directly to your bank account.
Depending on household income, students may be able to apply for the following amounts:
| Living arrangements | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
| Living at Home | Up to £7,529 |
Up to £7,747 |
| Living away from home (outside of London) | Up to £8,944 |
Up to £9,203 |
You can work out how much of a loan you are entitled to apply for using the Student Finance Calculator.
Learning Support Fund
The Learning Support Fund offers students starting a new Nursing, Midwifery or Allied Health Professional course additional support while studying. This includes:
- dependents allowance of £1,000 per student per year
- additional travel and accommodation costs to clinical placements over their normal daily travel costs
- an exceptional hardship fund of up to £3,000 per student per academic year
New student funding for health courses
The government has announced it will be providing additional funding support to healthcare students starting their course from September 2020.
This includes:
- a non-repayable payment of £5,000 to eligible students each academic year
- additional payments worth up to a total of £3,000 per academic year for students in specialisms or regions struggling to recruit or to help students cover childcare costs
Eligible students should continue to apply for the Learning Support Fund as needed.
For further details and a full list of eligible courses, visit the NHSBSA web page here.
Note: there are differences in the way students from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are funded. If you don’t live in England, information can be accessed here.
Postgraduate doctoral loan
If you’re studying a doctoral degree, you could get a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan to help with course fees and living costs.
| Start year | Maximum Loan (£) |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | £25,700 |
| 2020/21 | £26,445 |
Repaying your loan
The earliest you start repaying your Postgraduate Master’s or Doctoral Loan is when your annual income is over £21,000 and it’s either:
- the first April after you leave your course
- April 4 years after the course started
Contact Student Finance England if your circumstances change or you leave your course early. You’ll have to pay back any overpayment straight away even if your income is less than £21,000.
How much you’ll repay
You’ll pay back 6% of your income over the minimum amount (‘threshold’). This is £21,000 a year, £1,750 a month or £404 a week.
Example
You earn £2,500 a month before tax. This is £750 over the monthly threshold. You’ll repay £45 (6% of this amount) each month.
If you already have a Postgraduate Master’s Loan then you’ll make a combined repayment of 6% covering both postgraduate loans. You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment until your loan is repaid in full or cancelled.
You must repay any undergraduate student loans you have at the same time.
Repayment terms are different if you normally live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Scholarships and bursaries
Social Work bursary
MA Social Work students may be eligible for a grant up to £3,362.50 and a means tested maintenance grant up to £2,721. Full details are available on the NHSBSA website.
The number of people who can get a bursary is limited (or capped). This means that there is no guarantee that if you take up an offer of a place on the MA Social Work course, you will receive a bursary. The university will provide a shortlist of students to the NHSBSA who will then assess bursary applications.
Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries
Postgrad Solutions Ltd is offering 13 bursaries across a number of subject areas. The bursaries are worth £500 each and are open to students from anywhere in the world.
To apply for a Postgrad Solutions bursary, visit their website.
Alternative funding
For other courses not covered by either the Masters Loan or specialist funding, we advise you to do some research as early as possible into what funding is available to you.
Click on the links below for information on potentially available funding.
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELCAS) - If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces and wish to enhance your education, then you can receive help covering your funding through the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme.
- Medical Research Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries - bursaries of £500 towards fees in various subjects.
- Family Action's Educational Grants Fund - £200 - £500 grants for families and individuals on low incomes.
- The Wellcome Trust - funding for biomedical research and medical humanities
- The Leverhulme Trust - scholarships for research and education
- Rotary Foundation Scholarships
- Fulbright Commission - US exchange programme
- IEFA - a searchable database of scholarship and bursary information
- Association of Commonwealth Universities - provides scholarships, grants, loans and assistantships open to commonwealth graduates who wish to undertake further study at a commonwealth university outside their own country
- American Association of University Women Educational Foundation - the largest source of funding exclusively for graduate women
- Scholarship search
Check out the websites below for more information about applying for postgraduate funding.
Accommodation
From only £10 per night, we provide the lowest cost student accommodation in the North West. Check out our accommodation page for a full price list and more details about the residences.
Read more
Heating, lighting, water and internet costs are included in your rent and full-time students don't pay council tax.
Paying your accommodation fees
At the beginning of term, you will receive an email confirming your accommodation, your accommodation fees and a quick payment link. Please ensure that you have your student ID available prior to entering the online payments site.
Tuition fees for EU students
Postgraduate tuition fees vary based on the intensity and length of the course. The links below provide details of the tuition fees the University charges for each programme.
For information about postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, please visit their website.
If the programme you are interested in is not listed or you have further questions, please contact our Course Enquiry Centre.
Taught Degrees
Download the 2018-19 fees (PDF)
Please note that fees for modules and programmes will increase due to inflation.
For information about postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, please visit their website.
Paying your fees
You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.
Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.
Make a payment - without an invoice
Make a payment - with an invoice
Research Degrees (PhD)
Fees for 2018-19 academic year (PDF)
Download the 2019-20 fees list (PDF)
Please note that fees will increase due to inflation.
Paying your fees
You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.
Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.
Make a payment - without an invoice
Make a payment - with an invoice
Alumni discount
If you are interested in continuing your studies past graduation, then we’re here to help you get started. We offer a discount on postgraduate fees to eligible graduates of the University of Cumbria, or any of its legacy institutions.
For your first postgraduate award, you could receive as much as a 20% discount on taught courses, or 10% on research degrees. This is for awards of up to a maximum of 180 credits, and does not apply to PGCE students.
To receive this discount, you must have previously studied at the University of Cumbria as an undergraduate and achieved an award of 120 credits minimum, as well as meet the relevant entry requirements for postgraduate study. For research degrees, this will apply to any alumni that have graduated in the last 5 years. Accreditation of Prior Learning charges are not included in this discount.
We want to reward our students who choose to continue with academia, so for more information on this discount or anything about postgraduate study, please contact the Enquiry Centre.
Financial support
There's a range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and other funding available to support you in getting your degree.
Student Loans
Postgraduate master's loan
If you’re starting a master’s degree, you could get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan to help with course fees and living costs.
| Start date | Maximum Loan (£) |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | £10,906 |
| 2020/21 | £11,222 |
Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you normally live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.
Postgraduate doctoral loan
If you’re starting a doctoral degree on or after 1 August 2018, you could get a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan to help with course fees and living costs.
| Start year | Maximum Loan (£) |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | £25,700 |
| 2020/21 | £26,445 |
Some courses, for example Social Work and some Health Professions Masters degrees do attract some funding. Contact us for more information.
Repaying your loan
The earliest you start repaying your Postgraduate Master’s or Doctoral Loan is when your annual income is over £21,000 and it’s either:
- the first April after you leave your course
- April 4 years after the course started
Contact Student Finance England if your circumstances change or you leave your course early. You’ll have to pay back any overpayment straight away even if your income is less than £21,000.
How much you’ll repay
You’ll pay back 6% of your income over the minimum amount (‘threshold’). This is £21,000 a year, £1,750 a month or £404 a week.
Example
You earn £2,500 a month before tax. This is £750 over the monthly threshold. You’ll repay £45 (6% of this amount) each month.
If you already have a Postgraduate Master’s Loan then you’ll make a combined repayment of 6% covering both postgraduate loans. You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment until your loan is repaid in full or cancelled.
You must repay any undergraduate student loans you have at the same time.
Repayment terms are different if you normally live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Bursaries
Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries
Postgrad Solutions Ltd is offering 13 bursaries across a number of subject areas. The bursaries are worth £500 each and are open to students from anywhere in the world.
To apply for a Postgrad Solutions bursary, visit their website.
Alternative funding
For other courses not covered by either the Masters Loan or specialist funding, we advise you to do some research as early as possible into what funding is available to you.
Click on the links below for information on potentially available funding.
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELCAS) - If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces and wish to enhance your education, then you can receive help covering your funding through the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme.
- Medical Research Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Professional and career development loans
- Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries - bursaries of £500 towards fees in various subjects.
- Family Action's Educational Grants Fund - £200 - £500 grants for families and individuals on low incomes.
- The Wellcome Trust - funding for biomedical research and medical humanities
- The Leverhulme Trust - scholarships for research and education
- Rotary Foundation Scholarships
- Fulbright Commission - US exchange programme
- IEFA - a searchable database of scholarship and bursary information
- Association of Commonwealth Universities - provides scholarships, grants, loans and assistantships open to commonwealth graduates who wish to undertake further study at a commonwealth university outside their own country
- American Association of University Women Educational Foundation - the largest source of funding exclusively for graduate women
- Scholarship search
Check out the websites below for more information about applying for postgraduate funding.
Accommodation
From only £10 per night, we provide the lowest cost student accommodation in the North West. Check out our accommodation page for a full price list and more details about the residences.
Read more
Heating, lighting, water and internet costs are included in your rent and full-time students don't pay council tax.
Paying your accommodation fees
At the beginning of term, you will receive an email confirming your accommodation, your accommodation fees and a quick payment link. Please ensure that you have your student ID available prior to entering the online payments site.
Tuition fees for international students
Postgraduate tuition fees vary based on the intensity and length of the course. The links below provide details of the tuition fees the University charges for each programme.
For information about postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, please visit their website.
If the programme you are interested in is not listed or you have further questions, please contact our Course Enquiry Centre.
Taught Degrees
Fees for the 2018-19 academic year (PDF)
The tuition fees for the 2019/20 academic year will be confirmed soon.
Please note that fees for modules and programmes may increase due to inflation.
For information about postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, please visit their website.
Paying your fees
You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.
Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.
Research Degrees (PhD)
Fees for 2018-19 academic year (PDF)
Download the 2019-20 fees list (PDF)
Please note that fees will increase due to inflation.
Tuition fees for the 2019/20 academic year will be confirmed soon.
Paying your fees
You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.
Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.
Alumni Discount
If you are interested in continuing your studies past graduation, then we’re here to help you get started. We offer a discount on postgraduate fees to eligible graduates of the University of Cumbria, or any of its legacy institutions.
For your first postgraduate award, you could receive as much as a 20% discount on taught courses, or 10% on research degrees. This is for awards of up to a maximum of 180 credits, and does not apply to PGCE students. International students will be entitled to the same absolute discount (not percentage) as home and EU students.
To receive this discount, you must have previously studied at the University of Cumbria as an undergraduate and achieved an award of 120 credits minimum, as well as meet the relevant entry requirements for postgraduate study. For research degrees, this will apply to any alumni that have graduated in the last 5 years. Accreditation of Prior Learning charges are not included in this discount.
We want to reward our students who choose to continue with academia, so for more information on this discount or anything about postgraduate study, please contact the Enquiry Centre.
Accommodation
From only £10 per night, we provide the lowest cost student accommodation in the North West. Check out our accommodation page for a full price list and more details about the residences.
Read more
Paying for your accommodation
If you choose to stay in univerisity accommodation you will be required to make a pre-payment of £250, and a pre-payment of £100 towards catering packages.
After you have made the pre-payment(s), and the contract has been returned, the balance of your contract will be due. Payment must be made by registration. Instalments are not available.
Please note that you do have the option to pay for the accommodation and catering in full with the contract.
Payment must be made in pounds sterling. You will be given the option online to convert your currency when making a payment.
If you’re having trouble paying online or have any questions, please contact your admissions officer who can give you advice about paying by bank transfer.
Additional costs
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.
Resources and facilities
As one of the UK's leading health departments, we can offer a fantastic level of student support and a wide range of high quality courses. Our expert academic and clinical practice staff are dedicated to helping you enhance your learning, which has helped produce our excellent employment record. Our NHS related provision achieved the highest possible rating on our recent review by the Quality Assurance Agency.