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PgC - Physiotherapy Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner: Practice Development

A First Contact Practitioner (FCP) is a diagnostic clinician working in primary care, able to assess and manage undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations.

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Physiotherapy Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner: Practice Development cover image

Course Overview

The programme will enhance your ability to complete a detailed assessment of undifferentiated and undiagnosed primary care presentations and provide you with the appropriate knowledge base to anticipate problems, thus enhancing your ability to manage patients accordingly.

As you develop within the programme you will gain the skills and expertise to critically analyse situations and clinical presentations, approaching the patient holistically in the primary care setting.

You will study this programme over 1 calendar year which equates to one module per semester in addition to a QPU which will run alongside the academic modules across the full programme.

You will be working in the Primary care setting throughout the programme whilst utilising the Qualificatory Practice Unit ‘work-based learning in primary care’ in conjunction with a suitable clinical mentor to develop your practical skills in consultation, examination, and patient management.

On this course you will...

  • Develop skills that will allow you to practice as a confident and competent First Contact Practitioner
  • Study content which is relevant to the world of work, emphasising problem-solving and the interaction of theory and practice. It will challenge you intellectually, promoting independence and confidence.
  • Be involved in a stimulating and challenging academic and scholary environment for you to advance your academic and professional development, with the support of our encouraging team.
  • Achieve a recognisable qualification to work as a First Contact Practitioner in primary care.
  • Be able to apply for accreditation of prior learning (APL) into the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice. 40 credits from your first 2 modules have been mapped against the MSc ACP programme and can be considered for APL into this programme.
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Course Structure

What you will learn

Learn how to work effectively as a safe, competent First Contact Practitioner, demonstrating a critical knowledge and understanding of the legal, professional and ethical aspects of the role and its function within primary care

Develop as a critical thinker and reflective/reflexive practitioner, able to apply techniques of rigorous enquiry and critical appraisal and application of an evidence-based approach

Learn how to critically evaluate and apply models of consultation and physical examination skills, assessing, diagnosing and managing undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations

Learn how to critically evaluate and apply models of clinical decision making, demonstrating professional judgement in complex and unpredictable situations

Learn how to demonstrate critical appreciation of the importance of collaborative working and development of therapeutic relationships, applying underpinning principles and frameworks for effective, inclusive, person-centred and holistic practice

Modules

Each module has been designed to take you through stage one and two of the roadmap and build upon your theoretical knowledge base and clinical skills. Academic and workplace learning are woven into the programme to enable you to ‘marry’ together the new knowledge and clinical skills that enable you to become a First Contact Practitioner

Modules
  • The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice
    The module will centre on commonly presenting, wide ranging health problems in primary care to facilitate evidence based, critically focused, self-evaluative learning opportunities. To facilitate the internalisation of a reflexive / reflective framework within which you will be able to advance a broad-based critically evaluative patient / client-centred approach to health assessment, diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision making as a Physiotherapy First Contact practitioner within primary care.
  • Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients
    To enhance knowledge and understanding of the complexity of patient and client presentations, demonstrating an appreciation of the pathophysiological processes occurring utilising investigative and evaluatory approaches to improve care.
  • Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice
    The aim of this module is to enhance your knowledge and understanding of primary care in the context of the wider health and social care system, and to critically explore advancements and innovations that improve the efficacy of the primary care system.
  • Qualificatory Practice Unit: Work Based Learning in Primary Care for Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy First Contact Practitioners
    The aim of the learning in practice unit is for students to develop their skills in First Contact Practice in line with the knowledge, skills and capabilities established within the Roadmap for Physiotherapy Musculoskeletal (MSK) (Health Education England 2021).
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  • Location

    Online Learning

    Online learning at the University of Cumbria is an interactive experience that makes use of a range of technologies and media types to provide a rich learning environment.

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