MSc Surgical Care Practice

Program Overview

This innovative Master's degree prepares registered practitioners to become surgical care practitioners in various specialties, including cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, and trauma and orthopedics. Through a combination of classroom instruction, practical experience, and research inquiry, the program develops core and specialist surgical skills, enabling graduates to provide high-quality patient care across all phases of surgical care.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This innovative Masters degree is suitable for qualified registered practitioners who have been appointed as a trainee surgical care practitioner within a surgical directorate. Your role should incorporate the delivery of care and clinical skills within all phases of surgical care, particularly pre-, peri-, intra- and post-operative care. You will be provided with a systematic and critical understanding of the breadth and depth of knowledge within specific areas of practice. You will develop core and specialist surgical skills and extend your knowledge and practice within the surgical care environment. This will include some operative procedures that will enable specialist practitioners to provide continuity of service and standards of care to patients in areas which do not necessarily need to be provided by medically qualified staff. The programme aims to help you to become a competent and capable surgical care practitioner equipped to deliver high quality outcomes for patients in the UK. On successful completion of the programme you will have demonstrated the capabilities required by the RCS. Eleven specialist pathways are available: MSc Surgical Care Practice (Cardiothoracic Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (General Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Gynaecology Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Neurosurgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Otorhinolaryngology Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Robot Assisted Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Urology) MSc Surgical Care Practice (Vascular Surgery)

Outline:

Year 1

• Context of Advanced Surgical Care Practice
• Developing Generic Clinical Skills & Capabilities in Advanced Surgical Care Practice (Adult)
• E-Portfolio for Generic Advanced Surgical Care Practice

Year 2

• Developing Clinical Skills & Capabilities in The Complex Surgical Patient (Adult)
• Developing Research Capabilities for Advanced Surgical Care Practice
• E-Portfolio for Generic Advanced Surgical Care Practice

Year 3

• E-Portfolio for Specialist Advanced Surgical Care Practice
• Research Inquiry for Advanced Surgical Care Practice
• Specialist Advanced Surgical Care Practice

Assessment:

Summative assessments will take the form of written assignments, written exams case studies (written and oral presentations), Practical Assessment of clinical examination Skills (PACES). Each individual workplace-based assessment (WBA) is designed to assess a range of important aspects of performance in different training situations. For example: The Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS), where you will perform a specific practical procedure that is directly observed Case-based Discussion (CbD), requiring the evaluation of your performance in the management of a patient. This will provide an indication of your competence in areas such as clinical reasoning, decision-making and the application of medical knowledge in relation to patient care Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX), where a clinical encounter with a patient is evaluated to provide an indication of your competence in skills essential for outstanding clinical care.

Teaching:

You will engage in collaborative learning, peer-to-peer engagement, learning through self and joining a community of learners that will provide ongoing support as part of the MSc Surgical Care Practice programme. A series of online learning resources will allow you to explore topics prior to attending the in-person teaching sessions, and let you engage with the content at different times and locations in preparation for lead lectures supporting your independent, directed study. This programme utilises a range of learning and teaching strategies, including lectures, workshops, practical demonstration, clinical teaching, simulation, tutorials, case-based and workplace learning. These will be delivered in weekly theory blocks throughout the programme, primarily at the Manchester campus, St James building. Throughout the programme, you will undertake workplace learning, working alongside the multidisciplinary team to deliver safe and effective care to patients in all phases of surgical care. The curriculum framework for the Surgical Care Practitioner (RCS Ed and RCS Eng, 2022) requires a minimum of 2,200 hours over the 3 year programme in combined clinical activities in pre, peri, intra and post operative care. A compulsory minimum of 1,100 hours must be completed in the operating theatre. It is expected that the equivalent of 4.5 hours per week to facilitate self-directed learning and engagement with Edge Hill University’s virtual learning environment. Full-time attendance will typically consist of approximately 24-30 contact hours per week, meaning this course is accessible for those with other commitments. Please note, some face-to-face sessions and/or examinations may be undertaken at Edge Hill University instead of St James’ in Manchester.

Careers:

On completion of this programme, you will gain a nationally recognised qualification that enables you to undertake the advanced role of a surgical care practitioner. You will also be able to demonstrate a number of core and specialist skills that will enable you to work effectively as part of the extended surgical team, work competently to practice within your surgical speciality and to be able to function confidently, competently and autonomously.

Other:

• The programme is based on a two phased approach to teaching and learning:
• Phase 1 (Year 1 and 2): Initially, you will study the foundation module which introduces you to the context of their role and the capabilities required to deliver high quality, safe and effective care for surgical patients.
This is followed by the development of the in-depth knowledge, understanding, clinical skills and behaviours required within all phases of surgical care: pre-, peri-, intra- and post-operative care of the generic and complex adult surgical patient. You will also develop research capabilities, focusing largely on critical appraisal, evidence-based practice, and research/quality improvement in healthcare.
• Phase 2 (Year 3): During the specialist phase in Year 3, you will gain further advanced knowledge and understanding within your chosen surgical speciality.
Completion of an in-depth research inquiry concludes this programme.
• Running throughout phase one and two are two a non-credit bearing e-portfolio modules.
These embed the spiral approach to learning in the workplace. They will revisit and build on in-depth knowledge, understanding and achievement of generic (phase one) and specialty specific (phase two) clinical skills and capabilities in increasingly complex and challenging situations.

• Tuition fees for UK full-time students: £10,000 for the course
• The tuition fees will be split equally over three years.
• Year 1 = £3350
• Year 2 = £3350
• Year 3 = £3300
• EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.