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Nursing: Advanced Practice Nursing (MSc)
Course Overview
The aims of the Master of Science in Nursing (Advanced Nursing Practice) programme are to enable experienced registered nurses to develop an expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills, and clinical competencies for an expanded autonomous scope of practice. The finite characteristics are shaped by the: context in which the individual practices; the needs of patients/clients; and the challenges and developments within the health services.
The programme is designed to prepare the students as autonomous practitioners, who are clinically competent and skilled in the delivery of high quality direct care to a specific patient /client group. In particular, the Advanced Nurse Practitioner will be empowered to promote wellness, offer healthcare interventions and advocate healthy lifestyle choices for patients/clients, their families and carers in a wide variety of settings in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, according to agreed scope of practice guidelines.
The programme further aims to support the students to develop their role as autonomous members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team within the healthcare organisation and professional leaders in their field of specialist practice. The graduates, equipped with such knowledge and advanced skills will be eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) for registration as a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP).
This broad based 2 year MSc includes modules pertaining to nurse/midwife Prescribing, research, advanced practice and management. In addition, there are 2 clinical competency assessment modules – 96 hours pertaining to prescribing and 500 hours to advanced practice clinical mentorship.
Scholarships available
Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships here.
Applications and Selections
Please note the application portal for this particular course is currently closed. The portal will re-open to accept applications for the above programme on the 10th April 2023, and will remain open until 30th June 2023. Applications for September 2023 intake will be accepted during these dates. Please note no applications will be accepted after this date.
Applicants will be reviewed in tranches and you will be communicated with in due course on receipt of your completed application. Earlier and fully completed applications will be prioritised.
Please ensure you have all requirements for your application as incomplete applications will not be considered. For reconsideration, applicants will have to reapply incurring reapplication costs.
Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System.
Who Teaches this Course
See the full staff list here.
Requirements and Assessment
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Please note to be eligible to apply you need to be:
- Be registered as a nurse or midwife on the register of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI);
- Have a minimum of an honours primary degree in Nursing or equivalent
- Be currently employed as a nurse or midwife and in the areas of practice that you plan to undertake you Advance Practice Programme
- Have support of both a Professional (DON, ADON/Practice Manager) and Clinical (medical consultant or general practitioner) Mentor for 500 hours of clinical mentorship, evidenced by a completed Site Declaration Form
- Written commitment/memo of understanding or equivalent from the director of nursing/employer to support the student during the clinical practicum and to nominate a suitably qualified practitioner to act as a clinical supervisor during the student's clinical learning experience
- Comply with current minimum entry requirements for admission to the programme of education for nurse prescribing. This includes:
- Have a minimum of three years’ recent post-registration clinical experience in nursing or midwifery (within the last five years)
- Have equivalent of ‘one year’ full time experience in the specific area of clinical practice that you will be prescribing and practicing in
- Possess the competencies recognised at Level 8 of the National Framework of Qualifications;
- Provide evidence of having undertaken continuing professional education;
- Have support of both a Professional (DON, ADON/Practice Manager) and Clinical (medical consultant or general practitioner) Mentor for 96 hours of clinical mentorship, evidenced by a completed Site Declaration Form.
Additional Requirements
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Duration
2 years, part-time
Next start date
September 2024
A Level Grades ()
Average intake
30
QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes
Closing Date
No set closing date. Offers are made on a continuous basis.
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
110
Award
CAO
Course code
MSC-NUAPN
Course Outline
Curriculum information is below.
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Subject
- Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Required Core Subject
- A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.
Year 1 (40 Credits)
OptionalNU6520: Leadership, Quality Improvement and Governance - 10 Credits - Semester 1RequiredNU6507: Leadership, Quality Improvement and Governance - 10 Credits - Semester 2
RequiredNU6610: Decision Making and Advanced Practice Professional Roles - 10 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredNU6521: Advanced Research Methods - 10 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredNU502: Advanced Research Methods - 10 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredNU6312: Advanced Health Assessment - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Year 2 (70 Credits)
RequiredNU010.I: Professional, Ethical & Legal Issues of Nurse and Midwife Prescribing) - 10 Credits - Semester 3RequiredNU1191: Pharmacology, Health and Medicinal Prescribing - 10 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredNU6522: Research Dissertation - 30 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredNU6515: Research Dissertation - 30 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredNU6506: Clinical Practicum - 20 Credits - Semester 3
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Students who successfully complete this programme are eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board (NMBI) to register as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANPs).
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Transferable Skills Employers Value
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
Find out More
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/medicine-nursing-and-health-sciences/nursing/
What Our Graduates Say
Úna O'Connor | Graduate
This course is aiding my knowledge and skills development, thus facilitating my career progression to the highest level of clinical nursing practice. The programme is both challenging and rewarding, providing excellent academic support to prepare me for an advanced clinical practice role and act with a high level of autonomy, leadership and management in developing services and models of care delivery, for the benefit of my patients. The support of the course coordinator Catherine and her team has been excellent, they are very accessible and responsive, in what has been a challenging year for everyone whilst adapting to remote learning during the pandemic.
Adrian O Dálaigh | Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist at Letterkenny Univers
As a ‘mature student’ undertaking the Advanced Practice Nursing programme and having not undertaken any significant studies in the preceding 10 years, I approached this course with a certain sense of apprehension and anxiety. The support I received from Catherine, the programme facilitator, was superb. The course's core focus is to allow students to develop expert knowledge around professional, ethical and legal issues and pharmacology of nurse prescribing, along with advanced health assessment and clinical practicum. The mix of ‘face to face’ practical demonstrations, virtual classroom lectures, and online webinars make this programme easy to navigate and supplies the student with the skills set necessary to become autonomous practitioners who are clinically and professionally competent to act as advanced practitioners in their chosen fields. This course also fosters relationships with colleagues from different nursing backgrounds and helps form a bond of encouragement and support from your peers. I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone interested in pursuing an advanced practice role and who wants to do so in a supportive and encouraging environment.in Connect with Adrian