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Nursing: Advanced Practice Nursing (MSc)

Master of Science in Nursing (Advanced Practice Nursing)

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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:

  1. Be registered as a nurse or midwife on the register of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI);
  2. Have a minimum of an honours primary degree in Nursing or equivalent
  3. Be currently employed as a nurse or midwife and in the areas of practice that you plan to undertake you Advance Practice Programme
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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 2025

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 1
RequiredNU6507: 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 3
RequiredNU1191: 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

Dr Collette KirwanProgramme Director
E: collette.kirwan@universityofgalway.ie

https://www.universityofgalway.ie/medicine-nursing-and-health-sciences/nursing/

What Our Graduates Say

Úna

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

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

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