Nursing (Advanced Practice Nursing) at University College Cork

The MSc in Nursing (Advanced Practice Nursing) is designed to prepare nurses to practice at a higher level of capability in independent, autonomous, and expert practice, that is innovative, flexible, and patient-centred. The programme also prepares students for their role as clinical and professional leaders with a commitment to the dissemination of evidence-based knowledge and the instruction of others.

The clinical learning and preparation for advanced nursing practice is addressed on both a theoretical and practice level and includes the required content for registration as a nurse prescriber of medicinal products. The programme seeks to develop the leadership capacity of participants with professional and clinical leadership underpinning the theoretical and clinical aspects of the programme. The MSc in Nursing (Advanced Practice Nursing) is a 2-year programme, approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, involving academic and practice learning and assessment. The programme is designed to recognise relevant prior learning of applicants and includes a number of exit routes for those who have completed learning towards registration as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner previously. Our aim, through the delivery of this programme, is to facilitate the needs of the students, whilst promoting excellence in nursing practice and leadership.

Why Choose This Course

The MSc in Nursing (Advanced Practice Nursing) at UCC is a Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) approved programme for the preparation of participants for registration as Advanced Nurse Practitioners in Ireland. This programme is designed in accordance with the NMBI standards for advanced nursing practice educational programmes (NMBI, 2017) in the preparation of nurses for a role in advanced clinical practice, leadership, quality and scholarship. The programme has also embedded learning to meet the requirements for registration as a nurse prescriber of medicinal products with NMBI. A balance between theoretical and clinical learning ensures the holistic development of participants as senior clinicians, clinical and professional leaders and scholars. The flexibility of the programme at UCC ensures that students with relevant prior learning have a number of exit routes from the programme, recognising a life-long learning approach to learning development of the competence and skill as an advanced nurse practitioner.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

Students will continue to practice in their own practice setting. Clinical placement is an essential element of this programme from both a nurse prescribing of medicinal products perspective and development of advanced nursing practice perspective and for the most part this is usually facilitated in the student’s own practice area and setting. There are opportunities to identify clinical placements outside of your own practice site as part of an individualised learning plan. Sometimes these can be national and international and should be negotiated with the student’s clinical supervisor, employer and the course coordinator.

Skills and Careers Information

This programme will enable students to develop skills and competence in advanced clinical practice, clinical leadership and scholarship. Students who successfully complete this programme will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse Prescriber and a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). This will open career opportunities in expansion of clinical practice in current or future roles as well as in advanced nursing practice.