Assistant Practitioner FdSc

Are you looking for a non-traditional career pathway to a route to registered professional occupations such as nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, radiography?

Exeter College is excited to be collaborating with our university partner, Plymouth Marjon University, to support the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. From September 2024 we are planning to deliver the FdSc Assistant Practitioner to provide well-trained and competent staff for a range of healthcare roles.

Assistant Practitioners work alongside registered health professionals using their skills and experience in a particular area of clinical practice.
They work in almost any area of the NHS, and have direct contact with patients, service users or clients providing high quality, focused and compassionate care. As part of the programme, you can choose specialist pathways aligned to roles across the health and care sector. The programme offers an inter-professional learning experience, meaning you will learn from and across different professional roles giving you a holistic view of the patient experience.

Module examples:

• 1st Year
• Foundations of Professional Practice
• Introduction to Clinical Skills
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Clinical Practice 1
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Communication and Working in Teams

2nd Year

• Research in Evidence Based Practice
• Leading and Integrating Care
• Pathophysiology for Healthcare
• Clinical Practice 2
• Optional modules 1 and 2

There will be two modules in the second year of the programme which can be taken from a range of options.

Within the 12 modules there are a wide range of assessments including exams, academic essays, literature reviews, reflective case studies, presentations, work based concept fairs, debates, video productions, journal articles, information leaflets, portfolios etc.

How will you be taught?
Students will be taught 1 day per week on campus in lectures, seminars and clinical skills workshops and simulations, and 1 day through guided virtual activity. Students will spend the remaining 3 days in clinical practice.

Next steps:
On successful completion, graduates are eligible to apply for roles as an Assistant Practitioner (NHS Band 4). You could work in hospitals, clinics or in the community such as in GP surgeries, or visiting patients in their home. You may also choose to progress to a full degree in Nursing or other Allied Health Professions.

• 64 UCAS points
• Three A Levels at grades DDD or above (at least one science subject)
• BTEC National Diploma or QCF Extended Diploma (Healthcare or Applied Science)
• Access to HE Diploma (Healthcare or Science)
• T Level Health/Healthcare Science/ Science (grade C/4 or above in core elements)
• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent) grade C/4 or above 
• International students will be expected to meet the English language requirements of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent
• Equivalent qualifications may be considered, including workplace delivered NVQs. 
• DBS check and occupational health check. 

You will be based at the Hele Road site, with access to Learning Resource Centres (LRCs), study areas, cafes and computer suites.

You will need to pay for your DBS check (approx. £40) and for your placement tunics (approx.. £25 each).