CPD Masters Certificate of Professional Development: Quality Improvement in Healthcare

The aim of this Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course is to develop your skills and expertise in the evaluation of an area of healthcare practice or service provision and formulation of action plans to improve standards.

The final award is Continuing Professional Development for Quality Improvement in Healthcare, 20 credits at Level 7.

You will have access to LJMU's virtual learning environment Canvas and online library resources. Programme content is regularly updated on Canvas, including contemporary reading lists and references to journal articles. You will be assigned an academic project supervisor for support and guidance throughout the programme via email or online tutorials. You can also access the Module Leader via phone contact or email.

The course uses an active blended learning approach, featuring teaching approaches (chosen to meet the stated learning objectives) including:

• Online lectures
• Directed reading
• Quizzes
• Webinars
• Discussion boards
• Work-based examples

Course topics

• Defining a research problem
• Designing a research project
• Research governance and ethics
• Clinical audit and service evaluation
• Qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Data analysis and statistics
• Action planning
• Report writing
• Dissemination of research

The study mode is part-time distance learning using LJMU 's virtual learning environment Canvas and lasts for 6 months. An online study day is delivered in the first month of the course with five hour-long webinars run to support the different stages of your quality improvement project. You will be allocated a project supervisor by the university, who will offer support and guidance as you complete your project.

Acquisition of knowledge and skills are achieved mainly through directed student-centred and work-based learning. The course is designed to give a degree of flexibility in student choice. The learning outcomes associated with these student-selected topics are achieved through open learning with you selecting the most appropriate resource material as applicable to your area of practice around the world. References and guidance for resources will be available on Canvas and you are supported to identify relevant documents as applicable to your practice.

Qualification requirements

• Alternative qualifications considered

  Students entering the programme must be a registered Pharmacist with the relevant professional body in the UK, or with a professional body recognised to be of similar standing to the UK regulator bodies. Where English is not your first language, we would normally require a score of 6.5 in the IELTS system (or equivalent), with scores of greater than 5.5 in each of the domains. This is to ensure you can complete the necessary reading, communication with the programme team and assessments, which must all be completed in English. There may be some exceptions to this requirement if you are from a majority English speaking country or you have completed studies in the English language in the UK or another English speaking country, in which case, a recent high school diploma or equivalent course title may be sufficient.

  Students must be working in an environment that will allow them to complete an audit or service evaluation project. The programme team will assess the suitability of the access an individual has prior to admission, but guidance can be obtained prior to application by contacting Dr Rachel Mullen, the Module Leader. 

To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.

Complete the supplementary application form.

Complete the online application form, taking note of the below:

• Select the course that you would like to study from the drop-down menu. Please ensure you select the ‘Postgraduate Taught’ option under ‘Level of Entry’ and ‘Continuing Professional Development’ under ‘Mode of Study’. Select ‘Browse Courses’ and search for the course Quality Improvement in Healthcare entry point (March or September) and year
• Ensure that you have provided details of your professional qualification and any other university qualifications (note, A-Level and GCSE/equivalent qualifications do not need to be listed) 

Upload the following documents to your online application:

• Certificate(s) for any qualifications listed in your application 
• A copy of your IELTS certificate (if English is not your first language and you have not recently completed a university level qualification in English)
• A copy of the Purchase Order authorising payment of the course from your place of work

Please note: all documents must be attached to your application within 24 hours of submission – if you wish to attach documents after this date, you will need to email them to the School office: PBSOffice@ljmu.ac.uk

The module is assessed by a 3,000-3,500 word Quality Improvement Project Report that clearly and concisely describes your evaluation of your chosen area of practice or service evaluation, and places it in context. The report should include key findings and a discussion of these within the context of existing evidence. It should also describe and justify the use of an appropriate quality improvement tool(s) to implement and lead improvement in your chosen area of practice or service provision, based on the project's findings.

This Continuing Professional Development can be studied within the MSc Public Health/Public Health (Addictions) award framework or as a single CPD.