MSc / PgDip for Rural Advanced Practitioners update
The current course, started in September 2023 with the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) providing education from experts focusing on clinical practice, leadership, facilitation of learning, evidence, research and development. The course content also includes a bespoke module on The Values and Principles of Living and Working in a Remote & Rural area.
There are currently 15 students on the course, working within remote & rural primary and community care, from NHS Fife, Borders, Highland, Grampian, and Orkney and learners are mostly Nursing practitioners with one Pharmacist on the course.
In the workplace each trainee rural advanced practitioner undertakes a self-assessment of their learning needs in line with the NES Multidisciplinary Capability Framework. A Rural Advanced Practice Supervisor and several associate supervisors support trainees in the workplace. To ensure completion of all the competencies across the four pillars of rural advanced practice. Two Senior Educators from NES provide support to the supervisors.
An online Rural Advanced Practice (RAP) Supervisory Hub has been developed on TURAS and a Rural Advanced Practice (RAP) Teams Network has also been established. The Supervisory Hub provides education for RAP supervisors and associate supervisors, to enable service improvement, wellbeing, and the joy of living and working in a remote, rural and island setting. The Teams Network provides an opportunity for practice supervisors throughout Scotland to connect, exchange knowledge and enables dialogue to address ongoing challenges and opportunities to further develop practice supervision in Scotland.
UHI has reported very favourable feedback from students and teaching staff from the first module and feedback from students so far includes -
"This course is bringing Rural Healthcare challenges into the spotlight, the wealth of information on a subject with such little research has been astounding. Once the lens of rurality is focused, I have been more acutely aware of rural disparity across healthcare, social care, local council policy and other professional services such as police service."
“I hope the Multidisciplinary Rural Advanced Practice Capability Framework will assist in emphasising that rural living and rural healthcare does not always benefit the patient when urban models of health delivery are utilised and realistically can impede care for those who live in rural Scotland. UHI is providing excellent academic learning for any advancing professional who works rurally to develop knowledge and understanding in an insufficiently recognised demographic."
"The Advanced Rural Practitioner MSc is the first programme that I have commenced that is entirely relevant to my own clinical practice which covers a remote and rural geographical area. The educational programme gives you the knowledge and skills to understand the unique and complex factors which underpin the delivery of healthcare to rural communities and the factors which contribute to health inequalities in these populations.”
For more information see - National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care: Information Hub
Or contact us - nes.ruralteam@nhs.scot
January, 30 2024