Advancing Consultation and Clinical Assessment
Pursue independent research in advancing consultation and clinical assessment, developing specialist expertise and contributing to knowledge in your field.
Key facts
- Starts
- September 2027
- Level
- PhDs and postgraduate research
- Funding status
- Self-funded
- Location
- Distance Learning
- School
- Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Application deadline
18 August for a September start
Overview
This distance learning, part time, single level 7 practice-focused module provides learners with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge, skills and critical thinking in undertaking patient consultation and clinical assessment. Learners will be guided and supported to develop and adapt their independent patient consultations and assessments in their clinical environment.
Learners are expected to demonstrate elevated communication skills in presenting a client's health history and assessment findings, with an ability to critically analyse and evaluate their assessment skills and the effectiveness of the consultation process.
Students must have support from their clinical manager to undertake this module because there is an expectation that students will be supervised in their practice area - see supervisor requirements.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Be a registered healthcare professional, holding current registration with one of the following professional bodies:
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) – nurse or midwife
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Normally have a minimum of two years’ post-registration clinical experience.
Be currently working in a clinical environment that is conducive to achieving the module learning outcomes.
Supervisor requirements
- Students must have an identified clinical assessor(s) who is a registered healthcare professional with current registration with one of the following bodies: HCPC, NMC, GPhC, or GMC, and who has appropriate professional expertise relevant to the learning outcomes of the course.
This course is primarily designed around adult consultation and assessment.
Clinicians who work with both adult and paediatric populations may be accommodated; however, the development of specialist paediatric knowledge and skills would be more appropriately undertaken within a dedicated specialist paediatric course.
Fees and funding
Fees
| Fee types | 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Home part-time | £1,000 per single module, where taken as part of an award-bearing course the module fee is £1,260 |
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.
Questions about fees?
Learning and assessment
The teaching, learning and assessment strategy of the module reflects its student centred, patient-centred and practice-focused approach. The module has an appropriate division between structured learning activities and private study. Opportunities for sharing existing and developing skills, knowledge and experience, are maximised. To make the most of the range of experience, skills and knowledge within the group, a variety of teaching and learning strategies will be employed. This is to encourage development of critical self-awareness and personal literacy within the context of both academic and research literacy.
Learning and Teaching Overview
The module is delivered through a blend of live Zoom seminars and asynchronous learning. Students will build on their existing experience to develop advanced consultation knowledge, skills and critical reflection aligned to the learning outcomes. Practical, hands-on skill development will take place through independent patient consultations and assessments within the student’s own clinical setting, supported by an appropriately qualified clinical assessor.
Topics will include
- Consultation frameworks, adaptation and remote consultation
- Structured and comprehensive history taking approach
- Advancing practice through review of physical and mental health systems and a holistic, multi-system assessment approach
- Multiple physical system assessment knowledge and skill development inc. MSK, Neurological, Cardiac, - Vascular, Respiratory, ENT, Gastrointestinal/abdominal, Lymphatic
- Development of an appropriate and safe care plan
- Critical application and evaluation of assessment
Assessment
Assessment has two parts
Part 1: Clinical evaluation forms carried out in the student’s own clinical environment to evidence a required number and breadth of clinical consultations in practice.
Part 2: VIVA (oral examination) to articulate critical reasoning behind consultation and clinical assessment in practice
Careers
Students who have completed similar health and life sciences postgraduate modules have been employed within their speciality both locally and nationally. This course enables you as a practitioner to work through the Agenda for Change grading bands to further your career progression.
How to apply
Applications are made online via the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences application portal.
If you wish to take this as a standalone module then you can apply to be a postgraduate associate student using our online application portal. You will need to register for the portal prior to proceeding with an application.
Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)