Management of Acute Deterioration (MAD) - Level 6 and 7

This module offers you, a registered healthcare practitioner with a minimum of 6 months experience caring for acutely ill patients, the opportunity to enhance your ability to make effective clinical decisions for adults, who experience an acute episode of health deterioration.

This module focuses upon increasing your confidence and ability to make clinical decisions that you can physiologically rationalise, are based upon current and robust evidence, and will have a positive impact on the health outcome of patients.

What's covered in the course?

This module is particularly relevant in the current healthcare climate. The Shape of Caring Review (2015 p 21) advised that “successful whole person care requires an appropriate balance between specialisation and generalism, and an increased flexibility within roles and career paths across organisational boundaries”. In particular it advocates that a more flexible, generic skill set will allow registered nurses to work confidently across a range of settings.

This ethos is mirrored in many publications related to other health care professionals. The Shape of Training (2013 p 5) for example advocates “Patients and the public need more doctors who are capable of providing general care in broad specialties across a range of different settings”. To reflect this, this module involves learning about how to manage deterioration in a wide range of body systems to ensure that your employability is enhanced, as the health service moves in this direction.

Why Choose Us?

• Clinically focused content that addresses the challenges of the increasingly older and more complex patient population
• An opportunity to develop your confidence and skills specifically in the recognition and management of acutely ill adults
• A strong focus on current issues in acute care, and the practical application of knowledge
• Each module has a bespoke Moodle virtual learning environment to support your continued learning off campus
• A big choice of optional modules allows you to build a bespoke learning experience, most appropriate to your career plans
• Ongoing support from university staff to facilitate your development as a learner

Course structure

The management of patients who experience an episode of acute health deterioration has become increasingly challenging in recent years. The number of patients with multiple co-morbidities, of advanced age and who experience health inequalities is rapidly rising at a time of increasing patient expectations. NCEPOD (2011 p 5) published a report which contained “cogent evidence that today’s patients are more challenging than those the NHS dealt with, even ten years ago”. Another focus of this course is therefore the management of acute deterioration in adults who are complex. Your learning will be supported by contemporary, relevant case studies that reflect this.

You will study common aspects of management of acute deterioration such as oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, non-invasive ventilation and methods of haemodynamic monitoring. The focus will be on the management of common causes of acute physiological deterioration such as sepsis, acute coronary syndrome, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fluid and electrolyte imbalance and acute kidney injury.

This module aligns with the Professional Practice Programme philosophy and is designed to be flexible and practice-led. A blended learning approach is taken, incorporating classroom sessions, skills workshops and online activities via Moodle.You will be encouraged to think critically and share practice experiences with your fellow students, as well as engaging in both directed and self-directed learning activities. You will be an active partner in your own learning and development. In return you will receive regular feedback and feed forward aimed at developing your academic skills. You will have the opportunity to discuss your progress with the module at frequent intervals throughout the course.  This module also aligns with the Recognition, Assessment and Physiological Interpretation of Deterioration (RAPID) module on the acute pathway. This module should therefore ideally be studied second, if you plan to undertake both. It can of course however be taken as a module but itself, to achieve 20 credits (at level 6 or 7).