Close

Emergency Care

PGCert

Key facts
Overview
How to apply
Tuition fees
Learning and assessment

Find a course

Expand

Key facts

Course code

PGC-EMC

Start dates

September 2025

Application deadline

1 August (for a September start)

Location

Headington (Marston Road site)

Course length

Part time: 9 months (Sept) / 12 months (Jan)

Department

Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery

Academic level

7

Academic credits

60

This course is not available to students classed as International for fees purposes.

Apply now

hlscpdadmissions@brookes.ac.uk

Overview

Our Postgraduate Certificate in Emergency Care enables UK registered healthcare professionals to achieve professional development and gain experience in this specialist area.

Our course covers the management of patients in an emergency department with differing care needs. You will have the opportunity to develop your:

  • knowledge
  • skills and understanding of assessment
  • planning, delivery and evaluation of care.

You will undertake learning assessments based around practice and the workplace. There is an emphasis on practice focused learning. You will be able to develop as a practitioner, transferring course skills to direct service provision. We place importance on your experience within the educational process, from both a personal and professional perspective.

Relevant national and international research and evidence based literature informs course content. This helps you expand the breadth of your studies and develop a depth of critical analysis and evaluation of practice.

nurse and students practicing procedures on medical practice doll

How to apply

Entry requirements

  • UK or overseas degree from a recognised institution or equivalent professional or other qualification.
  • Students must hold professional registration with the relevant Nursing and Allied Health Professional Body in the UK.
  • Students will normally have a minimum of 12 months post-registration experience in an emergency care environment.
  • Be working in a relevant clinical environment in which they can achieve the clinical skills required.
  • Have access to an appropriate practice supervisor within that area
  • Support of their line manager.

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Application process

Apply through our Moodle Portal.

Applications are dealt with on a first come, first served basis, so please act early to avoid disappointment.

If you only wish to take one module as a stand alone module (rather than as part of the PGCert), then you can apply to be a postgraduate associate student. 

Apply now

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
2024 / 25
Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year your fees will increase each year.

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

Financial support and scholarships

For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Learning and assessment

You will study three compulsory modules on this PG certificate

  • Sem 1: NURS7037 Adult Emergency Care (20 credits)
  • Sem 2: NURS7036 Childrens Emergency Care - 20 credits (or NURS7030 Advanced History Taking and Assessment, 20 credits - as alternative)
  • Sem 3: NURS7038 Developing Emergency Care (20 credits).

Assessment is 100% Coursework.

On successful completion of this course allows you will be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Emergency Care worth 60 CATS credits at Level 7.

nurse and students practicing procedures on medical doll

Study modules

Modules

Compulsory modules

  • Adult Emergency Care (20 credits)

    Semester 1

    This level 7 single practice module will provide students with a systems based approach of in-depth knowledge and skills in the assessment of adult patients within the emergency environment. Students will be expected to utilise their skills to critically examine key concepts and theories underpinning emergency care. This module will enable students to think more creatively in approaches and decisions, when assessing patients within emergency care. This will be achieved through reflection and discussion on theirs and others practice.

  • Children’s Emergency Care (20 credits)

    Semester 2

    This single level 7 practice module will provide students with an in depth knowledge and understanding in relation to providing care to a child in an emergency environment. Theoretical sessions combining lectures, seminars and practical sessions will enable development of skills in critical exploration of key theories and themes. Consolidation of knowledge will be achieved on the practical environment and with completion of practice competencies. Each student will be required to identify a practice supervisor, and will need to complete a minimum of 70 practice hours in a children’s emergency clinical environment with their practice supervisor.

  • Developing Emergency Care (20 credits)

    Semester 3

    This level 7 practice related module will allow in depth exploration of current developments in the health service that guides and shapes the provision of emergency care provided in England.  The module encompasses current innovations and trends that guide our practice. The focus of the module is for students to understand the drivers that influence emergency care and explore how change is managed and the complexities involved in implementing changes to enhance our clinical practice. Students will develop their ability to critically consider key theories and concepts as well as the skill to engage in contextual debate. Alongside this students will be encouraged to evaluate the effectiveness of their care through a process of reflection and discussion with their peers in the module.

Optional modules

Advanced History Taking and Assessment (20 credits)

Note this is an alternative to Children's Emergency Care, for practitioners who only work with Adult Emergency Patients. Applicants must have at least 2 years’ post registration experience, and have support from their clinical manager to undertake this module.

This single, level 7 practice-focused module provides students with the opportunity to develop critical thinking by enhancing their knowledge and skills in taking a comprehensive patient history and performing a thorough physical and psychosocial assessment.  Students are expected to demonstrate analysis and evaluation through their assessment skills, and ability to accurately communicate a patient / client health history and examination findings using appropriate terminology, reporting deviations from normal in a succinct manner to colleagues within the multidisciplinary team.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Learning and teaching

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy of the programme reflects its student centred, patient-centred and practice-focused approach.

The modules have an appropriate division between structured learning activities and private study. Opportunities for sharing existing and developing skills, knowledge and experience, are maximised. In order 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.

Assessment

Assessment methods used on this course

We will assess you with a variety of methods. Assessments give you an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge as well as the critical and reflective analysis required for professional practice.

  • NURS7037 Adult Emergency Care: Simulated scenario assessment
  • NURS7038 Developing Emergency Care: Poster presentation and abstract
  • NURS7036 Children’s Emergency Care: Case study essay and Learning contract
  • NURS7030 Advanced History Taking and Assessment: Practical Scenario Assessment and 'Evaluation of clinical skills practice' assessment.

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.