Clinical Practice

Health and care professionals working at the level of advanced clinical practice should be able to:

1.1 Practise in compliance with their respective code of professional conduct and within their scope of practice, being responsible and accountable for their decisions, actions and omissions at this level of practice.

1.2 Demonstrate a critical understanding of their broadened level of responsibility and autonomy and the limits of own competence and professional scope of practice, including when working with complexity, risk, uncertainty and incomplete information.

1.3 Act on professional judgement about when to seek help, demonstrating critical reflection on own practice, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and openness to change.

1.4 Work in partnership with individuals, families and carers, using a range of assessment methods as appropriate (e.g. of history-taking; holistic assessment; identifying risk factors; mental health 2 The capabilities have been mapped to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications FHEQ (2008) Qualifications Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) level 7 descriptors relevant for master’s level education (see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/qualifications-frameworks.pdf). Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England 9 assessments; requesting, undertaking and/or interpreting diagnostic tests; and conducting health needs assessments).

1.5 Demonstrate effective communication skills, supporting people in making decisions, planning care or seeking to make positive changes, using Health Education England’s framework to promote person-centred approaches in health and careviii.

1.6 Use expertise and decision-making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches when dealing with differentiated and undifferentiated individual presentations and complex situations, synthesising information from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence-based judgements and/or diagnoses.

1.7 Initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions which may include prescribing medicines, therapies, life style advice and care.

1.8 Exercise professional judgement to manage risk appropriately, especially where there may be complex and unpredictable events and supporting teams to do likewise to ensure safety of individuals, families and carers.

1.9 Work collaboratively with an appropriate range of multi-agency and inter-professional resources, developing, maintaining and evaluating links to manage risk and issues across organisations and settings.

1.10 Act as a clinical role model/advocate for developing and delivering care that is responsive to changing requirements, informed by an understanding of local population health needs, agencies and networks.

1.11 Evidence the underpinning subject-specific competencies i.e. knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to the role setting and scope, and demonstrate application of the capabilities to these, in an approach that is appropriate to the individual role, setting and scope.