Course summary

Expand your role in providing eye care for children and young people. Take your career as an orthoptist, optometrist or ophthalmic nurse to the next level and become an advanced clinical practitioner. Course description Lead academic: Dr Charlotte Codina Advance your knowledge, skills and experience and become a leader in the field of paediatric ophthalmology. This course is designed for orthoptists, optometrists and ophthalmic nurses who provide eye care for children and young people and want to develop their careers and improve the services they provide. You will cover all four pillars of advanced practice: clinical practice, leadership and management, education and research. In your first year, you will study how to diagnose and manage a wide range of ophthalmology conditions that primarily affect children and young people, at an advanced level. You will apply this knowledge to your practice through work-based learning. In your second year, you will take our Clinical Leadership and Education in Ophthalmology module, which is the only module of its kind to focus on the knowledge and skills leaders and educators need when working in eyecare specifically. There are also optional modules on assessing and managing low vision patients, diseases that affect ocular motility, the prescription and non-prescription medicines that orthoptists can use, and research methods. The programme is led by practising orthoptists and eyecare experts. In your final year, you can work with them on an independent research project, either by collecting and analysing your data, or exploring the latest findings on a specific topic. This course is also available as an apprenticeship programme, which may be of particular interest to clinicians working in NHS Trusts who can access NHS England’s apprenticeship levy. Applying Before you complete your University of Sheffield application, you must have interviewed for and secured a trainee advanced clinical practitioner post. This will ensure you have the correct funding and supervision in place. After this, you will receive a link to a University of Sheffield online application form and be asked to download and complete our ACP admissions checklist. Your completed checklist and all required information should then be uploaded to the application form for your programme. Failure to do this will mean your application can not be considered. Accreditation This programme is accredited by the Centre for Advancing Practice. NHS England’s Centre for Advancing Practice has been established to standardise post-registration education by accrediting advanced practice courses that achieve the standards outlined in the multi-professional Advanced Practice Framework. Practitioners who have completed accredited education programmes will be eligible to be listed on the Centre’s Advanced Practice Directory. Please see our University website for the most up-to-date course information.