In this module, you will develop your knowledge of barriers and motivators to exercise (e.g. capability, opportunity, motivation) and of living with health conditions (e.g. pain, anxiety, depression, bereavement), including the influence of wider socio-cultural factors (e.g., ethnicity, gender, deprivation). You will explore the evidenced-based biological, psychological, and social mechanisms through which exercise impacts mental health and wellbeing. You will learn about contemporary evidenced based theories of behaviour change (e.g. Self-Determination Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Affective-Reflective Theory and Dual-Mode Theory) and implement these to inform approaches to support behaviour change. You will also learn how to apply basic evidence-based, client-centred, exercise counselling/coaching skills to understand goals, confidence, motivation, thereby effectively promoting exercise initiation and adherence (e.g., motivational interviewing). You will critically explore how behaviour change technique taxonomies are used and develop the ability to select and apply evidence-based techniques in practice to promote self-regulation of long-term exercise behaviour (e.g., barrier identification, action planning, self-monitoring). You will learn the importance of and how to consistently engage in reflective practice with the understanding of and use of reflective models. Ultimately, you will develop the ability to co-produce with the client/patient meaningful longer-term goals, beyond the weeks of focused/structured exercise, that lead to an enhanced quality of life, which includes sustainable levels of health-related physical activity (e.g. at home, workplace, part of transport etc); and to promote a healthy relationship with exercise and understand how to recognise, support and signpost in case of concerns (e.g., compulsive exercise).
Further information
This is your final consolidating module, and your opportunity to put all you have learned into your supervised practice opportunities. Please take care to attend to all the requirements of this module, such as the required clinical placement hours, to ensure that you meet the Academy for Healthcare Sciences (AHCS) requirements or your registration as a Healthcare Practitioner could be affected.Through engaging in a work placement and work based learning in this module you will explore:engagement with partners and people, local pathways, signposting, resources and records, professional relationships, effective communication, quality assurance, referral and self-referral, governance, monitoring and evaluation, physical activity and health opportunities, medical terminology, pre-exercise screening, pre-exercise assessment, functional and clinical assessment, targeted and tailored interventions, person-centred interventions, exercise prescription, data collection and evaluation, monitoring physical activity and exercise, monitoring clients, safety considerations; delegated responsibility, onward referral, professional boundaries, continuing professional development. You will be provided placement opportunities that will enable you to put your knowledge and skills into practice to experience the range of conditions and environments in the scope of practice with clinical populations. The structure of these may vary according to the placement host, for example, a single placement host may be able to provide access to patients with a range of health conditions, and to patients in clinical and outpatient/community settings. Whereas other placement hosts may provide opportunities with one health condition and in either clinical or community settings. In order that you are able to experience what is expected of our AHCS accredited programme, we work with a range of placement hosts that support high quality placements, and we have a dedicated University placement team, Student Futures, that help us to coordinate a high quality experience that meets our MSc accreditation requirements. In placement, you will be expected to practice in ways that provide a role model to others in terms of ethical integrity in both research and practice; upholding the highest standards of personal and organisational conduct, according the the Professional Standards of Behaviour and Practice for the Healthcare Science workforce, Good Scientific Practice (GSP, 2021).You will relate your work experience to the academic content of your MSc programme and reflect on the value of prior learning. You will focus on the self-assessment of personal learning outcomes supported early in the module. As you work, you will complete a placement log book detailing your experiences for each hour of placement. Reflective practice and critical thinking are key to your submissions for this module, as such you will also engage in reflective practice of you experiences as you progress in the module to enhance confidence and employability. As such, in addition to submission of logs, and a critical reflective report, you will also submit a video that evidences your applied work and demonstrates how you meet the principles laid out in the AHCS standards and the CEP-UK scope of practice. As part of the final assessment, your placement host/s will also provide feedback on your engagement and progress.
Further information
This module will introduce you to theoretical learning, experiences and practical skills relevant to the clinical exercise physiology environment. This will include: familiarity with equipment preparation; safe working practices; preparation and assessment of clients/patients; the ethical, professional and legal constraints associated with this environment; the Clinical Exercise Physiology UK Scope of Practice; referral to other practitioners or organisations; cardiorespiratory and stress-testing; ECG interpretation; NHS and ACSM guidelines; medication and drug interactions.
Further information
This module will follow on from Clinical Skills I. Throughout this module, you will continue developing your knowledge and practical skills required to work as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. You will develop your skills and techniques in relation to cardiopulmonary exercise testing, respiratory function, metabolism and appropriate tests to use in a field setting. As well as developing your technical ability you will gain an in-depth knowledge on interpretation of the data you collect.
Further information
This module considers exercise programming design, prescription, understanding and delivery for individuals with health conditions. It will include theoretical knowledge and practical experience. More specifically in this module you will learn how to design safe, effective and evidence-based interventions for clinical populations through gaining practical knowledge, using current guidelines and also appraising published scientific literature. You will develop the ability of how to consider multiple factors (environmental, physical, psychological, medical etc) to prescribe optimal exercise interventions in terms of modes, frequency, intensity, durations and how you can design progressions and regressions accordingly. A particular focus will be given to evaluating contraindications, identifying risks, and monitoring adverse signs as well as optimally monitoring and evaluating the outcomes of exercise interventions. The module content and assessments are designed to achieve the above goals.
Further information
This module will focus on the acute and chronic effects of exercise and physical activity on the human organism. During this module you will explore the concepts and principles, which underpin the interactions of the physiological systems and mechanisms in response to exercise. You will expand your knowledge in relation to the cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and skeletal muscular responses to exercise. You will learn about how the various physiological systems integrate with one another and how exercise responses can prevent non-communicable diseases. The need to increase physical activity levels/exercise as a treatment or prevention for many chronic diseases is a world-wide pursuit. Therefore during this module you will engage with literature from across the globe and be encouraged to draw on evidence from a wide variety of populations.
Further information
In this module you will cover the aetiology, statistics and treatments for a range of health conditions (cancer, cardiovascular, frailty, renal, mental health, metabolic, musculoskeletal, neurological and respiratory). During the module we will focus on the underlying pathophysiology of all these conditions. This module will highlight the relevant treatment side effects and key practical issues related to exercising with these conditions.
Further information