Collected learning resources and training to support advanced practitioners.
Welcome to the NHS Education for Scotland Multiprofessional Advanced Practice (AP) Toolkit.
Watch this short welcome video from Jane Harris, Head of Programme, Workforce Education and Career Development Team, NHS Education for Scotland.
A transcript of the video can be found here
The Advanced Practice Toolkit is a repository for credible and supportive resources and information on issues relating to advanced practice within NHS Scotland. This toolkit can be used by anyone working in or aspiring to work in advanced practice. Practitioners, educators and managers will find this a useful resource that provides easy to access relevant information and links in one place.
The toolkit aims to facilitate the professional development of advanced practitioners and provides easy to navigate links to useful information across four pillars of practice.
We need your support to keep the Toolkit contemporary and relevant to advanced practitioners. We would like you to share your ideas and recommendations for material. We have an application process to support this, you can access more information here.
To submit an application please use this form.
In this section you will find:
Advanced practice is a level of practice that incorporates the four pillars of practice. The four pillars of practice originated from work undertaken by Kim Manley in 1997. (Reference: Manley, K. (1997) A conceptual framework for advanced practice: an action research project operationalizing an advanced practitioner/nurse consultant role Journal of Clinical Nursing; 6:3, 179-190).
The pillars were articulated in the advanced practice toolkit which was developed in 2008 as a Scottish education resource. The toolkit was seen as relevant UK wide and consequently endorsed by Chief Nursing Officers across the UK. Exact terminology regards the pillars varies slightly across the UK.
This toolkit uses the four pillars of practice to organise information and resources that are relevant to advanced practice.
The four pillars are:
Within the pharmacy profession the pillars are described differently with the clinical pillar divided into two domains
Overall, the fundamental principles and values are consistent across the professions.
To help you navigate the site please watch this short video guide.
Transcript for Navigation video
To individualise your experience try using our toolkit user pathway. All you need to do is answer a few questions and you will be sent a list of sections/resources that you might find helpful.
Watch this video to see how it works.
AP Toolkit User Pathway Video Transcript
In this section we will keep you up to date on what is new for advanced practice and anything we have added to the site. This will be updated on a quarterly basis.
To access our What’s New archive, follow this link.
Advanced Practice Week is the 12th to 18th Nov. Let us know what you are doing to celebrate advanced practice in your teams.
Please get in touch via our mailbox advancedpractice@nes.scot.nhs.uk
We have a new way for you to submit content for the Toolkit.
There is a new NES Pharmacy Podcast now available: The NES pharmacy podcast | NHS Education for Scotland.
The podcast aims to provide updates on developments in pharmacy education as well as linking in with pharmacy teams in Scotland. There are 5 episodes currently available.
New Publications Section coming soon to the Evidence, Research and Development Pillar. We are keen to showcase the growing body of advanced practice research that is being written in Scotland.
If you have any publications, you would like to share in relation to advance practice then please get in touch via our mailbox advancedpractice@nes.scot.nhs.uk
RCM position statement on advanced practice
Keep up to date on the latest NMC Advanced Practice review information.
Key decisions:
Funding applications for the Multidisciplinary Rural Advanced Practice (RAP) MSc Programme 2024 are now open and close on 31 May 2024.
Applicants should be currently employed within a rural community team/ primary care (this might include those who cover community hospitals, as well as Primary Care) practice, providing healthcare services within NHS Scotland.
The prerequisite to apply for a NES funded place is that practitioners will have already completed Clinical Assessment and Non-Medical Prescribing Modules (these may be held at either SCQF level 9 or 11, which will enable entry into year 2 of the programme. Practitioners may exit the programme after year 2 with a Diploma in RAP or may choose to continue into year 3 and complete the full MSc RAP Programme.
Please note, only if places and funding allow, we may support some learners with NMP and Clinical Assessment.
To apply for the MSc in Rural Advanced Practice, you will require to meet the University of Highland & Islands admissions criteria.
Please contact the programme lead: Dr Clare Carolan at clare.carolan@uhi.ac.uk for further information.
To apply for funding from NES please click on this link to complete the questionnaire.
The role of the editorial board is to provide governance, expert advice, and subject matter expertise to refine, develop and maintain the quality of the advanced practice toolkit. The toolkit content has been reviewed by the editorial board and has gone through a process to ensure information is appropriate, relevant and of high quality for advanced practitioners working in Scotland. . Advanced practice will continually evolve, as consensus forms and as there is greater clarity the toolkit will continue to be updated.
The editorial board meets on a quarterly basis.
The advanced practice user forum is represented by advanced practitioners and educators across a range of professional backgrounds who:
If you would like further information about the Editorial Board or the Advanced Practice User Forum please contact the mail box: postreg.nmahp@nes.scot.nhs.uk
Advanced Practice Academies
The Advanced Practice Academies are a multi-disciplinary body that unites NHS Boards and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Scotland to support the professional development of advanced practice roles within healthcare professions and disciplines.
For more information follow this link.
We are interested to find out if there is anything we can do to improve the toolkit.