Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Professions)

Open Study College

Assessments

Included in course price

Year 1: Unit 1 - Academic Study Techniques
Understand personal learning strengths and weaknesses.
Understand how to plan and organise study.
Be able to assess the reliability of sources of information.
Understand how to use reading strategies.
Understand note-taking methods.
Understand how to plan written work.
Understand how sources are referenced.

Year 1: Unit 2 - Roles and responsibilities of the healthcare professional
Understand the changes to the roles and responsibilities of a chosen healthcare professional.
Understand the role of a professional/regulatory body for a healthcare professional, for example HCPC and Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Understand the multidisciplinary approach to healthcare.

Year 1: Unit 3 - The Structure and Organisation of the Health and Social Care Sectors
Understand how health and social care are currently funded.
Understand the effects of a government reform on organisations.
Understand the relationship between statutory health care provision and the private and voluntary health care sectors.

Year 1: Unit 4 - Safeguarding
Understand the development of legislation guidelines, policies and procedures of safeguarding.
Understand the different categories and indicators of abuse.
Understand policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding in a given work related environment and their use.
Understand how different agencies within a multi-disciplinary team work together to safeguard individuals.
Understand the importance of application accepted Codes of Practice.

Year 1: Unit 5 - Human cell biology
Understand the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
Understand the functions of cell organelles.
Understand how materials are exchanged across the cell membrane.

Year 1: Unit 6 - Respiration and circulation
Understand the process of external respiration (ventilation) and gas exchange.
Understand the structure and function of the cardiovascular system.
Discuss the homeostatic mechanisms controlling respiration and circulation.

Year 1: Unit 7 - Nutrition and digestion
Understand the nutritional requirements of humans.
Know how to identify biochemical molecules in food.
Understand the principles of digestion and absorption in relation to the structure and function of the human gut.

Year 1: Unit 8 - Homeostasis and endocrine system
Understand the endocrine system.
Understand the effects of hormones.

Year 2: Unit 9 - Numeracy in a health context
Understand and use the four rules of number including in relation to units of measure.
Understand and use decimals, fractions and percentages, including in relation to units of measure.

Year 2: Unit 10 - The nervous system
Understand the structure and function of the nervous system.
Understand the autonomic nervous system.
Understand the effects a disorder can have on the nervous system.

Year 2: Unit 11 - The urinary system
Understand the human urinary system.
Understand the maintenance of water and salt balance.
Understand common diseases of the urinary system.

Year 2: Unit 12 - The human skeletal and muscular systems
Understand the function of the human skeletal system.
Understand the function of the human muscular system.
Understand the importance of maintaining the health of the muscular and skeletal systems.

Year 2: Unit 13 - Sociology of health
Understand differing definitions of the concepts of health, illness and disability.
Understand the social construction of health and ill health.
Understand competing sociological approached to the concept of mental illness.
Understand alternative approaches to health.
Understand sociological vies on the role of medical professionals.

Year 2: Unit 14 - Ethical Issues in Social Policy
Understand ethics.
Understand current legislation and policies.
Understand competing views in an ethical debate.

Year 2: Unit 15 - Professional behaviours: nursing and health professions
Understand the characteristics required to be a health professional making reference to the relevant professional and regulatory bodies.
Understand effective communication and teamworking skills.
Know how to manage risk and deal effectively with problems.

Year 2: Unit 16 - Care planning
Understand the care planning process.
Understand the roles of service users and providers in care planning.
Understand the issues surrounding patient consent.

Study method

You will study this course via distance learning, offering you the flexibility to study whenever and wherever you choose. Whether it’s from the comfort of your home or any other location of your preference, the choice is entirely yours.

However, you must ensure that you submit your assignments by the dates outlined in your assessment timetable. Rest assured, tutor support is readily available via email, so help is only a click away. Additionally, you will have access to video mentoring sessions with your tutor for graded units.

The study method you choose depends on your personal learning style. Your options are:

Study pack: if you choose the study pack option, you will be sent a set of printed course materials.

Study online: if you choose this option, you will be sent your login details to our online portal through which you will access your course materials digitally. You can access your course via a desktop/laptop computer.

Offering the academic equivalent of three A Levels, this Access to Higher Education Diploma for Health Professions provides a direct pathway to pursuing your dreams of becoming a nurse, midwife, paramedic, or other health professions.

You must be at least 19 years old, and you will also need to have a minimum of a grade C or 4 in GCSE English Language and GCSE Maths. Functional Skills Level 2 Maths and English will also be considered.

This qualification will also prepare you for progression into higher education subjects including, but not limited to:

• Midwifery
• Nursing
• Health science
• Pharmacy
• Paramedic science
• Radiography
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational health
• Other health-related degrees