Course overview

Healthcare Practice Higher National Qualifications for England from Pearson:

• A course of study that is interesting and difficult but also memorable for the pupils.
• The fundamental topic knowledge required for pupils to advance successfully into postsecondary education or the workforce.
• A condensed structure: students complete a significant core of learning for the Level 4 HNC Diploma and can build on it for the Level 5 HND Diploma with specialised and elective modules related to their area of study of specialisation.
• There are general pathways at both levels, three specialist pathways for the Level 4 HNC Diploma, four specialist pathways for the Level 5 HND Diploma, and four specialist pathways at the Level 6 HND Diploma, so there is something to fit every student’s preferred area of study and aspirations for future advancement.
• Information that has been updated and is well matched to professional body, employer, and higher education needs.
• Assessments that take into account affective and practical skills together with cognitive skills (what students know) (respectively how they behave and what they can do).
• Assignments that are set by Pearson and unit-specific grading.
• Different learning styles can be accommodated for and enhanced by a flexible approach to assessment that supports advancement to Level 6 and also enables centres to give assessment pertinent to the local economy.
• All stakeholders, including professional bodies, universities, institutions, and students, should have faith in the validity and worth of the qualifications thanks to the quality assurance mechanisms described in Sections 6 and 7 of this Programme Specification.
• There are two sets of qualifications that are available, each tailored to the demands and goals of students looking to work in the medical field.
• The completion of the HND component of the Pearson BTEC Higher National in Healthcare Practice for England (Healthcare Assistant Practitioner) qualification, which is acknowledged as meeting the qualification requirements for the Healthcare Assistant Practitioner Higher Apprenticeship Standard, provides a route into employment for apprentices in pertinent healthcare and social care settings.

A health and social care themed learning method
The Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals for the health and social care sector acknowledge the existence of sector-specific employability-related knowledge and skills that support efficient practise throughout students’ learning. These are known as the “Practice Topics” and are incorporated into several units of the Higher National in Healthcare Practice for England credentials. In Section 2.7, more information on these Practice Topics is provided.

prerequisites for placement or work experience
For the Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Healthcare Practice for England, candidates must complete a Professional Learning and Development portfolio (PLAD), which must include reflective accounts, and at least 225 hours of work experience or placement in a health or social care setting.

A minimum of 450 hours of work experience or a placement in a health or social care setting are required for the Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Healthcare Practice for England, as well as the completion of a Professional Learning and Development portfolio (PLAD) that includes reflective accounts over the course of the qualification’s two-year duration.