Enhanced Clinical Practitioner - Level 6
Podiatry
This occupation is found in the health and care sector. Enhanced Clinical Practitioners are qualified health and social care professionals who are working at an enhanced level of practice with specific knowledge and skills in a field of expertise. They manage a discrete aspect of a patient’s care within their current level of practice, which will be particular to a specific context, be it a client group, a skill set or an organisational context. This is in contrast to Advanced Clinical Practitioners who have developed their knowledge and skills to an advanced level of practice and would manage the whole episode of a patient’s clinical care, from the time they first present, through to the end of the episode.
Skills and knowledge
To become an Enhanced Clinical Practitioner in Podiatry you will need:
- the ability to work well with others
- extensive knowledge of medicine and how the human body works
- sensitivity and understanding
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to enjoy working with other people
- knowledge of English language
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Qualifications
To become a Podiatrist, you must first successfully complete an approved degree. The undergraduate course takes three to four years to complete and involves a lot of practical work with patients, as well as theoretical knowledge. There is also a postgraduate option which takes 2 years. Once you’ve completed your degree, you’ll need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) before you can start practicing.
Career progression
Once you’ve qualified, you’ll have annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) check-ins, where you will discuss your career aspirations and plan how to achieve them, so you’re always moving forward.
You can choose to specialise in a subject or advance into management of a practice.
Another option is to move into your own practice.
You could focus on a specialist area like sports injuries or working with children.
You could join a professional body to get access to training in areas like nail surgery, diabetes and wound care.
Some people combine this with part-time working in the NHS.
To move into level 8, you could study for a Master’s (MSc) in a specialist subject.
Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Level 7
Advanced Clinical Practitioners are experienced clinicians who demonstrate expertise in their scope of practice. Advanced Clinical Practitioners manage defined episodes of clinical care independently, from beginning to end, providing care and treatment from the time an individual first presents through to the end of the episode, which may include admission, referral or discharge or care at home. They carry out their full range of duties in relation to individuals’ physical and mental healthcare and in acute, primary, urgent, and emergency settings (including hospitals, general practice, individuals’ homes, schools, and prisons, and in the public, independent, private and charity sectors). They combine expert clinical skills with research, education, and clinical leadership within their scope of practice. Advanced Clinical Practitioners work innovatively on a one-to-one basis with individuals as well as part of a wider team. They work as part of the wider health and social care team and across traditional professional boundaries in health and social care.