Atlantic Technological University has announced a new BSc Honours Degree in Clinical Measurement Physiology is available now through the CAO. This is the first undergraduate course in Clinical Measurement Physiology based in the west, making it more accessible to students along the Atlantic seaboard and will help address the shortage in the profession, nationally and internationally.
This new course was developed in strong collaboration with the professional body, the Irish Institute of Clinical Measurement Physiology. This new course is aimed to enable students to gain the qualification, skills, and competencies to work as a Clinical Measurement Physiologist – performing and reporting diagnostic tests for patients.
Clinical Measurement Physiologists work in five disciplines, Gastro-intestinal, Vascular, Neurology, Respiratory and Cardiac. This profession play an important role in the patient journey from diagnosis to recovery with eleven of the top twenty acute medical presentation requiring the input of at least one of the disciplines.
Dr Thomas Smyth, Head of the Department of Health and Nutritional Science, noted the importance of this first major clinical course in ATU Sligo commenting
“this undergraduate course dovetails perfectly with our graduate entry MSc programme which commenced this year. We will bring the expertise of our established and new lecturers to produce high quality Clinical Measurement Physiologists ready for their clinical roles”
Ms Karen Dobbyn, Director of Professional Development, IICMP noted the clear industry need and strong collaboration with ATU Sligo saying
“ there is a clear and pressing need to increase the number of graduates in Clinical Measurement Physiology. This has been raised at a national level with the HSE and the HSCP office. The professional body was delighted to work closely with ATU Sligo over the last two years to develop the graduate entry MSc and to then build on that relationship in the development of this new undergraduate programme. This will have a positive impact on the ability of departments to develop and expand the range of services they are providing in both the acute and community sector.”
Dr Jeremy Bird, Head of the Science Faculty at ATU Sligo Campus, spoke to the strategic importance of this course for ATU Sligo and healthcare provision, not only in the region but the country stating
“there is a recognised national shortage of Clinical Measurement Physiologists and ATU Sligo are delighted to work with the IICMP on this new programme. This positions the ATU as a key education provider supply clinical measurement physiologists on the western seaboard and nationally”
There is currently a significant shortage of Clinical Measurement Physiologists across Ireland, the UK and also internationally as far as Australia and New Zealand, with the workforce expected to grow in the coming years. Graduate from this programme will be eminently employable with many additional career pathways available to them.
For more information, please visit the course page.
Photo caption: Tanya Byrne, IICMS President & Chief Vascular Physiologist; Paul Nolan, Clinical Lecturer & Cardiac Physiologist ATU; and Karen Dobbyn, Director of Professional Development, IICMS..