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Asthma and COPD in Adults

Continue your development as a healthcare professional. Gain the essential skills to deliver care to those with respiratory conditions. Build on your knowledge and clinical practice.

Two student doctors giving chest compressions with a student nurse on a simulation manikin
LevelShort courses and CPD
Duration5 months
Start dates12 March 2026
Fee£750
Course codeCID1510

Course summary

This short course will enable qualified healthcare practitioners, working in either a hospital or community setting, to gain the knowledge and assessment skills required to care for patients with common respiratory conditions who present with acute or chronic clinical episodes.

There are three routes available depending on your experience:

  • Management of Asthma and COPD in Adults (Level 6)
  • Understanding Asthma and COPD in Adults (Level 6) suitable for Nursing Associates
  • Developing Practice in the Management of Asthma and COPD in Adults (Level 7).

The course explores the patient journey from initial diagnosis, through acute episodes of illness, ongoing chronic disease management, and eventually to palliative care. There will be a focus on holistic wellness in respiratory disease, as well as on the importance of enhancing patients' self-management skills and ability to identify emergencies requiring urgent referral to secondary care services.

What you'll study

Topics covered on this course include:

  • Anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology relevant to common respiratory conditions
  • Differential diagnosis of asthma and COPD
  • Basic clinical examination of the respiratory system
  • Respiratory guidelines (national and local)
  • Consultation and assessment skills
  • Pharmacological management and devices
  • Non-invasive ventilation and oxygen usage
  • Respiratory emergency and acute treatment interventions
  • Health promotion
  • Patient self-management plans
  • Multidisciplinary team working and accessing services
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation
  • Palliative care.

How you'll learn

The course content will be taught by a team of knowledgeable and experienced staff, and delivery will be flexible depending on requirements. All sessions will be full days, and one session will be delivered per month for five months.

Working with a clinical mentor in practice isn't required; however, you're expected to work with senior, experienced colleagues to enhance your learning experience and synthesise classroom-based learning with practical clinical application.

Entry requirements

Fees and finance support

The employer usually meets course costs – we advise you to speak to your workforce development lead before applying.

We also accept self-funded applicants and encourage anyone wishing to explore their options to contact cpd@sunderland.ac.uk(opens in new tab).

Apply now

Contact the Corporate and Professional Education team for further information about applying for this course by calling 0191 515 3361(opens in new tab) or emailing cpd@sunderland.ac.uk(opens in new tab).