Award Handbook 2010-2011 - Staffordshire University _practice_2010_tcm44-36511.pdf · Award Handbook RN / BSc (Hons) Nursing Practice RN / BSc Nursing Practice RN / Diploma Nursing

Award Handbook

RN / BSc (Hons) Nursing Practice RN / BSc Nursing Practice

RN / Diploma Nursing Practice

2010-2011

Adult, Child and M

ental Health

Staffordshire University | CREATE THE DIFFERENCE 2

Contents Welcome to Staffordshire University ............................................................................. 5

About Us .................................................................................................................... 6

Programme Leadership ............................................................................................ 6

Student Support ......................................................................................................... 6

Administrators ............................................................................................................ 6

Personal Tutor ........................................................................................................... 6

Our Philosophy of Nursing ............................................................................................ 7

Our Philosophy of Learning in Nurse Education ........................................................ 7

ADMINISTRATIVE AND GENERAL UNIVERSITY INFORMATION ............................. 8

YOUR NURSING PROGRAMME ............................................................................... 10

Programme Duration ............................................................................................... 10

Sites for Delivery ..................................................................................................... 10

Programme Structure .............................................................................................. 10

• AWARD STRUCTURE: RN/BSC (HONS)/BSC/DIPLOMA NURSING PRACTICE 14

Evidence and values based practice ....................................................................... 18

Professional nursing practice ................................................................................... 18

Health, primary and social care: .............................................................................. 18

Biological Sciences .................................................................................................. 19

Nursing Care: .......................................................................................................... 19

Award Exit points ..................................................................................................... 19

Teaching and learning ................................................................................................. 20

Learning Clinical Skills – skills laboratories ............................................................. 21

Your development as a learner ................................................................................ 21

Portfolio ................................................................................................................... 22

The Assessment Strategy ........................................................................................ 23

Principles of Assessment ......................................................................................... 23

Forms of Assessment: ......................................................................................... 23

Assessment Process............................................................................................ 24

Marking Process .................................................................................................. 24

Results..................................................................................................................... 25


Compensation and Condonation ............................................................................. 25

Re-Sitting a Module Assessment or Clinical Assessment........................................ 25

Marking, Feedback and Anonymity ......................................................................... 25

Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning Arrangements ................................... 26

Practice learning and assessment. .......................................................................... 26

AWARD OUTCOMES: BSC HONS NURSING PRACTICE .................................... 29

Rules and Regulations ................................................................................................ 37

Professional Behaviour and Attitude: ....................................................................... 37

Academic Behaviour: ............................................................................................... 38

Requirements for Registration ................................................................................. 38

Clinical Experience and Placements ....................................................................... 39

Complaints by Students Related to Standards of Clinical Practice .......................... 39

Suspension of Students from Clinical Practice ........................................................ 40

Student Errors and Incidents in Clinical Practice ..................................................... 40

Conscientious Objection .......................................................................................... 40

Elective Placement .................................................................................................. 40

Attendance .................................................................................................................. 41

Negotiated, flexible days.......................................................................................... 41

Sickness and absence ............................................................................................. 42

Late arrival ............................................................................................................... 42

Assignments and Assessed Work ............................................................................... 43

Presentation of Work ............................................................................................... 43

Behaviour during Exams.......................................................................................... 43

Submission of Assignments ..................................................................................... 44

Assessment in clinical practice ................................................................................ 44

Initial interview: .................................................................................................... 44

Formative assessment: ........................................................................................ 44

Summative Assessment of practice ..................................................................... 44

Progression and Achievement .................................................................................... 45

Qualifying and Entry to the Register ........................................................................ 45

Employability ........................................................................................................... 46

When things go wrong or you need help ................................................................. 46

Student Disciplinary Procedures .............................................................................. 47


Library...................................................................................................................... 47

Subject help and advice ....................................................................................... 47

Information Technology ........................................................................................... 48

Frequently Asked Questions .................................................................................... 48

Coping with Study and Course Demands ............................................................ 48

Placements .......................................................................................................... 49


Welcome to Staffordshire University

A warm welcome to the Faculty of Health at Staffordshire University, we are

really delighted that you have decided to undertake your course with us, joining our vibrant learning community at Staffordshire University. The Faculty has a long history in and experience of providing pre registration nursing education, and we are here to guide, encourage and support you throughout. We sincerely hope that you make the most of all development and learning opportunities that we offer and enjoy your journey to becoming a professional nurse.

This is the handbook for your award, containing essential information about your programme of studies, and you should take the time to read it thoroughly. The handbook is also available to you as an interactive document on the Faculty of Health website and is a useful first point of reference for any query that you may have with regard to your award and the services available to support you as a Staffordshire University student.

You will have enrolled for one of the two main pre-registration nursing awards;

• BSc (Hons) Nursing Practice • Diploma Nursing Practice

The purpose of these awards is to both prepare you for entry to the appropriate

part of the Professional Nursing Register and to provide you with an academic award commensurate with your learning outcomes. Your programme of studies meets the statutory requirements for nurse education (NMC 2004a), and comprises one year Common Foundation Programme leading to two year specialist Branch programmes in Adult, Mental Health or Children’s Nursing. Successful completion of your award allows you to apply for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Registered Nurse (Adult), Registered Nurse (Child) or Registered Nurse (Mental Health). On behalf of the team working with you on your studies, we hope you enjoy your programme of studies at Staffordshire University and wish you all the very best with your learning and achievement. We look forward to working with you and supporting you to achieve your goal. Donna Wareham Principal Lecturer Pre registration nursing Programme Leader


About Us During your programme you will have the opportunity to meet a range of staff within the university. We all work together as a team to provide the best learning experiences and opportunities for you. The following individuals are key points of contact for you. You will shortly be provided with the name and contact number of your personal tutor to add below. Module tutors contact details are provided in relevant module handbooks. Other contact details can be found in the staff directory on the University website.

Programme Leadership Programme Area Manager

Roy Thompson Tel: 01785 353754

Programme Leader Donna Wareham Tel: 01785 353766 Principal Lecturer Clinical Education

Terri Rapson Tel: 01743 261136

Award Leader – Shropshire:

Howard Russell Tel: 01743 261136 ext 3854

Award Leader - Staffordshire:

Sue Bowers Barry Wardle

Tel: 01785 353743 Tel: 01785 353727

Student Support Andrea Alker [email protected] Tel: 01785 353795 Amanda Holt [email protected] Tel: 01785 353795

Administrators Shrewsbury Campus Sue Reade

Kerry Thomas Lynn Wright

Tel: 01743 261136

Stafford Campus Reception: Clare Hannon Placements: Andy Worden

Tel: 01785 353766 Tel: 01785 353760

Personal Tutor Name e-mail Address Telephone number Please add the above when you have been introduced

mailto:[email protected]



Our Philosophy of Nursing

We live in changing, exciting times with increasing life expectancy, technology, science, medical advances, social change and public expectations all influencing the way that health and nursing care is developed and delivered. You are entering your nursing career at a time when the role of the nurse is developing, evolving and expanding at a greater rate than ever before. Governmental and social policy, together with changes to the organisation and management of the NHS are all contributing to changes in the nursing profession responding to the needs of contemporary society.

At a time of great change, the standards and values of nursing remain central in protecting the public and upholding the standing that the professional holds in society -these are laid down for us by our professional regulatory body – the Nursing and Midwifery Council and form the core of our philosophy of nursing throughout your programme of study. We believe and expect nurses to be caring, knowledgeable, skilled, proficient, evidence based, anti discriminatory and professional practitioners. We uphold a commitment to the service users, carers and families at the centre of nursing practice, working in partnership with them and upholding their rights. We believe that nurses should provide compassionate care, protecting vulnerable individuals and supporting children and adults to manage their health in an informed manner, at times advocating on their behalf. In providing individually centred care we uphold the importance of working effectively with a wide range of other professionals to increase the safety, continuity and quality of the healthcare experience.

We also believe in a commitment to upholding high standards of professional

conduct and performance, engaging in learning, competence and development throughout our careers, contributing positively and proactively to the dynamic health care environment.

Our Philosophy of Learning in Nurse Education In line with our philosophy of nursing, the key focus of the Awards is to develop caring, knowledgeable and skilled nurses who can adapt to the changing and dynamic nature of healthcare. The learning on your award aims to help you build your professional knowledge and competence, by helping you to integrate your experience and learning in nursing practice with theoretical teaching, directed learning and your independent exploration of the relevant theories, concepts, laws, ethics, policies, research and other evidence upon which nursing practice is based. Our ideas about how you learn are underpinned by adult learning theory - this means that we believe that you are self motivated and interested to learn and will become self directed in channelling your learning to develop your own professional Competence.


Our philosophy recognises that there are different types of knowledge (both professional and interprofessional) that you need to learn – the obvious one is the theoretical knowledge that underpins and inform everything that we do. In nursing this is drawn from many disciplines, and we help you to think critically about the knowledge that you are learning and help you to integrate this with your practice experience, through activities such as interactive lectures, online learning, seminars, enquiry based learning, small group work, inter-professional learning, directed and self directed reading. As nurses you also need to learn to conduct the different processes that contribute to safe and confident professional decisions and actions. These processes include learning how to find out and evaluate the knowledge you need for practice, how to solve problems in practice, how to communicate effectively with others and how to manage yourself and your own performance. In addition, we believe that there is third type of professional knowledge to learn – personal knowledge about ourselves. In order to enhance and improve our practice, as nurses we require the ability to understand how our assumptions and values (we may not even be aware of these) are impacting upon the way that we practice. We use activities such as social valorisation workshops, the values exchange website (online) group discussion, portfolio activities, supervision and action learning to help you explore and develop your process and personal knowledge. Finally, we believe that experiential (from experience) and reflective learning are integral, as they both require you to develop, utilise and integrate all the above aspects of professional knowledge with your practice experience. Experiential learning may be facilitated in skills laboratories and classrooms where you are being exposed to selected skills and experiences in a safe environment; however the majority of experiential learning will occur in the 50% of programme time that you spend developing your knowledge, skills and competence in practice settings. Reflective learning is facilitated throughout the programme, through individual reflection and reflective writing, through small group learning, through portfolio and assessment activities. Experiential and reflective learning are also facilitated through the allocation of a named practice mentor in order to help guide your day to day learning, experience and reflection in practice, so developing your nursing competence and confidence.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND GENERAL UNIVERSITY INFORMATION This award handbook aims to provide you with essential information about the awards that you have enrolled upon. General information standard to all students of the University is available in part II of this Handbook. General University information is also available on Staffordshire University website at www.staffs.ac.uk. Please access Part 2 at (Web link)if you are looking for further information on the University, Faculty and Pre registration nursing support available to you – including specific guidance and support for students with a disability, or those wishing to claim extenuating circumstances related to assessment submission. Please access the University Academic, Student and General Regulations that can be found on www.staffs.ac.uk.

http://www.staffs.ac.uk

http://www.staffs.ac.uk


In this first section, you will find information specific to the RN/ BSc (Hons)/BSC/ Diploma in Nursing Practice


YOUR NURSING PROGRAMME

Programme Duration A student undertaking a Nursing Award on a full time basis will normally complete this within a 3 year period (with the exception of nursing students who have successfully achieved accreditation of prior learning or experiential learning). If you need to take time out of the course for any reason, it is a professional regulation that you must return and complete the award within 5 years of its commencement.

Sites for Delivery You will be based in either Shrewsbury or Stafford for the taught/academic part of the Award, but you will be expected to attend other sites on occasions for key sessions. Placements may be in a range of sites across Staffordshire and Shropshire because practice experience is spread over a wide geographical area. It will therefore be necessary to travel in order to access the wealth of learning opportunities available. We cannot guarantee that all placements will be near to your home address. You can either use public or your own transport to and from placements if you wish. However, as a requirement you are expected to engage in the 24 hour cycle of care (in placements that provide it) and in considering this you need to be prepared that this will result in some early starts, late finishes and night duty during your placement experience.

Programme Structure Your award is a minimum 4, 600 hours in length and is delivered over an extended academic year (45 x 37.5hr weeks). 50% (2,300 hrs) is spent in practice and 50% (2,300 hrs) is spent in theory. The first year is a Common Foundation Programme which you will share with all other students in the programme, irrespective of your branch programme. The Common Foundation Programme provides the Foundation skills that all nurses need, irrespective of their branch specialty. After that you will enter the branch programme of your choice (NMC 2004, pg 24). Table 1 – Branches (NMC 2004, pg 24)

Adult branch You will learn about the nursing care of adults, from 18 year olds to older people, in a variety of settings for patients with wide ranging levels of dependency

Mental health branch

You will learn to care for people experiencing mental distress. The focus is on establishing relationships which help to bring about understanding as to how they might cope with their condition and maximise their recovery

Children’s branch You will learn about caring for children from birth up until the age of 18, using the principles of family centred care to help children be looked after by people who know them, and wherever possible, in their home environment


Each year, your learning is structured into three blocks – each containing one alternating block of theory and one of practice. The three blocks are spread over an extended 45 week academic year, with a further seven weeks identified as annual leave. Bank holidays are taken as they fall within the academic year. Each week is 37.5 hrs (5 x 7.5 hr days). The 45 course weeks comprise a combination of directed learning (contact) time spent within the university, self directed/independent study and time spent learning in practice. In addition, you will need to commit to additional study time to the equivalent of approximately 9 - 10 hrs each week over the 45 week academic year, although the amount of independent study time may vary from this depending on your study needs. There are three assessment points during the year where you will be required to submit either theoretical or practice assessment. Tables 2 – 4 give an example award schedule; however, it is important to note that your programme may vary slightly from this guide, depending on where annual leave has been situated for your cohort. You will be given a detailed timetable indicating your confirmed University, Practice and Annual dates at the beginning of the programme. Award Schedules are the same, whichever route of study you are take (i.e. Diploma or Degree). Table 2: Year 1 award schedule

Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Year 1 Induction week Theory block 1

7 weeks (35 days) full time block study-either University or self directed

Theory block 2 6 weeks(30 days) full time block study – either university or self directed

Theory block 3 4 weeks full time block study – either university or self directed study

Followed by followed by followed by Placement 1:

6 weeks (24 days) practice placement, with 1 day university or self directed study per week (6 days)

Placement 2: 10 weeks (40 days) practice placement , with 1 day university or self directed study per week (10 days)

Placement 3: 10 weeks (50 days full time practice placement

followed by Consolidation week Year 1 Assessment points

1st Theory end of theory block 2

2nd Theory end of theory block 3 3rd Practice : practice placement


Table 3: Year 2 Award Schedule

Block 4 Block 5 Block 6 Year 2 Theory Block 4

6 weeks (30 days) full time block study- either University or self directed.

Theory block 5 7 weeks(35 days) full time block study – either university or self directed

Theory block 6 5 weeks full time block study – either university or self directed

Followed by followed by followed by 8 weeks (32 days)

placement, with 1 day University or self directed study per week (8 days)

Placement 5: 8 weeks (32 days) practice placement, with 1 day university or self directed study per week (8 days)

Placement 6: 10 weeks (50 days full time practice placement

followed by Consolidation week Year 2 Assessment points

1st Theory: end of theory block 5

2nd Theory: End of theory block 6 : 3rd Practice : practice placement 6

Table 4 : Year 3 Award schedule

Block 7 Block 8 Block 9 Year 3 Theory Block 7

6 weeks( 30 days) full time block study – either university or self directed

Theory Block 8 9 weeks(45 days) full time block study – either university or self directed

Theory Block 9 3 weeks full time block study – either university or self directed

followed by

followed by followed by

Placement 7: 8 weeks (32 days) practice placement , with 1 day university or self directed study per week (8 days)

Placement 8: 12 weeks (60 days) full time practice placement

Placement 9: Elective placement (25 days) plus flexible 10 days Annual Leave

followed by 2 consolidation weeks

Year 3 Assessment points 3rd Theory End of theory block 9

Year 3 Assessment points

1st: Theory : End of theory block 8 2nd : Practice End of practice placement 8

3rd Theory End of theory block 9


From these tables you will note that during your programme there are three full time practice placements (practice placements 3, 6 and 8). In these three placements, you will undertake a summative assessment of your practice against identified practice outcomes. At the end of each year there will be a consolidation week. This week gives you the opportunity to reflect and consolidate your learning, to meet with personal tutors and to prepare yourself for the next level of learning and assessment. Please note that you have the responsibility to ensure that you meet with your Personal Tutor at least after every period of practice in order to review the Ongoing Achievement record (please refer to practice handbook for details) At the end of the third year there is a two week consolidation period focused on helping to prepare you for your role as newly qualified nurse. Your award consists of a number of modules; each module when successfully completed will gain you a number of academic credits. Modules are in units of 15, 30 or 60 credits. The modules that make up your award can be seen in Tables 5 – 8 and when successfully achieved will provide you with:

120 credits at Level 1 in Year 1 · 120 credits at Level 2 in Year 2

In the third year, the level of the learning outcomes you achieve will be dependent on the award you enrolled upon. However, there is some flexibility for you to transfer across awards at the beginning of year 3, depending that your record of achievement is congruent with the change in academic level and that this change also meets their personal needs and choices. If your record of achievement suggests that you may be a suitable candidate to transfer awards, this will be discussed with you by your personal tutor and award leader.

• If you enrolled on a Diploma pathway you need to successfully achieve 120 Credits at Level 2 in Year 3 to exit with Registered Nurse/ Diploma Nursing Practice

• If you opt to take and successfully achieve 60 credits at level 3 and the rest at level 2 you will exit with Registered Nurse / BSc Nursing Practice (ordinary degree). This is a useful option if you are achieving well at Diploma level but do not want to enrol for the full Honours Degree. This award makes it easier to ‘top up’ your award to achieve an Honours degree as part of your post registration Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

If you successfully achieve 120 credits at Level 3 in Year 3 you will exit with a Registered Nurse/BSc (Hons) Nursing Practice. 10


AWARD STRUCTURE: RN/BSC (HONS)/BSC/DIPLOMA NURSING PRACTICE TABLE 5 YEAR 1: CERTIFICATE LEVEL (COMMON FOUNDATION PROGRAMME)

MODULE CREDITS LEVEL STATUS HEN50050-1 Introduction to information and communication skills Module Delivery during theory blocks 1 and 2 and placement 1

15 1 Core

HEN50051-1 Evidence, values and the nature of knowledge Module Delivery during theory blocks 2 and 3 and placement 2

15 1 Core

HEN50052-1 Healthy Individuals and Communities Module delivery during theory blocks 1,2,3 and placements 1 and 2

30 1 Core

HEN50053-1 The Foundations of Professional Nursing Care Module delivery during theory blocks, 1, 2 and 3 and placements 1, 2 and 3.

60 1 Core


TABLE 6: YEAR 2: INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (BRANCH PROGRAMME )

MODULE CREDITS LEVEL STATUS HEN 50056-2 Developing Professional Nursing Practice Module delivery during theory blocks 4,5,6 and placements 4 and 5

30 2 Core

HEN50059-2 Evidence based practice values, appraisal and decision making Module delivery during theory blocks 4 and 5 and placement 4

30 2 Core

HEN 50060-2 or HEN 50061-2 or HEN50065-2 The application of mental health or children’s or adult nursing care Module delivery during theory blocks 4, 5 and 6, placements 4, 5 and 6

60 2 Core


TABLE 7: YEAR 3 (BRANCH PROGRAMME) RN/ BSc (Hons) NURSING PRACTICE HONOURS LEVEL

Module Credits Level Status HEN50066-3 Managing professional nursing practice Module delivery during theory blocks 7, 8 and 9, placements 7 and 8

30 3 Core

HEN50067-3 Evidence based practice development Module delivery during theory blocks 7 and 8 placement 7

30 3 Core

HEN50068-3 or HEN50069-3 or HEN50070-3 The integration of adult or children’s or mental health nursing care Module delivery during theory blocks 7, 8 and 9 placements 7 and 8

60 3 Core

TABLE 8 : YEAR 3 (BRANCH PROGRAMME) RN/ BSc NURSING PRACTICE ORDINARY DEGREE

Module Credits Level Status HEN50058-2 Managing professional nursing practice Module delivery during theory blocks 7, 8 and 9, placements 7 and 8

30 2 Core

HEN50057-2 Evidence based practice development Module delivery during theory blocks 7 and 8 placement 7

30 2 Core

HEN50068-3 or HEN50069-3 or HEN 50070-3 The integration of adult or children’s or mental health nursing care Module delivery during theory blocks 7, 8 and 9 placements 7 and 8

60 3 Core


TABLE 9: YEAR 3 (BRANCH PROGRAMME) RN/DIPLOMA NURSING PRACTICE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Module Credit Level Status HEN50058-2 Managing professional nursing practice Module delivery during theory blocks 7, 8 and 9, placements 7 and 8

30 2 Core

HEN50057-2 or HEN50067-3 Evidence based practice development Module delivery during theory blocks 7 and 8 placement 7

30 2 or 3 Core

HEN50062-2 or HEN50063-2 or HEN 50064-2 The integration of adult or children’s or mental health nursing care Module delivery during theory blocks 7, 8 and 9 placements 7 and 8

60 2 Core

Successful achievement of any of the above awards will entitle you to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. In addition, in achieving the award outcomes, you will also be achieving a range of key transferable skills which are

transferable to other contexts within and external to Nursing recognised by a wide range of employers personally useful throughout life contribute to job satisfaction and progression

Modules are delivered over two or three theory blocks and always include at least one practice placement block in order that you are able to consider the module theory that you are learning in relation to your practice experience. During your formative placements (1, 2, 4, 5, 7) you will have a day each week to either engage in directed learning activities/ have tutorial contact within the University or to spend in self directed, independent learning activity related to the modules that you are studying. Modules run concurrently -you will always be studying more than one module at a time. You therefore need to consider how you share and manage your study time between modules. With the exception of year 3, the schedule ensures that all first attempt theoretical assessments have been submitted prior to the full time practice placement each year. This is to help you focus on the achievement of your summative practice assessment. Each year, the ‘nursing care’ modules include both theoretical and practice assessment within their assessment strategy. Assessment of practice is not graded, but awarded a Pass/Refer/Fail mark – in fact you will notice that on the module


descriptors assessment of practice it is rated at 0%. This means that it will not contribute to the classification/ grade awarded to you in the module, however as well passing the theory elements of the module you must achieve a Pass in your assessment of practice each year in order to pass that module and the award. The regulatory body (NMC) also state that you must have an ongoing achievement record (OAR). Which you will be required to ensure is kept up to date and seen/ completed and signed by your mentor.

Module handbooks are provided for each module and include the learning outcomes, learning strategies and detailed guidance designed to support you in your learning and in achieving and submitting the assessment methods for that module, which must always be read in conjunction with University academic regulations. You have the opportunity to constructively evaluate every module and placement. This provides valuable feedback and information for maintaining and improving the quality of the student experience. Modules that you study are underpinned by a number of themes. Evidence and values based practice: Nurses must base their decision making in the best available evidence for the care to be provided. At the same time, nurses need to promote “a culture that values and respects the diversity of individuals and enables their recovery” (DH 2006c, pg 5) with values influencing both the way in which health care is accessed and the ways in which nursing care is delivered. You will explore the philosophy of nursing, science and nursing science, evidence based health, nursing & social care, different types of evidence and research applicable to practice. You will also focus on the relationship between the evidence that informs clinical decision making and the values and communication that enables service users, their families and carers to be at the centre of the evidence based decision making process. Personal values will also be explored through the use of social valorisation workshops and developmental small group work. This theme particularly relates to the Evidence and Values based practice modules in years 1, 2 and 3. Professional nursing practice: In the United Kingdom, nursing values are embedded within the Code of Conduct (NMC 2008) with nurses personally accountable for promoting and safeguarding the interests and dignity of patients and clients, identifying and respecting preferences regarding care within limits of professional practice. Within the professional practice modules, you will focus on the development of professional and ethical values, equality and diversity. The professional, ethical and legal aspects of nursing, accountability and professional regulation, portfolio development, inter-professional working, leadership and management, personal and professional learning and development of self and others, will be explored. The importance of treating patients and clients with dignity, respect, care and compassion, will be emphasised. This theme relates particularly to the modules ‘Foundations of professional nursing care’ and the year 2 and 3 Professional Practice modules. Health, primary and social care: Future demographic and social trends are creating a need to develop skills, knowledge, understanding and competency to provide nursing care across boundaries, in a range of settings including hospital, in the home or in settings closer to home. In the Common Foundation programme, you will explore the concepts of public health and health promotion and influences affecting the bio-


psychosocial health of individuals, families and the wider community. The role of the nurse in public health and primary health promotion is introduced. Within the branch, in the professional practice and nursing care modules you will learn how to enable patients and service users to gain maximum understanding about the factors affecting health and illness and ways of achieving maximum self care, health maintenance or improvement at individual, social and community levels in order to live independently at home or with support in a setting close to home. Discussion of wider social policy and its implications is also integrated into the evidence based practice and professional practice modules in branch. This theme also helps to prepare you for the wide variety of settings in which you may work as a qualified nurse. Biological Sciences: This theme is focused on developing your understanding of normal human physiology and anatomy, patho-physiology, therapeutics, pharmacology and is essential in order for you to understand the rationale for all aspects of therapeutic nursing care. In the first year, normal physiology is learnt in relation to the healthy individual, with therapeutics and pharmacology integrated into the Foundations of Nursing Care. In the second and third year, biological sciences are integrated into the nursing care modules, also paying detailed attention to your ability to calculate and administer medication safely and competently. Nursing Care: Nursing care requires you to integrate the knowledge and skills that you are developing in all aspects of the programme into the organisation and delivery of care of service users, their families, carers and significant others. In order to safely and competently deliver nursing care you need to integrate this knowledge into the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care delivery in acute settings, at home and settings closer to home, within your own specialist branch of practice. This includes the development of essential nursing skills (NMC 2007) including organisational aspects of care, infection prevention and control, nutritional and fluid management and medication management. The nursing care theme is delivered in the nursing care modules within each year of the programme and as an integrating theme, incorporates your practice learning and assessment. Award Exit points You need to achieve all module and practice assessments in order to receive the nursing practice awards and eligibility for nursing registration. If, however, you decide to leave the nursing practice awards you may be eligible to receive an equivalent exit award in health care studies if you have successfully achieved: 120 credits at level 1: Certificate Health Care Studies 120 credits at level 2: Diploma Health Care Studies 60 credits at level 3: BSc Health Care Studies


Teaching and learning Effective methods of teaching, learning and assessment are fundamental to the success of the Award in ensuring fitness for practice. Teaching and Learning is divided equally between theoretical learning (50%) and practice learning (50%). Central to all teaching and learning strategies is that they are:

practice centred, aimed at integrating theory and practice, promoting an evidence based approach to practice developing your greater independence as a learner as the Award progresses.

You can expect a wide range of strategies to be utilised, reflecting your level of knowledge in the subject area, and the diversity of knowledge and experience that we all bring to the programme. We recognise and celebrate the different contributions that we can all make as this makes a stimulating learning environment for us all. We therefore aim to offer a range of learning approaches that reflects not only the subject matter to be delivered, but also takes consideration of your individual student needs. Whatever approach is taken, your participation in these processes is crucial to its success, not just for you but for your wider student group. A range of approaches are therefore employed to ensure that;

students with different learning styles experience a diversity of learning methods are supported.

students experience learning methods appropriate to the learning outcomes

there is parity in the students’ experiences of learning methods. students learn to maximise their own learning even when the method is

not their favoured one. You will be expected to participate in:

Lectures Workshop – group tasks Seminar – student presentation, discussions, role play sessions Electronic Learning including participation is discussion forums Practice placements which include practising while being observed and

receiving feedback Enquiry based learning including problem based and action learning Reading – both directed and self directed Personal self directed study as well as teacher directed study Practice simulation in a skills laboratory (for communication and

psychomotor skills development) Interprofessional learning events


Learning Clinical Skills – skills laboratories Nursing is a practice based discipline and the acquisition of clinical skills is essential for your development as a nurse. All Nursing Awards in the United Kingdom leading to registration must prepare students to achieve the stated competencies, including communication and psychomotor skills. You will have dedicated skills teaching sessions in small groups within dedicated skills laboratories in each year of your programme of study as an integrated part of your nursing care modules. Learning skills in the skills laboratories provide you with the opportunity to observe and practice skills within a safe environment and help to facilitate your integration of theory with practice for from the onset of the Award. This is important to help build your confidence by practicing skills under close tutorial supervision prior to using them in the clinical environment. Skills’ teaching is carried by nursing lecturers together with dedicated skills facilitators. Experiential learning is an important facet used in nurse education so experiences in the Skills Laboratory are used to simulate “real” experiences to which you may be exposed in practical placements. Tutors will act as facilitators in enabling you to reflect on your clinical experiences in order to consolidate learning. As part of your clinical skills teaching you will undertake an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) which is a simulated assessed demonstration of safe asepsis. This will take place within the Common Foundation Programme. Due to the nature of your learning in the skills laboratory and the simulated experience we aim to create there are specific guidelines designed to maintain this environment and protect your personal safety. Please ensure you have read the STUDENT CONDUCT REGULATIONS before your first session in the skills laboratory.

Your development as a learner The ability to organise and direct your own learning is an important skill. Skills for directing your learning are introduced early in the Award, both in welcome week and in module teaching. You will be required to develop and use these increasingly as the Award progresses. Through module teaching, learning exercises, through the support of module and personal tutor, specialist study skills facilitators and your mentors in practice you will be guided to:

set clear realistic and achievable goals achieve objectives devise action plans identify the boundaries of self-directed learning maintain personal and professional standards understand the concept of evaluation seek and utilise feedback develop and maintain a student portfolio


We encourage you to develop a questioning and analytical approach, to develop your knowledge and to present an informed opinion and aim to provide a safe and supportive environment in which your contribution to learning is received positively.

Portfolio The NMC state the need to maintain a Portfolio throughout your Nursing career. Your student Portfolio therefore forms an important part of the learning and assessment strategy in each of the awards, helping you to learn the skills you need to direct your learning and maintain a Portfolio throughout your career. Your Student Portfolio is a way of identifying and recognising your unique contribution to nursing practice. Developing the portfolio facilitates Personal Development Planning (PDP) and enables you to become more self-aware, allowing you to recognise how your experiences, skills, attitudes and beliefs affect your nursing practice and career development. It will also, at a later point, help you to complete job application forms, compile curriculum vitae and prepare for interview and form the basis of your Personal Professional Portfolio required by the NMC. The Student Portfolio has been designed to record your development during your Award. It will assist you to consider your own practice by using techniques to plan learning such as self assessment, setting related learning objectives and action plans as well as recording evidence of your achievement. It is also expected that you will record your reflections in and on practice within your portfolio through the use of journals or learning logs and more detailed examples of reflective writing. Records of action learning, clinical supervision and episodes of critical incident analysis may also be captured. Within your portfolio the concepts of anonymity and confidentiality must be respected at all times. In order to facilitate the development of your student portfolio, you are provided with a range of tools including an e-portfolio system (pebble-pad). You will be able to access this following your induction once you have been given a user name and password to access online facilities. You can choose to work on your e-portfolio as an online tool, as a adjunct to your paper portfolio if you prefer. Can you can print the learning tools and proformas in pebble-pad in order to use it as a paper portfolio. The portfolio and the concept and skills required to keep it will be introduced to you in the initial ‘Introduction to information and communication module’. You will be expected to start using your e-portfolio tools during this initial introduction and continue throughout the course. Because a portfolio guides your learning and records your development and achievement, it should not be left until it is required for assessment purposes, indeed this would be detrimental as it is impossible to accurately remember stages in your development retrospectively! However, we understand that the concept and skills of portfolio development can be difficult to understand initially and urge you to contact your personal or module tutor immediately if you are struggling with any aspect. Your personal tutor will discuss and encourage your progress in developing your portfolio at periodic personal progress tutorials.


You will use the portfolio to support the assessment of your competence and professional development, collecting within it the supporting evidence of learning, reflection and achievement required by mentors when completing their summative (final) assessment of practice at the end of each year. In addition, your ability to manage and develop your portfolio as part of your professional development forms the basis for your viva voce examinations which are held at the end of year 2 and 3 respectively.

The Assessment Strategy The first aim of the assessment strategy is to enable you to demonstrate that you have achieved the outcomes of each module and ultimately the award outcomes at the level commensurate to the level being studied. Secondly it aims to provide you with ongoing formative assessment and feed back to help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your performance and manage your development accordingly. The third aim of the assessment strategy is to enable you to demonstrate that you have met NMC (2004) requirements and standards for nursing within your branch of practice. Consequently all assessments are focused around practice, in recognition that assessment will guide specific learning relevant to branch needs and context.

Principles of Assessment The strategy for assessment on your award has been based on a number of principles: it provides a variety of assessment methods to enable you to demonstrate different strengths and personal, intellectual and professional development .It measures your achievement commensurate with module and award outcomes • it is underpinned by equity, integrity and fairness • there is a consideration of your overall workload • it supports and enables your development of competence • it provides the opportunity for you to develop skills that are transferable to other settings • it facilitates your lifelong learning • it is centred around your learning and development You are provided with the criteria used to assess theory and practice at the beginning of each academic year. In addition, within the nursing care modules, where assessment in clinical practice is required, the NMC practice outcomes and proficiencies are clearly stated.

Forms of Assessment: A range of assessment methods will be used to give you the opportunity to show your different strengths and to demonstrate personal, intellectual and professional development as you progress through the Award. These methods will include Student Portfolio Development, Multiple Choice Examination, Viva Voce Examination, Seen examination, Reflective Writing, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE), Written Assignments/Essays, Practice Assessments relating to NMC Professional Outcomes/Competencies and classroom presentations to peers. Formative Feedback Assessment work is supported by developmental or formative appropriate timely feedback. The details are included in the Student Support and


Guidance Policy. Students are provided with specific support regarding additional assessed needs and assignment referral/failure.

Assessment Process All assessment methods will be underpinned by the principles of equity and fairness that is assured and monitored through a system of internal and external scrutiny that complies with the University’s Undergraduate Modular Framework Regulations

Marking Process Students have two attempts at each assessment of theory; with a third retake opportunity determined by the Assessment Board. There are two assessment opportunities for practice. Students must pass both theory and practice based assessments in order to pass the Award. Grading criteria have been set for certificate, diploma and degree levels and is related to the overall grade point achieved by the student. D4 (40%) is the minimum pass criteria employed in this Award. The University Assessment Regulations will be implemented; parity and consistency are assured by the process of internal moderation and external examination. Any results or feedback you receive prior to confirmation by an external examiner will be treated as provisional and may be subject to change. Clinical Assessment of Practice is based on Outcomes for entry to the Branch Programme and Proficiencies for entry to the Register. Summative assessments are undertaken based on Pass/Refer/Fail criteria. The University reserves the right to intermit or withdraw your registration if your continued absence (unless authorised) in the view of the Faculty, threatens your ability to progress / complete your award satisfactorily and/or meet the learning outcomes of the module(s) you are registered on. Further, if you are absent due to illness and are registered on an award based in the Faculty of Health, you may be referred to the Fitness to Practice Committee for consideration of your continued suitability to study on the award for which you are registered. Placement students are to check their e-mail at least once per month. Please note that Correspondence ‘in writing’ includes hard copy or e-mail. The assessment schedule for 2010/11 will be published on the Faculty Web Site. Submission dates and times Dates for submission of theoretical assessment will be 12.00 noon on Wednesday of the week indicated in the Assessment Schedule located on the web pages. Clinical Assessment of Practice documents must be submitted by 12.00 noon of the Monday indicated on the Assessment Schedule located on the web pages. Students may hand in assignments no earlier than five working days prior to the submission date. All results will be published at 09.00 am on Wednesday of the week indicated. Feedback will be normally provided within four weeks of the date of submission.


Results The assessment schedule will detail the dates when assignments, examinations are due and results will be available. Work can be collected from the main reception on the Stafford and Shrewsbury Campuses.

Compensation and Condonation You must pass both the theoretical and practice components to successfully complete the Award. The University Undergraduate Modular Framework regulations apply to module failure except that; compensation and condonation does not apply to students undertaking modules/awards within nursing. This is due to the professional requirement to achieve a satisfactory standard in all aspects of the Award. Please note that if you are reassessed in any module the maximum grade, which can then be awarded to you, is that of the lowest pass grade [i.e. grade point D4(40%)]. This is the grade that would contribute to the calculation of your degree/diploma classification.

Re-Sitting a Module Assessment or Clinical Assessment Should it be necessary for you to re-sit a module or academic assessment you should follow the advice provided in the letter informing you of your result. A third attempt may be available to you, for theory only, at the discretion of the Assessment Board. If you wish to appeal against any result you should follow the University guidelines.

Marking, Feedback and Anonymity Completed marking/feedback forms, can be collected from the Faculty Office and are subject to confirmation of External Examiners and final ratification. In unusual circumstances such as student absence results may be posted. Coursework will be available for collection from the Faculty Office on the date of result publication. End of year results for all Nursing modules and details of students’ progression or final Award status will be published when ratified by the Academic Registrar. Coursework and examinations are marked anonymously where appropriate (although this is not possible with assessed presentations, assessment of practice, OSCE’s, Viva Voce examinations and a minority of other assessments). Please ensure that you use your student number and not your name on the front sheets of assignments in order to protect your anonymity.


Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning Arrangements During your Award it may be possible to gain exemption from a module or modules or from placement if you have suitable previous experience or qualifications. This is known as Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) or Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). You will have been sent information about this prior to commencing your Award. If however you have not applied for APL/APEL and think you may be eligible, please contact your Personal Tutor for advice or refer to the Guidance Notes for Accreditation of Prior Learning / Experiential Learning for Pre-Registration Nursing Students for details. See appendix 2.

Practice learning and assessment. Ensuring the quality of your clinical learning and assessment is a joint responsibility of the university, local NHS Trusts and other placement providers. You will experience a variety of placements; however, no assessed placement will be less than four weeks in length. Further details are outlined in your clinical placement handbook. Your named mentor must work with you for a minimum of 40% of your placement time (NMC 2006) to ensure that they are able to make an informed and evidenced judgement of your competence. Mentors will use observation of your practice as a main method of assessment, but will support this with discussion and questioning to establish aspects such as your knowledge base and rationale for practice. They will also discuss with you the additional evidence that they expect you to provide to support their judgement further -this will include evidence from your portfolio, and ongoing achievement record which must be available at all times. Although mentors have a responsibility to work with you for at least 40% of your time, we expect you agree to work alongside your mentor whenever this is possible and appropriate. This will mean working shifts in placements that operate shift systems, including evenings, weekends and nights, within the guidance given to you in the clinical placement strategy. At the beginning of your placement you will need to discuss and agree working patterns with your mentor. If for any reason you are temporarily unable to undertake the normal pattern of shift work within an area, please discuss this urgently with your personal tutor and placement lead for that area so that an appropriate accommodation can be made. You are expected to experience the 24 hour cycle of care as an NMC requirement for your course and therefore such accommodation can only be made on a temporary basis. During placement 8 of your award, you will be assigned a named ‘sign off’ mentor, who meets the NMC (2006) requirements for signing off proficiency. The sign off mentor will utilise information from your Ongoing Achievement Record (OAR) in conjunction with your clinical assessment document in order to make this final judgement. Using the OAR provides the mentor with evidence of your progress and achievement throughout the programme. You will undertake nine practice placements in your programme, the last of which is an elective placement choice. You will undertake continuous assessment of practice in every placement that you attend, with formative assessment occurring in placement 1,


2 (CFP) 4, 5 (yr 2) and 7(yr 3) and with summative progression points in placement 3 (CFP), placement 6 (branch year 2) and with final sign off of proficiency in placement 8. Your mentors must have completed a recognised programme of preparation and update as laid out in the Faculty of Health Mentors Principles and Operational Statement and be ‘live’ on their local register of mentors . They will not be eligible to undertake your summative assessment of practice if they do not meet these criteria. We will support you and your mentor with the clinical assessment process whenever this is required. If they or you have any concerns about your progress, the advice is to contact your local clinical placement facilitator or personal tutor at the first available opportunity. The quality of your placement is monitored annually through the educational audit process. Referral in assessment of Clinical Practice If you are referred at the first attempt in your assessment of clinical practice, a meeting will be arranged between yourself, your mentor and your Personal Tutor. The following issues will be discussed and planned:

Identification of weaknesses Development of Learning contract Creation of opportunities for supervised practice Support required.

You will have one further opportunity to achieve your assessment; time is built into the placement allocation to allow you to achieve this.


AWARD OUTCOMES: BSC HONS NURSING PRACTICE Table 10: On completion of each level of study the student will be able to:

S.U Common Learning Outcome Certificate Intermediate Honours Knowledge and understanding Demonstrate knowledge of

nursing related concepts, theories, skills, standards and risk factors in order to make safe contributions to the assessment, planning and implementation of an individual’s nursing care

Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of nursing related concepts and principles that underpin comprehensive assessment of needs, risks, subsequent care delivery and evaluation for individuals experiencing care in a range of settings

Demonstrate systematic acquisition and detailed understanding of contemporary nursing knowledge in order to provide rationale and justification for the delivery of safe and competent nursing care for service users across a range of settings

Learning Utilise knowledge of NMC Code of Conduct and relevant professional, ethical principles and values in order to safely contribute to values based professional nursing practice and decision making

Analyse competing and conflicting priorities in a nursing workload, recognising professional and ethical boundaries and limitations and managing own practice within the NMC Code of Conduct

Critically analyse the management of own professional, ethical, legal and values based nursing practice in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct, recognising boundaries and the limits of own professional knowledge and competence

Enquiry Demonstrate the information literacy and ability to access and understand the wide range of evidence on which practice is based, identifying examples of where and how this evidence is used in planned nursing interventions

Demonstrate knowledge of the main methods of nursing enquiry including assessment and evaluation methodology

Select and deploy accurate established techniques and tools for holistic and systematic nursing assessment, evaluation and development, evaluating the ethical use and management of information in nursing

Analysis Utilise a developing knowledge of nursing related theory, skills and standards to contribute to the evaluation of individual nursing care

Evaluate the outcomes of episodes of individual care, identifying where practice needs to be altered or adapted in order to meet the needs of individual service users across a range of care settings

. Describe and critically comment upon the current research and evidence base supporting nursing practice, using this to critically evaluate the effectiveness of health interventions, nursing care, problem solutions, multi disciplinary collaboration and the revision and


enhancement of care delivery Problem Solving Contribute to the caring solution

of nursing problems, utilising developing knowledge of the contexts in which individuals make health decisions in order to promote individual choice, dignity and partnership throughout the care pathway

Demonstrate an evidence and values based approach to problem solving in nursing practice in partnership with service users, colleagues and other members of the multi agency team

Develop appropriate nursing questions and provide systematic, evidence and values based decisions and solutions to identified health and nursing problems within the context of multi disciplinary, holistic care

Communication . Consider use of communication methods in developing effective interpersonal relationships with service users, carers and members of the health care team, demonstrating self-awareness of potential communication barriers, the influence of personal values, the acknowledgement of appropriate boundaries, personal strengths and areas for development

Utilise theories of communication and feedback from others to evaluate the effectiveness of own repertoire of communication methods and styles for delivering caring anti discriminatory practice

Communicate information and ideas effectively in order to lead a values based, safe and dignified multi professional care environment, recommending strategies for the enhancement of communication where appropriate

Application Develop initial skills in the assessment of health needs and the identification of opportunities for health promotion, utilising awareness of factors affecting the health of individuals in communities.

Utilise knowledge of factors contributing to ill health to plan, prepare and deliver health promotion aimed at improved understanding and decision making for a service user or group of service users

Apply methods of enquiry, lifelong learning and reflection to the further development of own knowledge, understanding and competent delivery of contemporary nursing practice, devising and sustaining arguments that support health and nursing interventions

Reflection Demonstrate the ability to take responsibility for, undertake and achieve individual learning, through self assessment, identifying and planning personal learning needs and opportunities, seeking appropriate supervision and presenting evidence of achievement

Reflect upon the ongoing acquisition and development of nursing competence across a range of care settings, exercising personal responsibility for own learning and development

Critically reflect upon the management of own learning and exercise initiative in sharing learning with others also demonstrating transferable skills necessary for nursing employment and for continuing professional development.

Subject specific 1 Demonstrate the achievement of Demonstrate identified NMC Demonstrate achievement of


NMC nursing outcomes for progression onto branch programme in practice

outcomes and skills in practice NMC(2004) standards of proficiency and skills (NMC 2007) for pre registration nursing education in practice

Subject specific 2 Demonstrate the literacy, numeracy and information technology skills necessary to assist in the organisation, delivery and recording of nursing practice

Demonstrate accurate medicine calculation, other numeracy and literacy skills for the safe supervised assessment, communication, delivery and recording of supervised nursing practice

Demonstrate the ability to utilise numeracy, literacy and communication skills safely and effectively to deliver safe, competent nursing practice


Table 11: AWARD OUTCOMES: BSC NURSING PRACTICE

On completion of each level of study the student will be able to:

S.U Common Learning Outcome

Certificate Intermediate Degree

Knowledge and understanding

Demonstrate knowledge of nursing related concepts, theories, skills, standards and risk factors in order to make safe contributions to the assessment, planning and implementation of an individuals nursing care


Demonstrate systematic acquisition and detailed understanding of contemporary nursing knowledge in order to provide rationale and justification for the delivery of safe and competent nursing care for service users across a range of settings



Recognise and act upon the limits of own, professional knowledge and boundaries, analysing the management of professional, ethical and legal nursing practice



Select and deploy accurate established techniques and tools for holistic and systematic nursing assessment, evaluation and development, evaluating the ethical use and management of information in nursing


Evaluate the outcomes of episodes of individual care, identifying where practice needs to be altered or adapted in order to meet the needs of individual service users across a

Evaluate health interventions, nursing care, problem solutions, recognise areas for improvement and propose revisions to care delivery


range of care settings Problem Solving Contribute to the caring solution

of nursing problems, utilising developing knowledge of the contexts in which individuals make health decisions in order to promote individual choice, dignity and partnership throughout the care pathway


Critically evaluate the effectiveness of evidence based decisions and propose solutions to identified health and nursing problems within the context of values based nursing practice

Communication Consider their use of verbal and non verbal methods of communication in developing effective interpersonal relationships with service users, carers and members of the health care team, demonstrating self- awareness of potential communication barriers, the influence of personal values, the acknowledgement of appropriate boundaries, personal strengths and areas for development


Communicate information and ideas effectively in order to lead a values based, safe and dignified multi professional care environment, recommending strategies for the enhancement of communication where appropriate

Application Develop initial skills in the assessment of health needs and the identification of opportunities for health promotion, utilising awareness of factors affecting the health of individuals in communities.

Utilise knowledge of factors contributing to ill health to plan, prepare and deliver health promotion aimed at improved understanding and decision making for a service user or group of service users

Apply methods of enquiry, lifelong learning and reflection to the further development of own knowledge, understanding and competent delivery of contemporary nursing practice, devising and sustaining arguments that support health and nursing interventions

Reflection Demonstrate the ability to take responsibility for, undertake and achieve individual learning, through self assessment, identifying and planning personal learning needs and opportunities, seeking appropriate supervision and


Demonstrate the ability to be a lifelong learner, sharing that learning with others and demonstrating the transferable skills necessary for nursing employment and for continuing professional development.


presenting evidence of achievement

Subject specific 1 Demonstrate the achievement of NMC nursing outcomes for progression onto branch programme in practice

Demonstrate identified NMC outcomes and skills in practice

Demonstrate achievement of NMC(2004) standards of proficiency and skills (NMC 2007) for pre registration nursing education in practice



Demonstrate the ability to utilise numeracy, literacy and communication skills effectively in delivering safe, competent nursing practice

TABLE 12: AWARD OUTCOMES: RN/ DIPLOMA NURSING PRACTICE

On completion of each level of study the student will be able to:

S.U Common Learning Outcome

Certificate Intermediate Intermediate Yr 3

Knowledge and understanding Demonstrate knowledge of nursing related concepts, theories, skills, standards and risk factors in order to make safe contributions to the assessment, planning and implementation of an individuals nursing care


Demonstrate the nursing knowledge and critical understanding necessary to provide rationale for the delivery of safe and competent nursing care for service users in a range of healthcare settings



Recognise and act upon the limits of own, professional knowledge and boundaries, analysing the management of professional, ethical and legal nursing practice




Demonstrate knowledge of techniques and tools used for holistic and systematic nursing assessment, evaluation and development, applying key principles of information literacy including the ethical use and management of information in nursing.


Evaluate the outcomes of episodes of individual care, identifying where practice needs to be altered or adapted in order to meet the needs of individual service users across a range of care settings

Evaluate health interventions, nursing care, problem solutions, recognise areas for improvement and propose revisions to care delivery

Problem Solving Contribute to the caring solution of nursing problems, utilising developing knowledge of the contexts in which individuals make health decisions in order to promote individual choice, dignity and partnership throughout the care pathway


Critically evaluate the effectiveness of evidence based decisions and propose solutions to identified health and nursing problems within the context of values based nursing practice

Communication Consider their use of verbal and non verbal methods of communication in developing effective interpersonal relationships with service users, carers and members of the health care team, demonstrating self- awareness of potential communication barriers, the influence of personal values, the acknowledgement of appropriate boundaries, personal strengths and areas for development


Demonstrate effective communication strategies that maintain a values based, safe and dignified care environment

Application Develop initial skills in the assessment of health needs and the identification of

Utilise knowledge of factors contributing to ill health to plan, prepare and deliver health promotion

Apply methods of enquiry, lifelong learning and reflection to the further expansion of knowledge,


opportunities for health promotion, utilising awareness of factors affecting the health of individuals in communities.

aimed at improved understanding and decision making for a service user or group of service users

understanding and application in order to adapt to a changing or complex care context.

Reflection Demonstrate the ability to take responsibility for, undertake and achieve individual learning, through self assessment, identifying and planning personal learning needs and opportunities, seeking appropriate supervision and presenting evidence of achievement


Demonstrate the ability to be a lifelong learner, sharing that learning with others and demonstrating the transferable skills necessary for nursing employment and for continuing professional development.

Subject specific 1 Demonstrate the achievement of NMC nursing outcomes for progression onto branch programme in practice

Demonstrate identified NMC outcomes and skills in practice

Demonstrate achievement of NMC(2004) standards of proficiency and skills (NMC 2007) for pre registration nursing education in practice



Demonstrate the ability to utilise numeracy, literacy and communication skills effectively in delivering safe, competent nursing practice

Rules and Regulations This section provides an overview of some of the key rules relating to your programme. It is important to remember that the rules and regulations are designed to ensure that we maintain a fair experience for all learners and gives confidence to the quality of the work you do. However they are not exhaustive and you should refer to the University regulations and to the NMC Code of Conduct (2008).

http://www.nmc-uk.org/Students/Guidance-for-students/

Professional Behaviour and Attitude: Your programme of study is designed to prepare for eventual registration and professional practice. Whilst studying at University we hope you have an enjoyable time, we also expect you to act in a responsible manner and within the expectations and professional code of the nursing profession. The Nursing and Midwifery Council produce the following specific guidance for nursing students and we expect that you will read and refer to these throughout your programme: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Students/Guidance-for-students/ (accessed September 2010) In addition, a fundamental guidance document for all registered nurses is NMC (2008) The Code Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London, NMC You will be introduced to this document at the beginning of your programme and are expected to read and refer to it throughout your programme. You must also read and be familiar with : NMC (2007) Good health and good character: guidance for students and registrants http://www.nmc-uk.org/students (accessed September 2010) In this website the NMC state that once you are enrolled on a nursing programme it is your responsibility to tell us if your health or disability status changes. Similarly if you receive a conviction or caution during your programme, you must inform your personal tutor or programme leader. In addition they NMC (2007) state “If you have a disability or health condition you need to consider telling others about it. This will mean you can get the support you need during the programme. You will need to decide which people to tell and how much you wish them to know. Your personal tutor would be a useful person for you to tell about your health condition or disability. They will be able to help you in getting the support you may need in practice placements” (NMC 2007)



http://www.nmc-uk.org/students


As a course requirement you must also complete a Contract of Professional Behaviour which clearly sets out what is expect of you during your course of study. A copy is provided in the Student Portfolio. Your personal tutor will confirm with you that you have read the above NMC documents

Academic Behaviour: It is a requirement of the course that students will arrive on time for lectures and contribute to their own and fellow students learning by being actively involved in the learning process. Your nursing course is your entrance into the nursing profession and therefore it is a requirement of the University and NMC that all academic and practical work must be produced by you. The University takes the issues of academic dishonesty very seriously and it is strongly suggested that you are fully aware of the guidance provided in this document and in University regulations. See Part II of the Handbook http://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses_and_study/student_life/student_handbook/

Requirements for Registration On successful completion of your course you will gain two qualifications: ¨

An academic award of either Diploma or Degree awarded by Staffordshire University¨

Professional registration as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The NMC is responsible for the protection of the public and maintaining a register of qualified professionals. A number of specific requirements have been made by the NMC in order for you to gain entry to the register once you successfully complete your programme. These include: ·

Entry criteria met · Academic level -minimum Diploma · Completion of full time Awards within five years and part time Awards within

seven years · 1 year Common Foundation Programme and a 2 year Branch Programme · Students must gain experience in each branch during the CFP · Outcomes to be achieved prior to entry to the Branch Programme · Completion of 4600 hours of study comprising; 2300 of theory and 2300 of

clinical experience · A period of three months practice at the end of the Awards · Teaching and Learning integral and shared learning · Assessment of Theory and Practice · NMC Standards achieved ·

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses_and_study/student_life/student_handbook/


The European Union directives for the adult branch are achieved as a minimum as follows:

General and Specialist Medicine ¨ General and Specialist Surgery ¨ Child care and Paediatrics ¨ Maternity Care ¨ Mental Health and Psychiatry ¨ Elderly care ¨ Home Nursing CFP Outcomes to be achieved in order to enter the branch programme Proficiencies to be achieved in order to enter the Professional Register · A statement of good character

By the time you complete your Award you must have met these requirements in order to gain entry onto the appropriate section of the Professional Register. In addition, partner organisations will have signed an NMC Statement of Compliance to ensure that NMC standards are adhered to within your practice experience.

Clinical Experience and Placements Placements are learning environments where you can apply, with appropriate support and supervision, the skills and knowledge you have gained in University. We also recognise and value the skills and knowledge that you will gain from practice when you are working with a registered practitioner. In order to gain the most from your placement area certain standards are expected from you and your placement area. More information is provided in the clinical placement handbook. Placements are allocated to meet the educational and statutory needs of your programme of study. Should any student need to change placements they must write to the appropriate placement lead, providing their rationale in the first instance. This written request must be sent as soon as possible and a minimum of 4 weeks before the placement is due to start. Please note that the Placements Officer may only be contacted between the hours of 14.00-16.00 daily. The placement officer will only confirm placement details and cannot alter actual placements. While every effort is made to ensure that the placement officer is available at these times – during periods of high work load or demand you may not be able to make contact during the times outlined.

Complaints by Students Related to Standards of Clinical Practice During your experience in clinical practice you may witness care, which you feel, is poor. Although such circumstances may be unusual you should not hesitate to report them in the interests of your patients/clients. The Faculty of Health has an approved


complaints procedure for you to use -details of which are available on the Faculty Web pages and your clinical placement handbook.

Suspension of Students from Clinical Practice Occasionally it may be necessary to remove a student from his/her placement in clinical practice (or even in rare circumstances from their Award as a whole). The Faculty of Health has published guidelines to be used in such circumstances, and these are posted on the Faculty Web pages and in your Clinical Placement Handbook.

Student Errors and Incidents in Clinical Practice Untoward incidents unfortunately occur occasionally in practice. Faculty of Health guidelines used in these circumstances are outlined in the Faculty Web pages.

Conscientious Objection In today’s developing health service, you may find yourself in situations which you find uncomfortable. There may be circumstances in which a practitioner, due to personal morality or religious beliefs, will not wish to be involved in a certain type of treatment or care. Legislation allows you the right to conscientiously object to take part in care in only two areas. These are the Abortion Act 1967 (Scotland, England and Wales), that gives you the right to refuse to take part in an abortion, and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, which gives you the right to refuse to participate in technological procedures to achieve conception and pregnancy. It is important that you are aware of your professional obligations which are detailed in the Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2008): However, in an emergency, you would be expected to provide care. Further information is available on the NMC website www.nmc-uk.org.uk Refusing to be involved in the care of patients because of their condition or behaviour is unacceptable. The NMC expects all registered practitioners to be non-judgmental when providing care. There will be opportunity during your studies to discuss issues related to conscientious objection. If however you have any immediate concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your Personal Tutor.

Elective Placement

http://www.nmc-uk.org.uk


The opportunity for an elective placement is available in the third year of your Award. Within many branches of higher education, a period of working elsewhere has always been seen as an essential part of becoming a fully rounded professional. You must choose an area of interest and draw up a learning contract with the Faculty to establish detailed aims and outcomes. These are required to focus on the competencies to be achieved for registration and should indicate how your practice will be enhanced by your choice of elective. The elective may take place locally, nationally or internationally. You can seek sponsorship to finance the elective as costs must otherwise be met by the student. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange accommodation, travel arrangements, passport and visa requirements, necessary vaccinations, medical examinations and insurance. (You may be required to undertake Criminal Bureau Records Investigation for which you will have to pay). Further information will be provided in the second year of your programme to allow you time to plan and prepare for your elective. You may also find the following web page helpful especially if you are considering an international placement: www.rcn.org.uk

Attendance All students must complete 4,600 hours attendance over the three years of the programme, comprising 2, 300 hours in theory and 2, 300 in practice. This is divided equally over the three extended academic years. Attendance is recorded in hours to comply with this professional requirement. You have an attendance record which you must take with you to your practice placements. Attendance must be verified and signed by your mentor using this document. When you are in University, please ensure that you sign the registers for every session that you attend as these are also records of your attendance.

Negotiated, flexible days Within each year of the programme you can take up to 10 flexible days away from the practice experience without compromising your practice requirements. This extra time has been built in, in order to provide you with some flexibility to manage your course and personal demands. The principles for agreeing flexible days are as follows:

Normally this will be agreed in advance with your mentor and must not be taken if it compromises the 40% of time you need to work with your mentor during the placement.

You should have no more than flexible 5 days away from any one placement

Flexible days will not be taken within four weeks of the date of summative assessment.

http://www.rcn.org.uk


Flexible days will be recorded on your placement attendance sheet and signed as accurate by your mentor. The number of flexible days will be monitored by your personal tutor and a record will be kept in your OAR and summative assessment documents..

It is acknowledged that there may be occasions when you need to take flexible days as an emergency, for example, if you have family health / care problems. On these occasions, please let your placement and reception at the Faculty of Health know immediately that you need to take a flexible day away and the date that you will be back on duty. Please refer to the clinical practice handbook. The support to students, who are working on assessment resubmission during their full time extended placement period, will be discussed and negotiated on an individual basis by the student’s module and personal tutor. If you successfully complete your summative assessment of practice on the first attempt (placements 3, 6, 8) and have flexible days remaining, you may take these within the final two weeks of that placement, prior to the second assessment submission date.

Sickness and absence With the exception of these ten negotiated, flexible days per year in practice, we expect you to attend all sessions associated with your module of study and all placement experiences. However, we acknowledge that there may be occasions when you are unwell. Should you be unable to attend the University please telephone the Faculty Office at either Stafford or Shrewsbury. An answer phone is available out of office hours. Should you be unable to attend a placement you must telephone both the placement and the University. It is your responsibility to discuss with the Module Leader aspects of content that you will have missed by non-attendance, and you will be expected to complete any work set. Prolonged periods of sickness/absence will impair your ability to meet the Module/Award Outcomes and Professional Requirements and sickness will need to be made up in order to meet professional requirements. Your Personal Tutor will monitor attendance and it is important for you to discuss your progress with them. It is possible that a period of intermission from the Award will be necessary in some circumstances.

Late arrival If you are late arriving for a lecture session please enter quietly. Please switch off your pager, bleep or mobile phone because they are very disruptive to others. Please see the Faculty of Health Attendance Policy for further information.


Assignments and Assessed Work For any work that you submit for assessment please ensure that you follow the specific instructions given within the module handbook and follow these instructions carefully. The general University regulations relating to the assessment of students may be accessed here http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/assessment_policy_tcm44-26754.pdf The marking criteria against which all your academic work is judged can be found in your module handbooks · It is worth looking at the marking criteria closely so you know what aspects of your work will gain you the most marks. · Be aware that the date and time of the Viva Voce Examination will be given by the University student e-mail system.

Presentation of Work The nature of the assessment brief will dictate how your work should be presented. However, any written work submitted for marking should be legible, referenced, typed in size 12 Arial font, double spaced and printed on side of the paper only. For each assignment one copy must be submitted in a soft, clear-fronted, A4 plastic file with punched holes together with an assignment marking form and must include your University Student Registration Number on the front. Do not place individual pages in clear plastic wallets within the file. Ensure that any additional leaflets, samples etc are adequately attached. Folders, which do not meet this requirement, will not be accepted. Ensure that an accurate estimate of word count is also entered in the appropriate space. Extensive appendices are not normally acceptable and you are advised to seek guidance from the module team before making use of appendices in your work.

Further information on how to present your work, study skills and referencing information is provided on the Blackboard Site.

Your Personal Tutor will be able to assist you in developing general academic writing abilities.

Behaviour during Exams In order to provide you with the most appropriate environment in which you will sit examinations the University requires you to respect your fellow students and follow certain rules and regulations. These requirements may be found by following this link.

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/assessment_policy_tcm44-26754.pdf


http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/gen_regs_app2_tcm44-26812.pdf

Submission of Assignments You work should be submitted to the faculty office before mid-day of the official date of submission. Please note that hand-in days are very busy for the faculty office staff. If you hand in after 12 mid-day on the official hand-in date your work will be recorded as a late submission, which may not then be marked, so you should fill in an extenuating circumstance form. If you are unable to submit work or have personal issues that have reduced the quality of your work you should complete an extenuating circumstances form. If you need help with this please see your Personal Tutor. Please note this must be submitted within five working days of the official hand-in date To avoid the risk of late submission you can always hand in your work up to one week (five working days) in advance of the official hand in date but once you have handed it in your work, it cannot be returned until it has been marked.

Assessment in clinical practice As 50% of your course is based in practice it is appropriate that your skills and knowledge of how to nurse in the clinical environment are continuously assessed. Continuous assessment is performed by your named mentors and has three elements:

Initial interview: At the beginning of each placement you will have an initial meeting with your mentor, to ensure that have been introduced to the placement and the learning opportunities available to you there. At this meeting you will agree your initial objectives, ensure that you will be working with your mentor for at least 40% of the placement time and identify your learning action plan.

Formative assessment: The purpose of formative assessment is to review your progress and to give you feedback on your strengths and areas that you still need to develop. There is no summative judgement applied and formative feedback occurs in all placements. A date by which you must have been given this feedback will be provided at the beginning of each placement.

Summative Assessment of practice In placement 3, (end of CFP), placement 6 (end of year 2 branch) and placement 8 in the third year you will undergo summative assessment. These are final assessments and, like your theoretical assessments need to be passed in order to progress onto the next stage of the course or to complete the award in the third year.

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/gen_regs_app2_tcm44-26812.pdf


Therefore in this assessment you will be given a Pass or Refer grade. You are entitled to two attempts at summative assessment, if you are not able to achieve the identified outcomes or proficiencies at the second attempt you will be awarded a Fail grade and the award will be terminated.

Progression and Achievement We are here to help you succeed and have robust mechanisms in place to help you progress and achieve your nursing Award and registration. Your progress and achievement will be monitored by your Personal Tutor during the three years of your course and it is essential that you work closely with him/her to get the best from your course of study. Your Personal Tutor is aware of the University’s rules and regulations and will be able to offer you, or point you in the right direction, as to what service, rule or regulation to use in your particular case. Therefore it is important to keep your Personal Tutor fully informed regarding any circumstance that may be affecting your progression on the course. During your course modules have been designed to provide you with academic progression from Level 1 to Level 2/3 and progression in practice to a level of proficiency suitable for registration as a nurse. Criteria for successful achievement of modules will be based on your satisfactory attendance, and on results of theoretical and/or practical assessment. However, we hope that you will also measure your success by the learning and feedback that you achieve and the personal progress made. The outcomes for the Common Foundation Programme must be achieved successfully to allow progression to the Branch Programme in the second year. Although you may initially progress onto your branch programme with a referred assessment, you must have successfully achieved this within 12 weeks including any holiday period. If you fail your assessment on the second time, your award will be terminated unless the assessment/award board have granted you a third attempt at the assessment. If this is the case, you will still need to leave your cohort in the branch programme in order to complete your third attempt. If you are then successful at third attempt you will rejoin the programme with the cohort behind yours as they progress from CFP. Normally, University Undergraduate Modular Framework Regulations apply for academic progression (see University Web Site for details) except when these do not comply with NMC requirements. In these cases professional requirements take precedence

Qualifying and Entry to the Register Entry to the register will be achieved by


Successful completion of an appropriate academic Award Achievement of the NMC proficiencies for the Award Achievement of the hours required for entry to the NMC Register Completion of a self declaration of good health and character. Notification of your good conduct to the NMC

When you have achieved all the above criteria the Faculty will notify the NMC of your successful completion. You will need to apply to the NMC for registration and pay the required fee. Further information about this process will be available from the Award Leader towards the completion of your Award.

Employability Awards in nursing have been designed for individuals to meet statutory and professional registration requirements for employment as qualified nurses. These awards have been developed in collaboration with health care employers and commissioners to meet the needs of public and private health care provision in local and national settings. Many students exiting the award will seek employment locally, however, students seeking employment further afield are well equipped to apply for other health related employment. Following qualification a wide range of career pathways and opportunities lie ahead of you including

Specialist and Advanced Practice in either Community or Hospital environments in the NHS, Independent or Voluntary Sector

Public Health practice · Nurse Consultancy Teaching and Educational work Research Nursing or Health Care management

You can choose between wide varieties of organisational settings, from local to regional or national teaching hospitals to having the privilege of working with clients in their own homes or in another residential setting. Some of you may have the opportunity to work in courts, prisons, clinics, day centres or in occupational health, in fact a wide range of settings with a wide range of unique individuals each with his/her own health needs and problems.

When things go wrong or you need help We are eager for you to succeed on these awards, however, during your time as a learner, we recognise that there may be times when you experience problems or difficulties – this section is important to read as it provides important guidance to help you through. While we always do our best to provide the best service and experience we sometimes do get it wrong and again this section will tell you how to raise your concerns or complain.


Support is available from the University if you are having difficulties and you can get information regarding support and guidance available to you – it may be found here http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/health/nm/stuinf/stuhand/prereg/019%20% 20Student%20Support%20and%20Guidance.pdf The University also offer a counselling service. Students at Shrewsbury Campus may also access counselling services on 01743 356057 For issues that deal with complaints regarding patient/client care http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/health/nm/stuinf/stuhand/prereg/002%20%20Protocol%20for%20Dealing%20with%20Placement%20Complaints.pdf If you have been involved in a clinical incident/error http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/health/nm/stuinf/stuhand/prereg/007%20% 20Student%20Errors%20&%20Incidents%20in%20Clinical%20Practice.pdf Please let us know if you have any trouble accessing these links. We will be able to provide you with paper copies of the above if needed.

Student Disciplinary Procedures While the majority of students never have cause to look at these Regulations you should be aware that the University has the right and responsibility to ensure that students act in an appropriate manner and can enforce these requirements by disciplining students accordingly. Hopefully you will never need to refer to this policy but this link will inform you of what the disciplinary process is http://www.staffs.ac.uk/images/gen_regs_app3_tcm68-12717.pdf During this process you should seek advice and support as indicated in the appropriate section of this book. You should also make yourself aware of the Fitness to Practice procedures which specifically apply to Faculty of Health Students.

Library

Subject help and advice

For subject resource support, finding information, advice on using the online resources, reference styles and queries regarding the Library and IT services, please contact your Subject Librarian:

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/health/nm/stuinf/stuhand/prereg/019%20

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/health/nm/stuinf/stuhand/prereg/002%20%20Protoco

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/health/nm/stuinf/stuhand/prereg/007%20

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/images/gen_regs_app3_tcm68-12717.pdf


Subject librarians:

Kay Coverdale (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) Nelson Library, Staffordshire University Beaconside, Stafford ST18 0DP tel 01785 353606

email [email protected]

Pam Dunning (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) Nelson Library, Staffordshire University Beaconside, Stafford ST18 0DP tel 01785 353606

email [email protected]

Shirley Kennedy Shrewsbury Health Library, The Learning Centre, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Mytton Oak Road Shrewsbury SY3 8XQ tel: 01743 492512 email [email protected]

Library Help Desk tel: 01782 295750 email: [email protected]

Information Technology The University IT Services manages the computer network and facilitates the effective use of computers by Faculty of Health students and staff in the University. The IT Services student handbook is an essential guide to all computer facilities at the University. The Handbook is available from all Help Desks, Advisory Desks and Information Points. http://www.staffs.ac.uk/images/student_handbook_tcm68-13792.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions

Coping with Study and Course Demands Q I am considering leaving the programme or intermitting There may be times when you feel that you are struggling to cope with the demands of the course. We urge you not to act on this before you have discussed the issue with your Personal Tutor/ award leader and had time for reflection. You can also contact Andrea Alker ([email protected]) or Amanda Holt ([email protected])who is our student support officer in the Faculty. There may





http://www.staffs.ac.uk/images/student_handbook_tcm68-13792.pdf


mailto:([email protected])who


well be a range of solutions to help you through a difficult time and they will be able to advise you on your best course of action. We hope that this will help you to make the decision that is right for you.

Placements Q What shift patterns do I have to work? In order to meet NMC requirements all students must experience the 24-hour cycle of care. Students should, therefore, experience the normal variety of shift patterns (nights and weekends) and follow their mentor’s shift pattern where appropriate and feasible.

• The student should work a minimum of 1 weekend in 4 where applicable and appropriate and a maximum of 2 in 4.

• The student will work a minimum of 3 nights and a maximum of 12 nights per year.

• Any negotiation regarding the above should be conducted with the Team Leader/Ward Manager.

• Students should normally work the shift pattern of the placement area.

PLACEMENT LEADS Kay Tufft Adult Placements Shropshire Justina Blinston Adult Placements Staffordshire Sue Seabra Community Placements Staffordshire Andrea Wright Community Placements Shropshire Louise Bouic Mental Health Placements Mary Stringer Child Placements Donna Doherty Independent Sector Placements Q I want to change my allocated clinical placement Clinical placement may not be altered. In exceptional circumstances consideration may be given to changing a placement subject to approval and availability of a suitable alternative. Contact the appropriate Placement Lead. Q Can I complete extra clinical shifts on a placement I enjoy? Students must gain a range of clinical experiences with a minimum of four weeks per placement. As a result students may not ‘bank’ clinical hours. Q. Can I claim travel expenses in order to get to Clinical Placement area? You may be entitled to claim excess placement travel under the NHS Bursary Scheme. Details of what you are eligible to claim and how to make the claim are available from the Faculty Offices in Shrewsbury and Stafford. Information can also be obtained from www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk Progression Q. I am studying for a diploma but would like to study for the degree – can I change award?

http://www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk


Yes. You will be invited by the Award Board to transfer provided you meet the criteria for transfer between awards. This option will affect your bursary and need to be discussed with your Personal Tutor. You do not need to apply. If you meet the criteria the University will contact you at the end of year two and offer you the opportunity to study at degree level. Q. I have failed some modules in year one – can I still move into year two? Nursing and Midwifery Council regulations require that all learners must have successfully completed the entire common foundation element of their programme (year one) by the time they are twelve weeks into year two at the latest. If you have not been able to successfully complete CFP within this period you will have dormant status until you are able to join the next cohort at the appropriate point.

Q How can I make my concerns known?

You first port of call must always be your personal tutor (for academic matters) and your mentor in clinical practice. If these are not available then please contact the appropriate Clinical Placement Facilitator or Award Leader for your area (either Stafford or Shrewsbury). If you have concerns around placements then you should contact the appropriate placement lead.


Documents

Award Handbook 2010-2011 - Staffordshire University _practice_2010_tcm44-36511.pdf · Award Handbook RN / BSc (Hons) Nursing Practice RN / BSc Nursing Practice RN / Diploma Nursing