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On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
1. Describe the anatomy and physiology of the organisation of the human body, function and structure of the human cell and role of key systems in maintaining homeostasis.
2. Discuss professional regulation, accountability, and values, reflecting on your role as a student nurse how these concepts support best practice.
3. Describe legal, ethical, and moral concepts in health care and their application to professional practice, patient safety and public protection.
4. Plan for personal and professional development needs in relation to study recognising the importance of ethics and integrity in academic work.
5. Demonstrate safe and effective practice in medicines administration and accuracy of drug calculations.
6. Demonstrate competency in mandatory training requirements safely and within a supported environment.
This module will introduce you to the fundamental knowledge, skills and principles of the nursing profession and yourself as a student of nursing to prepare you for your initial experiences in practice. The subjects in this module will be revisited with increasing complexity as you progress through the programme.
At Level 4 this module is divided into six subject themes:
Theme 1 – Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology
You will develop your knowledge of concepts of human anatomy, physiology, and human development across the lifespan essential for you to work safely and effectively as a student nurse and make informed assessments of an individual’s physical needs. You will learn how the human body is organised, the structure and function of the human cell, tissues, homeostasis, and key body systems cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, nervous, and musculoskeletal.
Theme 2 - Values, Responsibility and Interprofessional Working:
You will develop knowledge of the range of practice and professional responsibilities which are integral to the advancement of safe and effective values based holistic person-centred care including professional accountability, health and character, professional boundaries, Duty of Care, Duty of Candour, The Code (NMC, 2018), NHS Constitution, the importance of empathy, dignity and respect and analyse the principles of partnership collaboration and communication required for interprofessional working. You will explore elements of care, compassion, communication, courage, competence, and commitment which are part of the NHS 6 C’s.
Theme 3 - Policy, Legislation and Ethics:
You will develop knowledge of legal, ethical, and moral dilemmas in health and health care delivery and their potential impact on professional nursing practice and service delivery will be identified, discussed, and reflected upon. You will explore issues relating to patient safety, assessment and management of risk, health and safety in the workplace, policy context of equality and diversity, safeguarding, recognising abuse, and raising concerns, human rights, mental health and mental capacity, consent, negligence, and malpractice considering the role of culture, advocacy, choice, and empowerment. Policy and legislation will be explored across the life span including The Children’s Act (1989, as amended), The Children and Social Work Act (2017), Keeping Children Safe in Education (2019), Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018), Equality Act (2010), Mental Capacity Act (2005), Human Rights Act (1998), Liberty Protection Safeguards (2022).
Theme 4 – Pharmacology, medicines management and optimisation:
You will be introduced to of the principles of medications management and pharmacology and how drugs act and interact in the systems of the body and their therapeutic actions for people of all ages. You will develop knowledge and skills to ensure patient safety including reading prescription charts, patient identification processes, accurate medicines calculations for tablets, liquids and injections, safe medicines administration, record keeping, ordering, receiving and storage, transportation, and disposal of medicines in accordance with national and local guidelines.
Theme 5 - Numeracy, Literacy, Information and Digital Technology:
You will develop knowledge and skills in numeracy, literacy and digital technology skills required to deliver safe and effective nursing care. You will develop the academic skills required to enable you to succeed on the programme including introduction to academic essay writing, how to approach your first assignment, good academic practice and avoiding plagiarism, spelling, punctuation and grammar, verbal presentation skills and how to use formative and summative feedback to improve future learning and assessment. You will gain insights into self through developing your skills to reflect both in and on your practice, identifying the importance of working within the limits of your competence and planning for your future personal and professional development needs. You will have access to safeMedicate an online platform where you can practice your essential drug calculation and healthcare numeracy skills during directed study time. Finally, you will develop your information and digital technology skills to search information and resources within the library, using Moodle and the e-portfolio platform to complete your MYEPAD when on practice placements and other web resources that support your learning.
Theme 6 - Clinical Skills and Mandatory Training:
Clinical skills practical sessions will enable you to link theory from Theme 1 and Theme 4 to your practice and develop nursing proficiencies as outlined in Annex A & B of the Future Nurse Standards in a safe and controlled environment. You will be introduced to evidence-based, best practice approaches enabling you to take a history, observe, recognise and accurately assess people of all ages in relation to their mental and physical health, how to use electronic patient tools and scales such as National Early Warning Signs Score (NEWS), Paediatric Advanced Warning Score (PAWS), the AVPU Scale, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and how to effectively use manual techniques and electronic devices to take, record and interpret vital signs. You will learn how to assess, respond and effectively manage pyrexia and hypothermia. You will understand how to meet patients’ needs for care and support including personal hygiene, skin care, sleep, nutrition and fluid intake, elimination and mobility maintaining privacy and dignity, promoting independence and self-care. Undertaking observation and assessment of signs of deterioration and distress, including pain, nausea, thirst, constipation, restlessness, agitation, anxiety and depression and respond appropriately taking into account communication needs of children, people with learning disabilities, autism and dementia. You will also practice the procedural competencies required for best practice, evidence-based medicines administration. You will also complete the required mandatory training as it is mandated by law (see module handbook for full schedule of mandatory training at Level 4) and complete e-learning packages and practical sessions for moving and handling, basic life support and breakaway techniques.
This module will also enable you to complete the knowledge components of the following Care Certificate Standards (you will be able to complete the skills components on Practice 1):
Standard 1 – Understand your role
Standard 2 – Your personal development
Standard 3 – Duty of care
Standard 7 – Privacy & Dignity
Standard 8 – Fluids & Nutrition
Standard 10 – Safeguarding Adults
Standard 11 – Safeguarding Children
Standard 12 – Basic life support
Standard 13 – Health & Safety
Standard 15 – Infection prevention and control
You will be taught in mixed field groups allowing you to benefit from others’ individual experiences and perspectives. Knowledge and technical skills will be integrated across all fields enabling you to demonstrate proficiencies that may not be common in your chosen field of nursing practice. Research informed key lectures will introduce the weekly content of the module identifying theories/principles/concepts enabling you to develop your knowledge and skills. This will be supported by blended learning pre and post session activities on Moodle and you will be expected to engage with a range of activities including pre-reading to prepare you for lectures and follow-on activities to enable ongoing self and tutor assessment of your progress and application of knowledge and skills. The lecture content will be supported by seminars enabling smaller group discussion where you will consolidate your knowledge and critically engage with best evidence to support your professional development and to apply your learning to clinical practice, activities will include role play, problem-based learning, and practice-based scenario exploration. Practical sessions will enable you to develop nursing proficiencies in Annex A and B of the FNS (NMC, 2018) and mandatory training skills required for practice placements. These will be delivered in the Health Facilities Building and you will be required to wear nursing uniform for these sessions. Access to online learning platforms including safeMedicate, Clinicalskills.net and the NHS Learning HUB will support the directed study element of this module. Where appropriate specialist practitioners and service users and carers will be invited to contribute to sessions to increase the authenticity of lived experience of the module content and highlight employability links. Learning styles will be supported by a variety of resources including videos, reading material, discussion and debate, e-learning modules, problem solving and practical tasks. You will be expected to utilise appropriate digital technologies and study skills to engage with additional resources and in independently directing your own learning.
Lectures
Hours: 42
Intended Group size: Full cohort
Seminars
Hours: 35
Intended Group size: 25
Practical
Hours: 35
Intended Group size: 25
Directed study
Hours: 28
Intended Group size: Individual
Guided independent study
Hours: 260
Further details relating to assessment
Post session activities submitted through Moodle will facilitate ongoing formative assessment opportunities via lecturer or peer feedback, these may include responses to case studies, quizzes, forum posts or blogs and self-assessment. Completion of the relevant Care Certificate Standards via online completion of e-learning packages will provide formative assessment of knowledge of specific module Themes. One draft opportunity will be offered for the essay and action plan with feedback provided at least one week prior to summative submission. Formative assessment of essential drug calculations and healthcare numeracy skills will be facilitated via safeMedicate. Clinical skills proficiency will be formatively assessed via completion of self-assessment tasks using Clinicalskills.net. Formative assessment for the MCQ exam will be provided via weekly post session online quizzes on Moodle. Post session activities submitted through Moodle will facilitate ongoing formative assessment opportunities via lecturer or peer feedback, these may include responses to case studies, quizzes, forum posts or blogs and self-assessment. Completion of the relevant Care Certificate Standards via online completion of e-learning packages will provide formative assessment of knowledge of specific module Themes. One draft opportunity will be offered for the essay and action plan with feedback provided at least one week prior to summative submission. Formative assessment of essential drug calculations and healthcare numeracy skills will be facilitated via safeMedicate. Clinical skills proficiency will be formatively assessed via completion of self-assessment tasks using Clinicalskills.net. Formative assessment for the MCQ exam will be provided via weekly post session online quizzes on Moodle.
(1). Online MCQ Exam: You will undertake a 1-hour online MCQ exam to test your knowledge of anatomy and physiology concepts covered in Theme 1 of the module.
(2) Online Exam: SafeMedicate Essential Skills Module minimum pass mark of 80%.
(3). Essay + Action Plan: You will complete a 2000-word essay reflecting your understanding of professional regulations, accountability, NHS values, legal and policy frameworks, and ethical concepts and how these will support you as a student nurse to provide effective, safe, and compassionate holistic care. You will also complete a 500-word personal and professional development plan setting out goals, actions, resources, and timescales to ensure you meet requirements of ethics and integrity in your academic work.
(4). Mandatory Training: You must pass the practical sessions for moving & handling, basic life support and breakaway training and submit your certificates of achievement for the specified online NHS Learning HUB e-learning packages to Turnitin. All elements of this assessment must be passed prior to going on Practice 1. Please note you will have 2 hours per week direct study timetabled into the week to complete the required e-learning packages for this statutory element.
The assessments will allow you to demonstrate knowledge and skills fundamental to providing safe, effective and compassionate nursing care.
Note that compensation is not permitted. Each assessment component must be passed at a minimum of 40% (NMC regulations), unless otherwise stipulated (for example, Online safeMedicate Exam with requirement to achieve 80% for pass).
001 Online MCQ exam; 1 hour; assessment week block 1 40%
002 Online exam; 1 hour; must acheive 80% to pass; assessment week block 1 %
003 Essay & action plan; 2,500 words; end of block 1 60%
004 Mandatory training; pass/fail; end of block 1 %
Module Coordinator - PRS_CODE=
Level - 4
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4NUR14NUR14NUR1