MSc Advanced Leadership for Professional Practice (Social Work) / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Infection Prevention & Control in Clinical Practice (L7)

Course unit fact file
Unit code NURS63850
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Variable teaching patterns
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This unit has been designed to enable students to create and maintain an environment which will enhance the safety of patient/clients, their relatives and other health care workers. 

Aims

This course will help students to: 
  • Develop their understanding of the cycle of infection and the factors that may contribute to the incidence of Health Care Associated Infection 
  • Evaluate the evidence that underpins national guidelines and local policy and analyse their influence on the identification, treatment and management of Health Care Associated Infection
  • Critically examine strategies of infection prevention and control, reflect on current performance and identify areas for improvement/enhancement within the multi-disciplinary team
  • Gain a greater understanding of multi-drug resistant bacteria and antimicrobial stewardship to enhance the delivery of care
  • Develop a firm theoretical and practical foundation on the use of the laboratory and the contribution this makes to the prevention and control of Health Care Associated Infection
 

Teaching and learning methods

This course unit will utilise a combination of the following:
  • Classroom based teaching
  • Directed and self-directed learning
 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Demonstrate the ability to initiate, obtain, critically evaluate and apply comprehensive microbiological knowledge in relation to infection control problems in the clinical arena
  • Critically evaluate the cycle of infection and apply it to the practice setting
  • Critically evaluate the challenges posed by anti-microbial resistant organisms
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the patient experience of Health Care Associated Infection
 

Intellectual skills

  • Critically analyse, stynthesise and demonstrate an understanding of the research based evidence underpinning infection prevention & control practices
  • Critically evaluate current practice and service delivery and drawing on a range of evidence, propose innovative approaches to prevent, control and lead change in the management Healthcare Associated Infection
 

Practical skills

  • Initiate, manage, critically evaluate and synthesise research based infection prevention and control practice, in line with local policies/guidelines, whilst also acting as a role model to colleagues
  • Critically appraise practice and apply insightful strategies to enhance the delivery of safe practice, in relation to infection prevention and control
  • Critically examine the need for change in current practice and communicate innovative strategies to the multi-disciplinary team
 

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Develop information technology skills to support lifelong learning and participate in the identification of individual learning needs and develop strategies to meet those needs
  • Demonstrate research and enquiry skills by accessing and analysing literature, evaluating methodologies and where appropriate propose new methodologies
  • Critically reflect on own role in delivering safe infection control practice and identify innovative opportunities to improve patient care
  • Reflect on own academic and clinical performance and utilise strategies to advance these to initiate change.
 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written assignment (inc essay) 100%

Feedback methods

Students will normally have the opportunity to receive feedback on formative work submitted prior to the summative assessment. Other feedback opportunities will also be available in class and online discussion boards. Online feedback is provided in Grademark. Provisional feedback based on internal marking will be made available prior to the Exam Board on the basis that these marks are yet to be ratified at the Exam Board and therefore may be subject to change. A standard feedback mechanism in Grademark is utilised across all postgraduate programmes within the School which provides detailed and constructive feedback on each component and aspect of assessment and identifies areas of strength and those aspects which could be enhanced.

Student feedback is obtained through open discussion forums on blackboard, in class discussions, via formal University unit evaluation forms and also qualitative, in house evaluations at the end of the unit. 

Recommended reading

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Project supervision 14
Seminars 19
Independent study hours
Independent study 117

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Mark Cole Unit coordinator

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