BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) / Course details

This course covers the basic knowledge and skills to enable the student to attain appropriate study skills, basic mandatory training skills, develop communication skills, practise reflection and understand the importance of recording continuing professional development throughout the degree programme and in their future career as a Healthcare Science Practitioner.

The unit aims to:

• Introduce the learner to a variety of study skills in order to develop academic and intellectual potential.
• Introduce the notions of professional responsibility, integrity and accountability.
• Introduce the concept of reflection and encourage reflection upon development on one’s own personal and professional qualities.
• Prepare for the work-based training placement.
• Gain a basic understanding of health safety and welfare, NHS conflict resolution, infection prevention and control, moving and handling, fire safety, safeguarding adults, safeguarding children, resuscitation basic life support, information governance, equality diversity and human rights via group work, tutorials and e-learning.
• Introduce communication methods and encourage self evaluation of one’s own communication skills.
• Develop an awareness of the challenge and excitement of one’s future career as a Healthcare Science Practitioner.

Students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Understand the structure and management of health and social care services and the management of local healthcare systems in the United Kingdom.
• Know how health inequalities impact on the quality of care provided by the NHS at national and local level.
• Relate how the clinical service contributes to local healthcare provision.
• Understand the need to ensure that the needs and wishes of the patient are central to their care.
• Know the guidelines and processes for gaining consent.
• Understand the importance of developing the patient-professional partnership.
• Understand procedures relevant to the use of chaperones.
• Know and understand the principles that underpin effective verbal and written communication including; verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Know and understand the principles, guidance and laws regarding medical ethics and confidentiality.
• Understand the framework that underpins data security practice in the NHS.
• Understand the legal framework within which healthcare is provided across the UK including its devolved administrations.
• Understand the basic principles of infection control and the importance of current infection control measures within the work-base.
• Know the protocols and practice of basic life support.
• Understand the need for regulations with respect to patient safety and safe systems within the work-base.
• Understand the regulations and current procedures in place with respect to equipment safety.
• Know the common causes of error and understand the critical incident reporting process and how it may impact on patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
• Recognise the cause of error and the importance of a no blame culture.
• Know and understand the legal requirements with respect to equality and diversity.
• Know the importance of good time management and the techniques underpinning good time management and organisational skills.
• Understand the importance of maintaining own health and well being.
• Know and understand the theory of reflective practice.

Intellectual skills

• Critical thinking and analysis.
• Enhancement of evaluative and interpretive skills.
• Develop communication skills.
• Develop self awareness and reflective skills.

Practical skills

• Work within appropriate equality and diversity frameworks at all times.
• Demonstrate basic life support skills.
• Demonstrate adherence to current infection control regulations at all times.
• Recognise the causes of error and learn from them, realising the importance of honesty and effective apology.
• Recognise the desirability of monitoring performance, learning from mistakes and adopting a no blame culture in order to ensure high standards of care and optimise patient safety.
• Maintain own health and well-being.
• Demonstrate the ability to prioritise and organise academic and work based tasks in order to optimise own work and the work of the department.
• Develop skills of an independent learner and demonstrate a commitment to Continuing Professional Development.
• Apply skills of reflection to continually improve performance, acknowledging and acting on feedback.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

• Develop and demonstrate self-awareness, self-management, self- development.
• Act with integrity at all times.
• Demonstrate the ability to adhere to current data security regulations.
• Listen to others and take other viewpoints into consideration.
• Demonstrate the ability to give effective feedback.
• Apply appropriately the principles, guidance and laws regarding medical ethics and confidentiality.

• Structure and management of health and social care services in the UK.
• Verbal and non-verbal effective communication.
• Effective written communication.
• Legal framework for practice including fitness to practice.
• Personal health and behaviour.
• Continuing Professional Development.
• Reflective practice.
• Independent adult learning.
• Time management and decision making.
• Principles of medical ethics and confidentiality.
• Mandatory training: equality, diversity and human rights, health safety and welfare, NHS conflict resolution, fire safety, infection prevention and control, moving and handling, safeguarding adults, safeguarding children, resuscitation (basic life support), information governance and data security, preventing radicalisation, Coronavirus (COVID-19) awareness.

1. Mandatory training online and in BLS practical class (pass/fail)
2. Essay (1000 words, 100%)

Feedback on mandatory training skills will be given during sessions and online and feedback is given on draft essay plan.

More specific references will be provided in lectures.

• Stella Cottrell (2003) The Study Skills Handbook, Palgrave Macmillan.
• Marilyn Lewis. (2003) Study skills for speakers of English as a second language. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Tony Ghaye. (1996) Reflection and action for health care professionals.  Newcastle uponTyne:  Pentaxion.
• Swain, J. et al. (Eds) (1993) Disabling Barriers, Enabling Environments. London: Sage.
• Oliver, M. (1990) The politics of disablement. London: MacMillan.
• Department of Health: www.dh.gov.uk
• The Health Professions Council www.hpc-uk.org
• The British Society of Audiology  http://www.thebsa.org.uk/
• The British Academy of Audiology http://www.baaudiology.org/
• The Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists http://www.clinphys.force9.co.uk/index.html
• Resuscitation Council (Uk) http://www.resus.org.uk/SiteIndx.htm
• Bryan Greetham. (2008) How to write better essays.  Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• John Peck. (2005) The student’s guide to writing: grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Sue Drew and Rosie Bingham (2004) The Student Skills Guide, Gower.
• Moon, J. (1999). Reflection in Learning and Professional Development. London: Kogan Page.
• Moon, J. (2000). Reflection in Learning & Professional Development: Theory and Practice. London: Kogan Page.
• Moon, J. (2004). A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.
• Johns, C. (2004). Becoming a reflective practitioner. (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
• Ghaye, T. and Lillyman, S. (2006). Reflection and writing a reflective account. Maisemore, UK: The Institute of Reflective Practice.
• Lillyman S and Ghaye T (2000) Effective clinical supervision: the role of reflection Dinton;  Quay.