BNurs Mental Health Nursing / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Developing Nursing Knowledge & Skills

Course unit fact file
Unit code NURS23310
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 5
Teaching period(s) Full year
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This 20 credit level 5 field specific unit is delivered in year 2 over semester’s one and two. An Enquiry Based Learning approach is taken whereby a number of field specific ‘triggers’ are used to allow students to consolidate prior learning and explore key aspects of care delivery and management of commonly encountered conditions within their field of nursing. The unit aims to facilitate understanding of conditions and concepts of increasing complexity as the student progresses through the unit.

  • This is an Enquiry Based Learning unit.
  • The process of EBL, the TRAIN model and the unit assessment will be outlined in the first session (a whole cohort lecture).
  • Students will be engaged in informal peer review for the trigger feedback sessions and this process will be outlined in session 1 and reiterated during each trigger review session (i.e. prior to the feedback session) 
  • A lecture will be available on line outlining the assessment
  • The unit is based on 3 topics and field specific triggers that will be facilitated in field specific seminar groups in each class. In turn the seminar groups are separated into student lead work groups (i.e. a presentation group in each class)

The EBL approach and Train model are used as follows:

  1. Introduction to the trigger (Facilitated by a lecturer)
  2. Trigger review (largely student led but facilitated by a lecturer)
  3. Trigger feedback (student led presentations assessed informally by peers)
  4. Triggers examples are outlined above but are broadly based on scenarios for acute care, long term conditions/self-management, and complex care/co-morbidity. If there are two or three scenarios/triggers available for each level of dependency then the feedback sessions will explore more common conditions and issues.

The final session will be a unit summary of learning, review and evaluation

Aims

This unit aims: 

 

  • To develop students’ understanding of holistic nursing care as a multi- faceted activity occurring along a spectrum of complexity
  • To progress students’ nursing knowledge and skills and facilitate their ability to safely deliver care as part of a multi-disciplinary team within their chosen field of practice
  • To provide the opportunity for students to consider how concepts specific to their field of practice (e.g. recovery focused care, co-production, family centred care) can be applied to nursing practice across a range of health and social care settings
  • To advance students’ skills in effective independent study through engagement in the process of enquiry-based learning (EBL)

Learning outcomes

Each learning outcome is linked to the NMC (2018) Standards of Proficiency for registered nurses. 

Teaching and learning methods

The assessment is aligned to the unit outcomes as it tests knowledge and application of the evidence base underpinning nursing, understanding of professional values, the ability to communicate effectively and work in a team. It also tests knowledge and application of the nursing process/bio-psychosocial assessment to the scenario. 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the altered anatomy and physiology associated with a number of health conditions that are commonly encountered within their field of practice across the spectrum of complexity (2.9, 3.1; 3.2; 3.3, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16)
  • With reference to these commonly encountered conditions, demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of the nursing process across all care settings to include (4.11, 4.18):
  • Accurate, evidence based assessment using recognised nursing assessment frameworks (3.1; 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9)
  • The ability to process the information gained during a holistic assessment to determine an individual’s nursing needs, strengths and resources (3.5; 2.9; 3.4; 1.9)
  • The development of an evidence based plan of individualised nursing care to meet these needs, demonstrating (where capacity allows) how this can be undertaken in collaboration with the individual and their carer or family (3.5; 3.6; 3.7)
  • Demonstration of the knowledge and skills required to identify and initiate appropriate nursing skills and interventions that support collaborative working in multidisciplinary teams (3.12; 3.4; 4.7)
  • With reference to these commonly encountered conditions and/or co-morbidity, demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how social circumstances and health literacy can contribute to health outcomes and how principles of health promotion can be applied when engaging with these individuals and their families (2.1; 2.3; 2.7;)
  • Demonstrate knowledge of national or international health or social care policies that might impact on the services this individual or family receive (7.4)
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of ethical or professional practice issues (including safeguarding) that might impact on the services this individual or family receive. (1.1; 1.2; 7.4)
  • Demonstrate emergent skills in (recovery oriented) care that focuses on building strengths and working with the individual and family/carers at the centre of their care. (1.2; 4.4; 4.5)

 

Intellectual skills

  • To support the development of holistic assessment of an individual’s health, decision making skills related to the nursing interventions or support required by that individual professional, and understanding of the policy drivers related to this care.  (2.9, 3.1; 3.2; 3.3; 3.8, 3.13, 3.15)

Practical skills

  • Understand and manage a range of available library resources to search and locate best evidence to support their nursing practice. (1.15)
  • Develop learning and teaching resources to support communication with groups
  • Develop public speaking/presentation skills

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Effective self-directed learning
  • Skills in communication through presentation/public speaking
  • Development of formative peer assessment skills
  • Application of best evidence to decision making
  • Collaborative/Team working skills. (1.18)

 

Assessment methods

Sample of writing in essay form (FORMATIVE) - 0%.

The student will develop an assignment which identifies and summarises the evidence base of a nursing intervention in relation to the principles of DKNS, (SUMMATIVE).

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 undergraduate 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
Lectures 42
Independent study hours
Independent study 203

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Marcus Percy Unit coordinator

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