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University of Exeter Medical School

Core Values and Complexity in Nursing Knowledge and Interventions

Module titleCore Values and Complexity in Nursing Knowledge and Interventions
Module codeNUR1100
Academic year2020/1
Credits60
Module staff

Ms Alison Marchbank (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

12

5

6

Number students taking module (anticipated)

60

Module description

This module highlights nursing as a complex undertaking. This module introduces nursing science and complementary biological, psychological and sociological sciences. This integrated approach enables you to fully appreciate the complexity of person centred care and focuses on developing your critical thinking skills. You will take increasing responsibility for your own learning as you identify questions, and research possible solutions. The module content is focused on the NMC’s Standards and proficiencies for registered nurses (NMC, 2018) and these are fully integrated with Exeter’s pillars of nursing: fundamental essentials of nursing care (F), patient and public involvement (PPI), evidence for practice (E), no health without mental health (MH), leadership and management of healthcare (L&M), and global health (G).

Module aims - intentions of the module

  • Your MSci Nursing is an exciting introduction to the world of modern nursing and you will develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that will underpin the rest of your professional life as a nurse.

  • The overall aim of the module is to introduce core concepts of nursing, including anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and the social sciences. This knowledge will also be developed in your subsequent modules. This will be happen in a variety of ways including problem based learning, seminars, lectures, and practical simulation.

  • The module supports your academic and professional development as a nurse with its various forms of assessment: reflective essay, presentation, review of research, MCQ and practical examinations which tap into and develop distinct transferable skills: academic writing; identifying and reviewing relevant literature; e-learning; IT and digital literacy, extracting the most relevant content and summarising; working as part of a group, communicating complex data to an audience in an accessible form and taking responsibility for your lifelong learning and becoming an accountable professional.

  • You will develop an understanding of the core values and complexity of professional knowledge and nursing interventions. You will be introduced to and develop an understanding of Exeter’s six pillars of nursing, which are described below:

Patient and public involvement: as an Exeter nurse you will be introduced to the principle of “nothing about us without us” and this will be at the heart of all your interactions with patients, carers and members of the public. You will understand how this principle has evolved historically, its centrality to providing and evaluating excellent nursing practice and health services research. PPI

Fundamental essentials of nursing care: as an Exeter nurse you will learn about accountable professional practice and caring evidenced behaviours to equip you with the skills, knowledge and qualities required to provide excellent person-centred care. We will focus on Kitson’s Model, identifying and delivering high quality care on core fundamentals such as elimination (going to the toilet), personal hygiene, nutrition and hydration, communication and mobilisation. F

Evidence for practice: as an Exeter nurse you will start to build your academic and research skills. You will focus on understanding the principles and philosophy of evidence-based care and the use of different research methods. You will be able to find and start to appraise high quality reviews in health service research and complex interventions to support and develop your understanding of health services research, nursing science and implementation science. You will start to develop your critical appraisal skills to assess if the care you give is evidence based, person-centred and relates to contemporary nursing practice. E

No health without mental health: as an Exeter nurse you will recognise that there is no separation between mental and physical health. This pillar introduces you to influencing factors and socioeconomic determinants of health and wellbeing. You will understand and respond to psychological reactions including anxiety and low mood and triggers such as pain, illness, hospitalisation and stress. You will explore prejudice, control and compliance in health care that will enable you to appreciate the importance of self-awareness in your daily professional practice. Most importantly, you will recognise and manage risk. MH

Leadership and management: this year will focus on your development as an individual within a team. You will grow in confidence as you become an equal partner in the multidisciplinary team by understanding the theory underpinning the principles of group dynamics and strengths-based approaches. You will be able to apply this learning to understanding team working and collaborative decision making. Self-awareness is critical in healthcare and you will explore emotional intelligence and develop personal resilience. Alongside this learning you will gain the transferable skills of time management and reflective skills by responding to the giving and receiving of feedback. L&M

Global health: this pillar will enable you to develop understanding of epidemiology, demography and the socio-economic determinants of health and wellbeing. You will begin to consider and understand that the development and implementation of health promotion in a global context requires action at local, regional, national and international level. GH

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and functions of the human body across the life span to support people to improve and maintain their mental and physical health and well-being. F; E; MH
  • 2. Demonstrate and apply understanding of genetics, microbiology and pharmacology and social sciences in order to explore how they inform safe and effective person centred care. F; E; GH
  • 3. Discuss the concept of evidence-based practice, identify a range of evidence sources that influence safe nursing decision making, practice and ethical care. E; PPI
  • 4. Explain and apply the concept of resilience, accept, facilitate and manage change, develop a basic understanding of policies and mechanisms involved in bringing about change. MH; F; E

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. Specify professional, legal, governance and ethical standards linked to safe and effective nursing practice. L&M
  • 6. Identify and demonstrate professional values and behaviours reflecting regulatory requirements promoting public confidence in the profession including adopting a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a level of personal fitness and wellbeing required to meet people’s needs for mental and physical health care. L&M; MH.
  • 7. Explain and apply the skills and knowledge required for essential nursing practice including effective communication, nursing assessment and nursing care delivery. F; PPI; MH
  • 8. Demonstrate knowledge of preventing ill-health and health promotion models in order to be involved in the prevention of and protection against, disease and ill health with individuals and groups in a range of settings. GH

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 9. Demonstrate the skills necessary to engage with problem-based learning and discuss a series of case studies and develop presentation and written communication skills. F; L&M
  • 10. Demonstrate the ability to undertake numeracy calculations and collect data. F
  • 11. Demonstrate the ability to access and engage with the virtual learning environment and develop I.T. and digital literacy skills. F
  • 12. Demonstrate the ability to think critically, apply knowledge and use evidence and experience to solve problems and make informed decisions. E.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:

This module will be taught in terms 1, 2 and 3 and is integrated with your clinical immersions, which form the other compulsory 60 credit module for the first year of your MSci Nursing.

This module is taught via a mixture of interactive lectures, problem-based learning, workshop, seminars, simulation and online learning it is aligned to the NMC’s Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses (NMC, 2018), which are integrated across Exeter’s six pillars. The indicative content as it relates to each pillar in year one is as follows:

  • Patient and public involvement.
  • Communication and listening skills, person-centred assessment and care planning, gathering evidence, medication support, health promotion and empowerment of others.
  • Fundamental essentials of nursing care
  • Nursing theory and science, nursing skills, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, psychological and social sciences, ethical and legal principles for nursing; elimination (going to the toilet), personal hygiene, nutrition and hydration, communication and mobilisation.
  • Evidence for practice.
  • Approaches to evidence for nursing practice and research, finding and selecting appropriate evidence, effective use of and analysis of information, data and health policy.
  • No health without mental health.
  • Self-awareness, recognition of wellbeing and common mental health problems, person centred information gathering, medication support, assessment of risk.
  • Leadership and management.
  • Reflection, learning and teaching, patient safety and quality improvement, team working.
  • Global health.
  • Population health and health promotion, infection control, microbial resistance, global health inequalities.

The learning and teaching hours contribute to meeting the NMC and EU Directive requirements of 2,300 of theoretical learning hours. This module equates to 825 hours; rather than the nominal hours associated with a typical undergraduate 60 credit module. 

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
3504750

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities54Problem based Learning. Blended delivery (Asynchronous and Synchronous) small group discussion using Zoom or MS Teams
Scheduled learning and teaching activities84Lectures. Blended asynchronous delivery using online lectures, videos, discussion boards and quizzes
Scheduled learning and teaching activities42Seminars. Blended Asynchronous and synchronous discussions on MS Teams or Zoom
Scheduled learning and teaching activities10Professional tutorials. Blended synchronous discussion in small groups using Zoom or MS teams
Scheduled learning and teaching activities60E-Learning Theoretical Preparation for mandatory skills and clinical skills.
Scheduled learning and teaching activities100Practice of clinical skills and simulation. Face to face teaching in the teaching ward and clinical skills resource centre.
Guided independent study200Preparation for assessments
Guided independent study 200Reading and preparation for sessions
Guided independent study75Preparation for numeracy test and ANK

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Applied Nursing Knowledge Progress Examination3 X 60 mins MCQ examinations1-2, 5, 7-8, 10-11Feedback in person Results online
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) 11 exam with 4 stations of 10 minutes duration1-2, 6-7Written and oral feedback on performance
Short Essay Evidenced Based Practice 1,000 words3, 9Written and oral feedback
Care Plan Presentation10 minutes7,9Written and oral feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
80020

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Exploring a systematic review 303,600 words3 ,9, 11-12Written and oral feedback
OSCE 2104 stations x 20 minutes,1- 2, 6-7, 10, 12Written and oral feedback on performance
OSCE 3104 stations x 20 minutes,1- 2, 6-7, 10, 12Written and oral feedback on performance
Essay Reflection202,400 words, 1, 3-7, 9, 12Written and oral feedback
Care Plan 303,600, words 1-3, 7- 9, 11-12Written and oral feedback
Drug Calculation Test Year 1 (Pass/Fail)01-hour, Term 3 10Written and oral feedback

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Exploring a systematic review (30%)Exploring a systematic review (3,600 words)3,9,11-124 weeks after results received
OSCE 2 (10%)OSCE 2 (4 stations x 20 minutes)1-2, 6-7,10,124 weeks after results received
OSCE 3 (10%)OSCE 3 (4 stations x 20 minutes)1-2, 6-7,10,124 weeks after results received
Essay Reflection (20%) Essay Reflection (2,400 words) 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12 4 weeks after results received
Care Plan (30%)Care Plan (3,600 words) 1-3, 7-9,11-124 weeks after results received
Drug Calculation Test Year 1 (Pass/Fail) (0%) Drug Calculation Test year 1 (1 hour)104 weeks after results received

Re-assessment notes

Student must pass all items of assessment and demonstrate professionalism and Fitness to Practice to progress to year 2.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Alligood, M.A. (2018) Nursing Theorists And Their Work, Elsevier. [Electronic resource]

Ashelford, S. Raynsford, J and Taylor, V. (2016) Pathophysiology & Pharmacology for Nursing Students, Sage.

Bickley, L.S (2017) Bate’s Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. Wolters Kluwer.

Bickley, L.S (2017) Bate’s Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. Wolters Kluwer

Bradshaw, T. and Mairs, H. (eds.) (2017) Health Promotion and Wellbeing in people with Mental Health problems, Sage publications.

Brooker, C & Nicol, M. (2015) Alexander’s Nursing Practice 4th ed. Churchill Livingstone. [Electronic resource]

Delves-Yates, C. (ed.) (2015) Essentials of Nursing Practice, Sage.

Downs, M., Bowers, B. (2014) Excellence in Dementia care, Research into Practice. Open University Press. [Electronic resource]

Evans, I. Thornton, H. Chalmers, I and Glasziou, P. (2011) Testing treatments. Better research for better healthcare. Pinter and Martin. [Electronic resource]

Greenhalgh,T (2019) How to read a paper: the basics of evidence based medicine and healthcare. Wiley Blackwell [Electronic resource]

Griffith, R & Tengath, C. (2017) Law and Professional Issues in Nursing: Transforming Nursing Practice, Sage.

Hyden, L., Antelius, E. (2017) Living with dementia, relations, responses and agency in everyday life. Palgrave. [Electronic resource]

Hubert, R.J and VanMeter, K.C. (2018) Gould’s Pathophysiology for the Health Professions, Elsevier. .[Electronic resource]

Mutsatsa, S. (2015) Physical Healthcare and Promotion in Mental Health Nursing. Transforming Nursing Practice. Sage. [Electronic resource]

Naidoo, J and Wills, J. (2016) Foundations for Health Promotion, Elsevier. [Electronic resource] 

Nightingale, F (2010) Notes on Nursing Cambridge University Press [Electronic resource] 

Niles, N.J. (2018) Cultural Competence in American Healthcare. Sage [Electronic resource] 

Norman, I and Ryrie, I. (2013) The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing Fundamentals of mental health nursing [electronic resource] : an essential guide for nursing and healthcare student 

Papadopoulos, I. (ed) (2006) Transcultural Health and Social Care; Development of Culturally Competent Practitioners, Butterworth Heinemann 

Polit, D.F and Back, C.H. (2017) Essential of Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence for Nursing Practice. Wolters Kluwer. 

Polit, D.F and Beck, C.T. (2017) Nursing research: generating and assessing evidence for nursing. Wolter Kluwer.  

Richards, D.A. and Hallberg, I.R. (eds.) (2015) Complex Interventions in Health. Routledge. [Electronic resource] 

Schon, D.A. (2006) the Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Ashgate. [Electronic resource] 

Sethia, B. and Kumar, P. (eds.) (2019) Essentials of Global Health, Elsevier. [Electronic resource] 

Silverman, J. Kurts, SM and Draper ,J. (2013) Sills for communicating with patients. Radcliffe. [Electronic resource] 

Stein-Parbury, J. (2018) Patient & Person: Interpersonal Skills in Nursing, Elsevier. 

Tortora, G.J., Derrickson, B (2017) Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. Wiley. [Electronic resource] 

Watson, C. (2018) The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story. Chatto & Windus.

Waugh, A. Grant, A. (2013) Ross & Wilson, Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness, Churchill Livingstone.[Electronic resource] 

Waugh, A. Grant, A. (2018) Ross & Wilson, Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness, Elsevier. 

Williams, K. Wolliams, M and Spiro, J (2012) Reflective Writing .Palgrave Macmillan [Electronic resource]

Wright, K. M. and McKeown, M. (2018) Essentials of Mental Health Nursing, Sage Publications.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Journals:

  • American Journal of Nursing
  • British Journal of Community Nursing
  • British Journal of Nursing
  • Evidence-based Nursing
  • International Journal of Nursing Studies
  • Journal of Advanced Nursing
  • Journal of Clinical Nursing
  • Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
  • Nursing Ethics
  • Nursing Management
  • Nursing Older People
  • Worldviews on Evidence Based Nursing

Key words search

Nursing theory, fundamentals, evidence, anatomy, professionalism, medication

Credit value60
Module ECTS

30

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

4

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

28/06/2018

Last revision date

11/12/2019