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Academic Internship

Module description

Your Academic Internship is a 30 credit module available in the final year of your MSci Nursing programme when taking the Clinical Academic Pathway. It is designed to enable you to independently apply knowledge gained from your concentration choices such as research, education, leadership, management, or global health in a professional working environment. Internships may be available in academic or relevant clinical departments and will be negotiated by yourself and the academic team. You will identify a ‘project’ and goals for your internship in conjunction with the host and your academic team.    

Module aims - intentions of the module

• Provide you with an insight into the operational processes in a research, education, leadership or quality improvement setting and enable you to critically debate underpinning aspects of your concentration in a host setting.
• Develop your confidence to work independently and in a team, to effectively and efficiently attain an identified internship goal in collaboration with the host team.
• Develop your ability to communicate complex concepts and findings within and without the host team environment and to critically appraise these findings.
• Develop specific interpersonal and team working skills to assist you in your future employability prospects.

You will fully integrate Exeter’s seven pillars of nursing into your academic practice as indicated below:

Fundamental essentials of nursing care:you will consider the legal, ethical and accountability issues involved with prescribing and develop knowledge around pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics to prepare you for future prescribing practice. The focus will be, enhancing patient safety and provision of excellent quality care. You will learn to manage, supervise and evaluate the fundamentals of nursing care delivery and enabling effective self-management. F

Patient and public involvement:you will apply the principle of “nothing about us without us” and demonstrate the ability to accurately assess a person’s capacity to make sound decisions about their own care and to give or withhold consent. This pillar becomes increasingly sophisticated and integrated with evidence for practice during this module and includes the impact of policy. PPI

Evidence for practice:as an Exeter nurse you will start to produce evidence for practice, you will consider the contribution of quality improvement models, tools and strategies to enhancing patient safety and the provision of quality care. You will make strong conceptual links with the development, testing, evaluation and implementation of complex nursing and other healthcare interventions, and appreciate the centrality of public involvement in service improvement and health services research. E

No health without mental health:this pillar enables you to consider decision making in challenging situations while providing holistic care by involving and advocating for individuals, families and carers. You will provide and support evidence based low intensity interventions for common mental health conditions. MH

Leadership and management:you will be leading on care management, supervising and delegating care, teaching and providing feedback to others. You will be able to debate the leadership challenges involved in partnership working with service users, carers’ families and agencies with complex multi-faceted needs. Leadership is a critical focus as you develop your professional capabilities and achieve an understanding of the operationalisation of health services, including developing a business case underpinned by an application of financial management processes. You will engage in relationship management to include performance management and resource management. LM

Global health:this pillar will enable you to appraise and apply information about health outcomes when supporting people and families to manage their healthcare needs and make important health choices. You will understand the evidence for behavioural change and public health initiatives whilst enabling people to make their own informed personal decisions. GH

Ethics and Professionalism: The Exeter Nurse will demonstrate commitment to professional values - including social justice - and to the flourishing of individuals, families and communities. The Exeter Nurse aspires always to do the right thing and to be of good character (E & P)

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Maintain an accurate record of your experiences and a reliable and comprehensive account of any academic, operational, management, educational, leadership or clinical methodologies and approaches utilised. (L&M;E;F;GH, E&P)
• 2. Write a final report that critically reviews, the priorities of the host, rationale behind the project, details of any internal and external drivers and the potential impact of the project. (F;E;PPI, E&P)

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 3. Critically evaluate relevant data, information, observations that informed the project, drawing reliable and valid conclusions.(E)
• 4. Evaluate your contribution to the project and host organisation.(L&M)

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 5. Identify and reflect critically on personal and academic skills linking them to future employability. (L&M)
• 6. Present and communicate complex ideas and findings orally and in writing.(F)
• 7. Demonstrate the ability to plan and work independently and as part of team.(L&M;MH)

Syllabus plan

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

The exact nature and format of the project and the timing of its elements may vary but all internship projects are designed to meet the same set of learning outcomes, including planning, background reading, data collection, operational behaviour, analysing findings, as well as communicating findings verbally and in writing.

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

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

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

Re-assessment notes

The assessment strategy requires you to produce a project log book that provides a daily record of your activities during the internship, signed once per week by the internship host (5%). This should be submitted as a weekly on-line report and forms the basis for feedback and action planning. You second item of assessment is an internship report. The host will also provide comments and evaluates your contribution to the team and project. 

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Your tutor will provide individual guidance on reading and preparation materials.

Jasper, M., Rosser, M., Mooney, G. (2013) (eds.) Professional Development, Reflection and Decision –Making in Nursing and Health Care. Wiley Blackwell.

Rook, S. (2016) Work experience, placements and internships. Macmillan

Sides, C.H., Mrvica, A. (2007) Internships: Theory and Practice. E Resource 

Schon, D. A. (1991) The Reflective Practitioner. How Professionals Think in Action. Ashgate.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

https://www.clinicalskills.net/

Key words search

Academic Internship, Enhanced Skills, Placement, Project, Partnership Working