Postgraduate Course: Becoming a Critically Reflective Practitioner (NUST10062)
Course Outline
School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Postgraduate) |
Course type | Placement |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
Summary | This course provides students with the opportunity to develop their proficiency in nursing practice through engagement in the practice learning environment and reflection on practice. The course draws on the theoretical knowledge developed across the other courses within the Master of Nursing with Pre-registration (Adult), and enables students to understand how individuals' life contexts, health beliefs and health literacy intersect with their physical, psychological and emotional selves in relation to health, illness and disease, producing particular health and social care needs within the context of nursing practice. |
Course description |
This course provides students with the opportunity to develop their proficiency in nursing practice through engagement in the practice learning environment, simulated clinical skills teaching environment and reflection on practice. The aim of the course is to enable students to develop person-centred, holistic, and evidence based nursing practice in a range of different care settings. Students will work with supervisors in practice to apply the skills and knowledge that they are developing across the programme in the practice setting and develop their competence in relation to achievement of the NMC Proficiencies for Practice.
The course draws on the theoretical knowledge developed across the other courses within the programme, and enables students to understand how individuals' life contexts, health beliefs and health literacy intersect with their physical, psychological and emotional selves in relation to health, illness and disease producing particular health and social care needs within the context of nursing practice.
Students will develop nursing practice related to working with people across the life stages in home, community and hospital settings. They will learn:
Nursing skills are developed through teaching and learning in both the practice setting and in the simulated environment including;
- communication and interpersonal skills
- interprofessional team working simulated learning
- clinical skills
Through facilitated critical reflection on practice, students gain an understanding of:
- organizational and service related issues on the workforce
- professional responsibilities and accountability
- patients and their families in the social and health care setting
- multidisciplinary teams and team working
- the use of evidence in nursing practice
- critical reflection as a key learning and development strategy
Students will work in the placement learning setting for part of the week across semesters 1 and 2 with some blocks of placement learning during this time. They will then undertake a long block of full time placement learning over the summer months to complete the required number of practice hours. Placements will be in a variety of settings and will provide students with the opportunity to experience practice with nurses, physicians and Allied Health Professionals. Students will be expected to work as supernumerary members of the multi-disciplinary team within the placement learning environment. The final placement in this year provides the opportunity for students to experience healthcare in an international context, or a UK context outwith the standard provision for students within NHS Lothian and NHS Borders.
Within the placement learning environment, students are supported by Practice Supervisors who are members of staff within the placement environment who have been suitably prepared to meet NMC requirements for the role.
Fortnightly facilitated group reflective practice sessions will run in semester 1 and 2 to facilitate student learning through critical reflection on practice, bringing together their academic knowledge to understand their experiences and critically engage with their practice. These sessions will be structured and take a specific focus across the curriculum to encourage students to critically reflect on all aspects of nursing and healthcare. Students are required to keep a critical reflective account of their learning through these reflective practice sessions to support their learning.
Students will engage in clinical skills development within the simulated environment including interprofessional simulation with medical students. There will also be opportunities for Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) which again may be interdisciplinary and/or across programmes within Nursing.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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Academic year 2023/24, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 20,
Online Activities 30,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 9,
Summative Assessment Hours 6,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
111 )
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Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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Additional Information (Assessment) |
Practice Assessment Document (PAD) 0%
The practice assessment document is a record of achievement of NMC proficiencies in practice and is completed at the end of each placement by the Practice Assessor (a member of suitably prepared staff within the placement learning environment) and signed off by the Academic Assessor.
Critical reflective accounts 90%
Students will submit a portfolio of 10 critical reflective accounts of their learning within the placement environment. Each critical reflection will be contained within 500 words.
Engagement with the reflective practice and nursing skills groups 10%
Student engagement with the reflective practice group and the nursing skills teaching is central to the learning plan for this course. Engagement will be monitored and marks awarded. Students who do not attend 80% of timetabled sessions will be referred for consideration under the Nursing Studies Fitness to Practice policy.
There is no compensation between the two units of assessment and each must be passed. To pass the PAD all proficiencies must be achieved and signed by the Practice and Academic Assessors in line with NMC standards (2018).
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Feedback |
Formative assessment is in the form of feedback within the critical reflection groups. |
No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Students should be able to demonstrate proficiency in nursing practice skills and knowledge related to working in an evidence-based, person-centred way with people across the life stages in home, community and hospital settings in accordance with the current broad notion of nursing provided by the ICN and in accordance with the NMC Code.
- Students should be able to demonstrate critical thinking and the ability to apply theory to practice through evidence-based, person-centred assessment and care planning, care provision and evaluation skills, working as part of the multi-disciplinary team of which the patient and their carers/family are also considered part.
- Students should be able to demonstrate critical reflection skills, using these to reflect on their practice demonstrating clearly how this leads to development of proficiency.
- Students should be able to demonstrate critical engagement with their professional responsibilities and accountability as a nurse under the NMC code, demonstrating the ability to work within relevant regulatory frameworks, in a non-discriminatory manner, and demonstrating the knowledge and skills to challenge or raise concerns about practices and behaviours that might lead to poor care.
- Students should be able to demonstrate a critical understanding and application of the concept of patient safety and the systems and processes to maintain safety and improve quality of care.
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Reading List
Johns C (2017) Becoming a reflective practitioner (5th ed) Wiley Blackwell: Hoboken, NJ
Dougherty L. Lister S. and West-Oram A. (2015) The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures. Ninth Edition, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
Brooker C. Waugh A (2013) Foundations of Nursing Practice: Fundamentals of holistic care. 2nd edition Mosby Elsevier. |
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Engagement with this course contributes to the development of the following Graduate Attributes:
Critical and reflective thinkers who demonstrate personal and intellectual autonomy are developed through engagement with the placement learning environment and critical reflection on practice.
Engagement with the placement learning environment encourages the development of personal resilience, problem solving, effective communication and interpersonal skills and personal effectiveness.
The option to undertake the final placement in this year in an international context provides students with the opportunity to develop their understanding of cultures and healthcare systems beyond the UK developing a broader outlook and engagement.
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Keywords | Nursing,reflective practice,nursing practice |
Contacts
Course organiser | Mr Paul Creighton
Tel: (0131 6)50 3888
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Kieron Stickland
Tel: (0131 6)51 3969
Email: |
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