Nursing Associate Degree Apprenticeship
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Key information
Institution code
H36 School of study
School of Health and Social Work Course length
- Part Time, 2 Years
Location
- University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
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Entry requirements
Entry onto the Nursing Associate programme is values based, however Level 2 Maths and English is preferred.
About the course
The Nursing Associate is a new nursing occupation, introduced into the health and care workforce to bridge the gap between health and care assistants and registered nurses. This programme functions as both a stand-alone, as well as a progression route into the Registered Nurse role.
Nursing Associate is a highly trained support role to deliver effective, safe and responsive nursing care in and across a wide range of health and care settings. Associates will work as part of the nursing team supporting registered nurses and delivering and monitoring care. They will have gained a breadth of knowledge and a flexible, portable skill set to enable them to serve local health populations covering pre-life to the end of life.
The nursing associate works within all aspects of the nursing process, taking account of the perspectives and pathways of individuals, their families and carers, providing holistic care and supporting the registered nurse in the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care.
This programme is mapped to the Nursing Associate apprenticeship standard.
Why choose this course?
- Nursing Associates will have the ability to provide quality patient care to people of all ages in a wide variety of health and social care settings
- Students on our programme will benefit from a variety of placement experiences which will enhance their skills set.
- Access to simulation facilities at the University as part of your learning will, enhance your real-world experience.
What will I study?
Nursing Associates are expected to attend University one day per week during term time, and they also have three six-week placements during the academic year.
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Level 4
Module Credits Compulsory/optional An Introduction to Multi-disciplinary Team Working 15 Credits Compulsory The teaching and learning methods of this module will vary from didactic to facilitative approaches. The methods adopted will range from lectures, seminar discussions and presentations by students, videos, role- play exercises and multi-disciplinary group projects. The rationale for and benefits of inter-professional working within health and social care are explored. Students will also be encouraged to adopt responsibility for their own learning. There can also be dialogue via email and telephone. The use of the internet will also be encouraged as a central feature of current information sources. Work Based Learning 1 30 Credits Compulsory This module enables the student to demonstrate the performance of interventions and practice skills pertinent to his/her area of practice. Students will be required to work collaboratively with health professionals to support patients/service user care needs. The module offers the student the opportunity to effectively interpret such interventions and respond appropriately. The nature of the subject matter engaged with will enhance the capacity of the student to undertake their work based roles more effectively by acquiring a greater understanding of the therapeutic, technical and pharmacological interventions and practice skills. Physiology, Organisation and Function of the Human Body 30 Credits Compulsory This 30 credit level 4 module provides the foundations for fundamental healthcare practice. There are three overarching themes. In the first instance the module will introduce the student to the physiological theory that underpins clinical practice. The second theme of the module is to introduce the student to the healthcare skills and assessments that they will be expected to execute in clinical practice. The bioscience focus will be taught with continuous reference to clinical practice with emphasis on how biological know ledge informs healthcare decisions. The third theme is to explore the relationship between the psyche and soma when assessing patients/service users e.g. individuals experiencing anxiety, stress or depression. The taught content includes clinical assessment and observational skills, underpinning anatomy and physiology and fundamental healthcare principles, all delivered within the context of the life continuum. A variety of teaching and learning resources will be used to deliver the theoretical content of this module e.g. Anatomy T.V., e-books, workbooks etc. Using a blended learning approach, students will be encouraged to take part in simulation sessions w here they can apply their know ledge and understanding of the underpinning theory to develop clinical skills in a safe environment. Professional Relationships and Values 15 Credits Compulsory This 15 credit module focuses on the student's professional development so that s/he is able to work therapeutically with patients/service users, families and carers. A range of teaching and learning strategies will be utilised to facilitate the student's development of therapeutic communication skills; ref lection on personal and professional development will be encouraged. In addition, the concept of care will be explored with emphasis being placed upon meeting the unique and individual needs of patients/service-users. An introduction to legal and ethical frameworks and health policy will be provided to enable the student to understand the professional responsibilities and boundaries that may impact upon their nursing practice. Person Centred Care and Wellbeing 15 Credits Compulsory This module is designed to enable students to understand the issues, concepts and processes that are integral to the delivery of person-centred care and promotion of wellbeing. WHO and Government policy and strategies influencing the delivery of person-centred care and promotion of wellbeing w ill be explored, with a focus on local health care delivery, standards and evaluation. The key principles of person centred care are based upon those that have been identified by the Health Foundation and WHO as: 1. Affording people dignity, compassion and respect. 2. Offering coordinated care, support or treatment. 3. Offering personalised care, support or treatment. 4. Supporting people to recognise and develop their own strengths and abilities to enable them to live an independent, fulfilling life. The key principles of w ellbeing are based upon those that have been identified in section 1 of the Care Act 2014 as relating to: 1. Personal dignity (including the treatment of the individual with respect). 2. Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing. 3. Protection from abuse or neglect. 4. Control by the individual over day to day life (including over care and support and the w ay it is provided). 5. Participation in work, education, training or recreation. 6. Social and economic wellbeing. 7. Domestic, family and personal relationships. 8. Suitability of living accommodation. 9. The individual’s contribution to society. Students will explore the variety of strategies used to enhance and advance person-centred care delivered to their service users. The module will also explore the relevance of person-centred care within the context of physical and intellectual disability. Students will reflect upon the link between their practice role and the maintenance of the best standards of care. They will identify how their career development will impact on the future standards of care. A variety of teaching and learning resources will be used depending upon the topic f or the session. Using a blended learning approach, students are invited to draw from their ow n professional and personal experience and to participate in discussion f or the benefit of the w hole group. Presentation skills will be encouraged in the latter sessions. Personal and Professional Development 1 15 Credits Compulsory This module will facilitate the student to engage in learning for personal and professional development independently. It will enable the consideration and acquisition of values, knowledge and skills that are essential for learning and effective independent study. Within the notion of learning to learn, this module will feature processes to enable students to appraise their own learning needs, recognise strengths and to develop strategies to identify learning goals and areas for development. Notions of research, evidence and scholarly enquiry will be introduced in this module, as will the skills and conventions of academic writing. An Introduction to Interprofessional Education and Team Working 15 Credits Compulsory This module is designed to give students an understanding of a range of professional roles and the responsibilities associated with the role. It will explore the concept of teams and successful team working. The rationale, benefits and challenges of inter professional and team working will be explored. Co-operative learning and working will be encouraged through the use of group work, seminars and tutorials. Students will be required to access and gather appropriate data from a range of sources and apply this to a range of practice based simulated scenarios and exercises. Communication and Relationship Management Skills 15 Credits Compulsory This module seeks to enable students to actively learn how to build upon their existing communication skills and to explore theories around communication that are relevant to caring for patients, service users and their families in a wide variety of practice settings. Students will develop their skills in searching and evaluating the appropriate literature (including grey literature) to aid and underpin all aspects of their communication and develop their academic approaches to communication. The module will provide active learning opportunities for students to develop critical reading and writing skills so that students can formulate and communicate scholarly arguments and ideas. Issues including consent, equality and diversity, and confidentiality around communication will be addressed so students can apply this to person centred care. Students will be introduced to the idea of professional discussions within clinical settings. Person Centred Care 1 30 Credits Compulsory The aim of this module, is to augment the student’s practice learning experience in 1st year. The content will bolster practice placements and inform their practice assessments. This is an interactive and practical based module that has simulation and practical exercises and reflection which aim to explore students’ knowledge and understanding of current best, evidence-based practice. This module also provides students with an opportunity to practice, challenge, question, refine and enhance their nursing associate skills in a safe environment. The module content is divided onto care concepts and takes as its focus the standards of proficiency as stated by the NMC (2018). Consideration of professional values required to deliver care is a part of this practice module. Students support and progression will be included within the module. Mandatory training requirements will be evaluated in this module. A series of workshops addressing care specific to each field of nursing and maternity care will be included. Anatomy and Physiology for Health Care 15 Credits Compulsory This module aims to introduce students to fundamental bioscientific principles that underpin person centred, safe and effective care delivery. Human development from conception to death including the effects of aging and end of life care will be discussed. Promoting Health and Wellbeing 15 Credits Compulsory The aim of this 15-credit, module, is to understand the principles of health promotion, protection and improvement. Consider the opportunities for prevention of illness when caring for people across the lifetime continuum. It will consider the role of the nursing associate in helping people make informed choices to improve their wellbeing. It will consider how health choices can affect physical, mental and behavioural wellbeing. The Professional Role of the Nursing Associate 15 Credits Compulsory This 15-credit, level 4 module aims to introduce the students to the fundamental professional issues that underpin nursing practice. The module has a focus on the professional context of nursing practice. Academic Study Skills for Nursing Associates 15 Credits Compulsory This module is designed to assist students in preparing for the programme and identifying their study skills strengths and needs. Methods of building on strengths will be addressed and strategies for improving areas of development will be adopted. Skills will be discussed in the context of their applicability to both the academic study and practice learning. Action planning for these will be introduced through Personal Developing Planning (PDP). Reflection and models of reflection will be introduced to enable students to enhance personal development through reflection on and in practice. Digital technology skills will be introduced, and the basics needed for information retrieval and evaluation. Data base searches and the ability to judge the quality of materials accessed will be included. Information will be provided on standard academic practices and assessment tools; for example, essays, note-taking, presentation skills, critical thinking, formulating an argument, finding and using sources of information, referencing and plagiarism. -
Level 5
Module Credits Compulsory/optional Health Promotion for Nursing Associates 15 Credits Compulsory This 15 credit level 5 module explores the concepts of health promotion and the complexities of health promotion strategies in health. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their current know ledge base and role in health promotion and identify developmental strategies and skills to inform their application of health promotion within the wider context of health and social care. Students will be encouraged to identify and draw on practice based scenarios, to critique and evaluate in order to develop application of their future health promotion skills. Students will also be encouraged to acknowledge the importance of appropriate signposting to specialist services and agencies (step up agencies). Students will be given the opportunity to share experiences with their peer group and developing new strategies of health promotion. Work Based Learning 2 30 Credits Compulsory This module enables the student to demonstrate their competence in performing enhanced interventions and practice skills pertinent to their practice areas. Students will be required to work collaboratively with health professionals to support patients/service user care needs. Using a range of learning strategies to effectively interpret interventions and discuss appropriate responses by using enhanced communication skills within a group setting. The student will apply the evidence-based underpinning know ledge, understanding and skills developed in this and earlier modules to support their actions. Communication, Collaboration and Leadership 30 Credits Compulsory This module is designed to facilitate students’ abilities to understand and critically analyse the issues, concepts and processes that support effective communication, leadership and collaboration in the practice setting. Students will critically analyse the variety of strategies of communication and collaboration used to establish therapeutic relationships to enhance and advance the care delivered to their service users. They will critically consider the barriers to effective communication and collaboration in practice, and explore and propose potential solutions. They will explore strategies to meet the demands of challenging situations and effective conflict resolution. They will explore the use of emotional intelligence within the team working and leadership situation. They will consider how their development of communication and collaborative skills will impact on their team working, leadership, workload planning, delegating and mentoring abilities. Government policy, recommendations and strategies influencing the standards of effective communication and collaboration in practice will be explored. A variety of teaching and learning resources will be used depending upon the topic f or the session. Students will engage in analysing and applying research findings to practice .Using a blended learning approach, students are invited to draw from their ow n professional and personal experience and to participate in discussion f or the benefit of the w hole group. Team working and presentation skills will be encouraged in the latter sessions. Personal and Professional Development 2 15 Credits Compulsory This is the second module designed to assist the students to engage independently in learning for Continuing Personal and Professional Development (CPPD). It explores and advances the students' acquisition of knowledge and skills, that are essential f or learning and effective independent study. The module will enable students to develop strategies designed to support learning, including participation in e-learning and the use of portfolios. The module also develops the students' ability to engage constructively with available research and to utilise the evidence to support practice. Person Centred Care 2 30 Credits Compulsory The aim of this 30-credit, level 5 module, is to augment the student’s practice learning experience in 2nd year. The taught content will bolster practice placements and inform their practice. This is an interactive and practical based module that has a strong emphasis on simulation, practical exercises and reflection which aims to explore students’ knowledge and understanding of current best, evidence-based practice. This module also provides students with an opportunity to practice, challenge, question, refine and enhance their nursing skills in a safe environment. The module content is divided onto care concepts and takes as its focus the standards of proficiency as stated by the NMC (2018). Students support and progression will be included within the module. Students will be required to understand the effects of own lifestyle, fitness, emotional intelligence and resilience on ability to deliver care professionally The Evidence Base for Care Delivery 30 Credits Compulsory This 30-credit module focuses on research and evidence related to nursing associate practice. Students will be introduced to research processes and a range of research methods. They will be able to differentiate between research and audit. Participation in this module will be via active engagement in interactive enquiry based research Integrated Care for Nursing Associates 30 Credits Compulsory This module will develop the students' ability to use theory to consider the healthcare needs of people utilising the breadth of services. Students explore how underpinning theories of causation help explain variety of commonly occurring mental, physical, behavioural health conditions. The difference between acute illness and long-term conditions is explored and students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to identify and report acute deterioration and improvements in a person’s condition. The increasing complexity of those receiving care will be explored and analysed. Be able to discuss the interrelationship between spiritual, sociological, psychological, physical, emotional and cultural aspects of care. Students will explore the variety of services that people may be seen by and how to support family and carers. Students will explore the safe and effective transition of people through the services in a variety of settings and across the lifespan. There will be an emphasis on the spiritual, psychosocial, cultural and emotional aspects of care, with students studying attitudes and beliefs, coping strategies and communication in relation to their provision of holistic person/relationship centred and seamless care. Students will be also encouraged to reflect on their practice experiences and to use these experiences to illustrate application of new knowledge. Health and Wellbeing for Nursing Associates 15 Credits Compulsory This module will provide an opportunity for students to investigate a range of supporting theoretical and policy perspectives on the nature of health and wellbeing for patients and service users in a variety of healthcare delivery settings. Students will explore how contributions from psychology, sociology and philosophy inform our understanding of the various notions of health and wellbeing. Students will be encouraged to explore notions of stigma, exclusion and discrimination and its impact on health and wellbeing, and to their access to health resources. Health and Wellbeing for Nursing Associates 15 Credits Compulsory This module is designed to help students prepare for their role as a Registered Nursing Associate on a professional register. Students will consider the social, political and economic factors that affect care delivery The module will augment the practice learning experience and academic study in preparation for the transition to newly qualified nursing associate. This is an interactive and practical module using examples from practice to identify strategies to deal with a variety of issues.
Professional Accreditations
The Nursing Associate role is a professional role regulated by the professional and regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Careers
On successful completion of the programme of study the Nursing Associate will be eligible to join the Nursing and Midwifery Council register and there is an opportunity for progression to graduate nursing.
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