PgDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - Health Visiting / School Nursing (MSc)

This module will examine the epistemology of research, the principles of ethical research and a critical analysis of how it is used in practice. Key aspects of content will address data collection and analysis methods and concepts of validity, reliability, rigour and trustworthiness. It will also incorporate other forms of evidence including audit and service evaluation. The emphasis throughout this module will be on the use and relevance of research skills to practitioners seeking to assess, improve or evaluate services. The module will harness students existing personal and life skills and knowledge of care as a basis for developing learning that is relevant and focussed on their practice needs and stage of professional development.

This module enables practitioners with a role in the promotion of health and well-being in children and families to develop a critical understanding of typical patterns of physical, social and emotional development and issues in its definition and assessment. Factors influencing child development will be explored together with a critical evaluation of the impact of parental health and well-being.

This module will equip practitioners to develop the skills and knowledge required for effective team leadership and management of teams. Marketing strategies will be explored together with creative approaches to service planning and delivery to facilitate effective working in a commissioning environment. Practitioners will consider the skills needed for project management.

This module is aimed at all registered and practicing nurses or midwives, and allied health and social care professionals.

This module evaluates and applies established theories and models relevant to decision making in the context of health and social care. These are drawn from a wide variety of disciplines including clinical reasoning, philosophy and ethics, legal frameworks, Service User involvement, Inter-professional and Values Based Decision Making. Throughout, students will develop their critical thinking skills, with an emphasis on applying their learning to decision making in the students’ own health and social care context.

Induction Days for new starters is 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th September 2023 - attendance is required.

This module will equip students with an informed and critical understanding of child and family centred public health practice in primary health care settings. It will encourage students to meet the complex challenging and changing environment of specialist community public health nursing.

The module will encourage students to focus on the four key principles of specialist community public health practice: search for health needs, stimulation of an awareness of health needs, influence on policies affecting health, facilitation of health enhancing activities.

The module will also enable students to consolidate their practice skills and knowledge to successfully demonstrate the standards of proficiency required to register on the NMC Register.

The module involves an extensive period of practice-based learning, including a period of three weeks gaining experience in the settings and with clients, considered either important or that may be a potential area of responsibility even if not central to the defined area of practice.

The aims of the module are to:

• Demonstrate a critical and systematic approach to public health practice with clients, families and colleagues in primary health care settings, working within policies, guidelines and professional standards to ensure their accountability.
• Successfully demonstrate the standards of proficiency for registration as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse on the NMC professional register.

This module will enable practitioners working in community settings to develop the skills and knowledge required to work with individuals and families in complex and challenging situations. Policies and procedures related to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults will be evaluated, and practitioners will consider their role in relation to effective safeguarding practice. Approaches to multiagency and multi-professional collaboration in a community environment will be critically examined.

The aims of the module are to:

• Develop a deep and critical understanding of the impact of complex and challenging situations on children and families.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of current national and local policies and procedures relating to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
• Demonstrate a critical and systematic understanding of the legal, ethical and professional challenges of delivering a service for vulnerable children and families.

This module involves an examination of the contemporary public health policy agenda and its implications for the role and practice of nurses and health visitors working in community settings. The module focuses on public health theories and frameworks together with consideration of social inequalities and their implications for health. Strategies for the identification and assessment of community health need will be critically examined together with approaches to promoting health and well-being.

Throughout students will be developing their skills of critical appraisal and synthesis as they seek to utilise existing data, both epidemiological and qualitative, apply theoretical  material to practice and evaluate health promotion and public health interventions.

Induction Days for new starters is 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th September 2023 - attendance is required.

The module will be concerned with the development of research skills including, accessing and reviewing the literature, awareness of the principles of research and approaches that may be adopted; an understanding of data collection techniques and frameworks for analysis; ethical issues and their implications for research.

Course Aims

Demonstrate the competencies outlined in the RPS (2016) Competency Framework for all Prescribers in order to practise safely as health visitors and school nurses prescribing from the Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary for Community Practitioners.

Course content

This Level 7 Module is designed to enable nurses and midwives undertaking a specialist qualification in either community public health nursing or community nursing to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes to demonstrate a critical, evidence-based approach to safe, appropriate and cost-effective practice as from the Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary for Community Practitioners, working in partnership with patients, parents, carers and members of the multi-disciplinary prescribing team. Students will be facilitated in the review and analysis of systematic approaches to assessment and diagnosis, drug actions and the use of evidence based sources to inform prescribing practice, including the decision not to prescribe. The legal and professional frameworks underpinning prescribing practice will be evaluated to ensure governance of their prescribing practice and promote safe and accountable practice in team members.