Why you should study this course
If you are a naturally caring and compassionate individual, adult nursing can be considered one of most rewarding professions you could choose to work in, as well as being challenging, varied and with excellent career prospects.
- Nurses work with a people in a wide variety of roles and settings. These include monitoring seriously ill and deteriorating patients, caring for those with long- term conditions, caring for people who are dying at home and in hospital, supporting family members, and promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. The work can be intense but is rewarding. This course has been designed to develop professionals who are not only highly skilled but also caring, compassionate, effective communicators and have the capacity to be emotionally resilient. These principles are at the forefront of our teaching which aims to encompass theory, practice, and immersive learning.
- Coventry’s ‘learning through exploration’ approach aims to provide an exceptional learning environment. You will have the opportunity to be taught using a range of scenarios using the latest technology to role play various evolving clinical situations. We believe this approach contextualises your learning and can help you to develop the skills you will need in practice.
- You will be encouraged to immerse yourself in learning about the needs of populations, individuals, related health, and nursing services with an emphasis on using research to enhance and improve services.
- We will encourage you to develop an in-depth understanding of the organisation and culture of modern healthcare systems, aiming to equip you with the confidence to be able to take a stronger role in the leadership and management of resources in delivering treatment and healthcare options to patients.
- Throughout your studies, in groups and individually, you will be asked to undertake profession-specific health and social care related projects and case studies. These may, for example, include an appraisal of the role of the nurse in ethical and legal decision-making or complex care planning and delivery via the multi-disciplinary team. You will also have the opportunity to participate in activities such as group presentations demonstrating your understanding of research underpinning patient care.
- This course aims to prepare you for the dynamic and fast-changing health and social care system, which should help you to develop into an adaptable, flexible, reflective, competent, and compassionate practitioner. From the outset, you will gain hands-on experience under supervision from qualified practice supervisors and assessors, spending around 50% of your time on clinical practice placements (sourced for you by the university) in a range of healthcare environments within the NHS in hospitals and community placements, at private hospitals and independent care providers*. We have well-established links with local partner NHS trusts and other healthcare providers, such as private hospitals, hospices, and community settings.
- While the course has a clear focus on nursing adults, a key benefit of our curriculum is the notion of collaboration across all areas of health and social care. Your studies can be complemented with significant insights into mental health, learning disability and children and young people’s nursing. Some modules are also studied in conjunction with other health and social care professionals; looking at specific issues and challenges they face to broaden your knowledge and expertise.
- You may have the opportunity to go on field trips within the UK which have previously included visits to the first operating theatre in London and museums capturing the history of nursing and healthcare.
What you'll study
Nurses routinely have the most frequent and intense contact with patients and must be competent in recognising changes in patient condition so that appropriate action can be taken. This course has been designed to produce professionals who are not only highly skilled but also caring, compassionate, effective communicators and have the capacity to be emotionally resilient. These principles are at the forefront of our teaching which aims to encompass theory, practice and immersive learning
In modern health settings nursing students increasingly work towards becoming autonomous practitioners, taking a leadership role in decisions regarding patient care within multi-professional settings. Our course is designed to build those skills throughout your studies.
The course has been developed as a spiral curriculum - where each year builds on knowledge gained in the previous one – and has patient assessment at its core. The faculty recognises that inter-professional education and practice can maximise the strengths and skills of health and social care practitioners enabling you to deliver high quality care to service users, their families and carers.
Therefore, this course will be enhanced by inter-professional learning, which will enable you to learn with, from, and about other health and social care students to improve patient care.
Equal value is placed on practice and theory. You will undertake 800 hours of placement each year and study a wide range of subjects, including anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, psychology, sociology and research methods. You will be encouraged to immerse yourself in learning about the needs of populations, individuals, related health and nursing services with an emphasis on using research to enhance and improve services.
Year one
This provides the foundations for nursing practice and university study. After successfully completing year one, you will have developed an understanding of the scientific principles of nursing and the importance of evidence-based practice and putting patients and their families at the centre of care. Practical skills should ensure you are able to perform fundamental care to vulnerable adults whilst on placement.
Modules
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The Scientific Foundations of Nursing Practice - 20 credits
This module will introduce the scientific foundations of nursing which apply to holistic care across the lifespan and key concepts that underpin nursing practice. It will enable you to develop your knowledge of relevant human anatomy and physiology. Moreover, principles of microbiology, psychology, sociology and pharmacology will be explored, and an introduction of the common physiological dysfunctions associated to specific fields of practice will be included. Pharmacological treatment associated to common conditions will be examined.
Compulsory
Assessment: exam
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Fundamental Skills for Person- and Family-Centred Practice - 20 credits
This module aims to introduce you to the fundamental skills required for person- and family-centred practice. You will be introduced to the concepts and theories relevant to the assessment of health and wellbeing across the lifespan, in a range of care settings for the four fields of nursing.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework, OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam)
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Study Skills for Evidence-Based Practice - 10 credits
This module aims to develop your academic writing skills, critical-thinking ability and reflective practice in the context of degree-level study. The content will also refer to numeracy skills, which for nursing are crucial in patient safety and wellbeing. Some skills will also relate to developing competence in database searching and subsequently its importance in the utilisation and application of evidence-based nursing practice. The content of the module will also include relevant organisational skills and maintenance of personal wellbeing.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework, test
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The Foundations of Evidence-Informed Practice - 10 credits
This module aims to introduce you to evidence-based practice and research in nursing. You will have the opportunity to develop understanding of your usefulness and importance in contributing to underpinning nursing knowledge and decisions. You will gain a fundamental understanding of various methodological approaches and the research process. The skills of appraising evidence and research will be explored and developed.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Health and Wellbeing in the Community - 20 credits
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the social, politico-economic, cultural and environmental factors that influence individual and community health and wellbeing. The module aims to draw upon key international, national and local initiatives to support learning and will take place within an inter-professional context.
To achieve this aim, you will explore concepts of wellbeing, disabilities, disease and illness, health inequality and inequity. In addition, you will examine key health and social care initiatives that will enable you to understand the importance of person-centred approaches to wellbeing, prevention, care and support. As you progress through the module you will develop inter-professional capabilities of communication, role clarification, decision-making and team-working enabling you to practice and promote healthy conversations about lifestyle.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Introduction to the Foundations of Nursing Practice (Practice 1) - 20 credits
This module introduces you to the foundations of nursing practice in the workplace. The experience will provide you with learning opportunities (under supervision) which will begin to develop the professional values, attitudes and behaviours required to deliver safe and effective holistic person- and family-centred care.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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The Foundations of Nursing Practice (Practice 2) - 20 credits
This module provides extended opportunity for you to contribute to the foundations of nursing practice in the workplace. This experience will enable you to demonstrate and promote professional values, attitudes and behaviours required to deliver safe and effective holistic person-centred care.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
Year two
This year builds on the foundations learnt in year one. Modules become more adult nursing focused and include pathophysiology of common diseases, relevant assessment of patients that informs planning and evaluating care and how practice is based on robust evidence.
Modules
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Ethical and Legal Decision-making in the Context of Nursing - 20 credits
This module will introduce you to the underlying principles of healthcare ethics, legislation and social policy. This will include the protection of vulnerable people across the lifespan including those with complex needs. You should be equipped to recognise ethical challenges relating to people's choices and decision-making about their health and wellbeing across care settings. Ability to act within the law to help service users, families and carers to manage needs will be explored.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Assessing Needs and Planning Care Across the Lifespan - 20 credits
The aim of this module is to further develop your comprehension and skills acquisition for clinical assessment and the care planning process across the age continuum. The principles learned will be applicable to any care setting. It builds on year one of the curriculum adding to your knowledge of the scientific foundations and the application to nursing practice.
Compulsory
Assessment: OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam), test
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Providing and Evaluating Care Across the Lifespan - 20 credits
The aim of this module is to further develop your knowledge and understanding in providing and evaluating care across the lifespan. It builds on year one of the curriculum adding further to your knowledge of providing and delivering care through a range of therapies for commonly encountered mental health, physical, behavioural and cognitive conditions.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Developing Evidence-Informed Decision-Making in Nursing - 10 credits
This module provides you with the opportunity to build further on skills and knowledge related to research and evidence-informed practice acquired in year one. It enables you to develop specific nursing-focused questions to underpin evidence-informed decision-making and practice. You will develop a research proposal to underpin year three work. The processes of literature review and research production, including ethical requirements will be analysed, taking into account global and cultural perspectives.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Facilitation and Teaching of Learning in Practice - 10 credits
This module demonstrates how the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards Framework for Nursing and Midwifery Education (particularly Part 2- Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment) (NMC, 2018) are applied in practice.
This module will enable you to understand the role of the practice supervisor (in association with the practice assessor and academic assessor) through reflective practice and the novice to expert model. This module aims to develop your inter-professional learning and working through supporting and supervising fellow students of the multidisciplinary team.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Developing the Management of Care Across the Lifespan (Practice 3) - 20 credits
This module provides you with opportunities in the workplace to build on your foundations of practice and enable you to work more independently with less direct supervision in an increasingly competent and confident manner to deliver quality holistic person- and family-centred care. It will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate, through your practice, your potential to become an autonomous practitioner.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Managing Care Across the Lifespan (Practice 4) - 20 credits
This module provides you with additional opportunities to display your ability to work more independently, with less direct supervision, in a safe and increasingly confident manner to deliver quality holistic person- and family-centred care. It will provide you with the opportunity to extend and apply your knowledge and skills towards becoming an autonomous practitioner.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
Final Year
This year aims to consolidate from the previous two years. Drawing on theory and practice you should gain an appreciation of the value of the contribution of other health professionals when making decisions about the needs of patients who require complex care. You will be asked to investigate the contemporary issues relevant to adult nursing and explore the skills commonly required to become an accountable practitioner who is able to co-ordinate a team. Practical skills will mirror those required for a newly qualified nurse.
Modules
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Application of Complex Care in Integrated Care Settings - 20 credits
This module aims to consolidate your ability to identify and respond to the complex needs of an individual. The focus will be on holistically managing, co-ordinating and evaluating optimum complex care packages within the integrated care system. It will develop skills related to co-ordination, delegation and priority of care. Critical consideration will be given to evidence-informed practice and policies that relate to complex needs in the field of adult nursing services. You will examine how these factors impact on family, carers and the service user’s care journey.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework, viva
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Leadership and Management for Healthcare Professionals - 20 credits
This module aims to support the development of the leadership behaviours and management skills required to function effectively as a newly qualified registered healthcare professional working within the multi-professional team in the delivery of high-quality care.
You will critically examine clinical leadership and ‘followership’ models and the concept of empowerment and distributed leadership, to gain understanding of ethical leadership, culture and values within the delivery of care. You will explore the concepts of service improvement and gain experience of leading and participating in projects, using relevant management tools and techniques.
You will reflect on your observed experience of clinical leadership behaviours and management skills whilst on clinical placement throughout their course, to develop a personal development plan to guide your ongoing leadership development as a healthcare professional.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework, group presentation
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Evidence-Based Project - 20 credits
This module provides you with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth exploration in an area of special interest which will have relevance to nursing practice and which makes clear connections with local and/or national priorities in health and social care. You will establish a specific question upon which to focus and using an appropriate method of enquiry, you will be required to systematically investigate the question and analyse the information generated in order to derive a set of findings or results using a literature-based strategy. On the basis of the study results, you will be encouraged to identify the implications and recommendations for professional nursing practice and collaborative healthcare. On completion of this module, you will have an enhanced understanding of the relationship between the research and evidence-based practice and professional nursing care.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Contemporary Issues in Adult Nursing - 10 credits
The module aims to explore and critically debate contemporary issues related to specialist areas of adult nursing. The broad spectrum of adult nursing and modes of provision increasingly encompasses specialist environments and roles. In relation to this, individual, local, national and international perspectives will be explored. This will enable you to become more politically aware, critically reflective and entrepreneurial in relation to service delivery. You will be exposed to the critical discussion regarding contemporary and dynamic developments in adult nursing and the implications for current healthcare practice in nursing.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Transition to the Accountable Practitioner - 10 credits
This module will critically review the accountability and responsibility of the registered nurse in clinical practice. It will explore the key attributes of accountable practice such as individual accountability, escalating concerns, managerial responsibilities, safety, quality, delegation and clinical decision-making within the context of providing safe, effective, person centred and compassionate care.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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Coordinating Inter-professional Health and Social Care (Practice 5) - 20 credits
This module aims to extend your ability to practice more independently in a safe and increasingly competent and confident manner. This will enable you to become autonomous practitioners who are responsible and accountable for safe, compassionate, person-centred, evidence-informed nursing that respects and maintains dignity and human rights.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
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The Autonomous Practitioner (Practice 6) - 20 credits
This module aims to provide you with opportunities to practice the competencies identified for registration as a nurse which are stipulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018). This includes demonstrating your competence to:
- Practice autonomously, compassionately, skilfully and safely whilst maintaining dignity and promoting health and wellbeing.
- Display professional accountability and responsibility by the use of clinical governance processes to maintain and improve nursing practice and standards of healthcare.
- Use management and leadership skills to take the lead in coordinating, delegating and supervising care safely, including the management of risk and ensuring public safety.
- Communicate in a safe, effective, compassionate and respectful manner.
- Exhibit the capability of informed decision making to promote, plan, and prioritise service delivery.
Compulsory
Assessment: coursework
