BSc Hons Nursing Studies Adult

at Teesside University

In the new curriculum there is increased emphasis on mental health and cognitive issues impacting on health; shared learning across all four fields of practice and throughout the three years is a key feature of the course. The module content reflects the changing and challenging nature of providing healthcare in the 21st century and the evolving and diverse role of the registered nurse. Leadership is embedded in all three years of the course, recognising the crucial role nurses play in moving practice forward. All modules adopt a blended approach to learning and teaching. We pride ourselves on the quality of our partnership working involving placement providers and service users. One of the modules in the first year has been co-produced with service users.

Course structure
Year 1 core modules
Bio-psychosocial Approaches to Nursing Care and Decision Making

This module involves shared learning and teaching across all fields of nursing, to develop an understanding of the holistic issues that may influence and impact on the care and experience of people within different health care settings. You develop a broad understanding of the theoretical frameworks underpinning the discipline of nursing and identify and explore patterns and determinants of health, wellbeing and illness at a local, national and global level.

You identify and explore the knowledge base required to meet the fundamental mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural needs of people within their care. Research-informed teaching and learning will introduce you to the concept and process of evidence-based practice, which will enable you to take a critical approach towards nursing care.

Bio-psychosocial Development Across the Lifespan

You develop an understanding of human systems and the patterns and determinants of health, wellbeing and illness. This will include consideration of the altered and normal human biopsychosocial development. You develop an awareness of genomics, sociological, psychological development and their impact upon physical health, mental health, and intellectual impairments across the lifespan.

You will have an awareness of routine investigations which will then contribute to the development of your knowledge of commonly encountered physical and behavioural health conditions. You will understand the principles of pathogenesis, immunology, and evidence base for immunisation, vaccination and herd immunity, and establish an understanding of the principles of infection prevention and control.

Experts by Experience the Person's Voice

You develop an understanding of the centrality of the person receiving care and valuing and promoting reciprocity in every interaction. You will explore the philosophical basis and key concepts underpinning approaches to working with different people and service user groups. The biopsychosocial experience and impact of altered health and wellbeing, physical illness, cognition and/or treatment upon the person and family will be examined from the service user perspective.

You explore the balance of power within health and social care provision and relationships, and empowerment and the concepts of therapeutic alliances will be examined. The concepts of meaning, empathy, compassion, trust, connectedness and hope will be analysed and applied to practice.

Foundations of Nursing Proficiency: the Professional Basis of Care and Caring

This module will facilitate the development of fundamental knowledge and skills that pre-registration nurses must demonstrate when caring for people of all ages across care settings. The module content is linked to the Nursing and Midwifery Council platforms and proficiency statements combining theory and practice elements.

The module combines theory, practical skills and placement experience and incorporates the four fields of nursing across three semesters with students in mixed theory groups.Technology-enhanced learning is a key feature. Understanding the foundations of nursing proficiency and professional nursing practice will be developed through pre-reading, seminars and supporting of direct care through simulated workshops including role play, clinical skills development, simulation and the use of scenarios.

Introduction to Personal and Professional Effectiveness in Nursing Practice

This module will provide the foundations from which students from all fields of nursing will examine the role of the nurse as a leader and champion of high-quality, person-centred nursing care, professional practice and innovation. It enables you to explore the knowledge, values and skills required to develop your personal effectiveness and reflective practice. This exploration will be used as a professional platform to inform their leadership development.

You will be introduced to the theoretical concepts underpinning leadership and personal effectiveness including self-awareness, resilience and self-management, as well as the core professional values of nursing.
 
Year 2 core modules
Collaborative and Interdependent Working to Promote Health and Well-being

You build upon and apply the leadership and personal effectiveness knowledge and skills they developed in Stage 1 of the course. It focuses upon the nurse's role in collaborative and interdependent working with others, to influence and motivate. You explore how they can use their personal qualities and skills to contribute to, and promote a culture of high-quality person-centred care and a positive working environment. You develop your ability to articulate a shared vision and purpose to inspire others, engage the team and lead with care.

Developing Personal and Professional Effectiveness in Nursing Practice

You further develop your understanding from the first year module across all fields of nursing of the role of the nurse as a leader and champion of high-quality, person-centred nursing care, professional practice and innovation. It enables you to explore and critique the knowledge, values and skills required to develop your personal effectiveness and reflective practice. This exploration will be used to advance knowledge to inform your leadership development.

You develop skills to explore theoretical concepts underpinning leadership and personal effectiveness including self-awareness, resilience and self-management, as well as the core professional values of nursing.

Nurse as Investigator and Leader of Change

You build on the knowledge and skills developed in Year 1 in relation to the role, nature and use of evidence to support health and social care practice and service improvement. You develop your ability to critically appraise a range of evidence. You will explore how evidence is used to underpin national guidelines, decision-making and high-quality nursing practice within a clinical governance framework. To facilitate evidence-based practice and influence the improvement agenda you will apply leadership and change management concepts covered in other modules.

Promoting Adult Nursing Proficiency: Developing Evidence-based Professional Care and Caring

Develop the fundamentals of care and skills and combine theory and practice. Explore and assess the fundamental and complex holistic needs of adults, their families, and carers.

Therapeutic Nursing Practice in Adult Nursing

Explore and focus on therapeutic nursing care needs across the adult service user journeys. Build on your knowledge and understanding of altered pathophysiology, cognition, health and wellbeing. Enabling you to enhance your ability to make evidence-based decisions within a biopsychosocial context.

 
Final-year core modules
Enhanced Person-centred Assessment and Decision Making Skills in Adult Nursing

Consider the knowledge, understanding and skills required to undertake enhanced holistic assessments of people accessing adult nursing services and to formulate a person-centered plan of care that optimises health outcomes. Develop skills such as history taking, interpretation of assessment and evaluation information.

Enhanced Therapeutic Practice in Adult Nursing

Explore complex therapeutic, person-centered decision making in adult nursing practice. Develop knowledge and evidence-based decision-making skills underpinning the management of health care needs of people accessing adult nursing services in the primary, secondary, and tertiary care settings. Explore the knowledge and skills required to promote effective decision making and multidisciplinary and multi-agency working when managing care for adults with complex needs.

Enhancing Adult Nursing Proficiency: Leading Evidence-based Professional and Caring Practice

Develop your ability to lead and manage care in a diverse range of practice settings. you consider delegation, prioritisation, time management, decision making, teaching and supervision of others, safeguarding and addressing poor practice. Practical workshops facilitate the further development of technical and therapeutic skills such as care of the deteriorating patient, CPR, medicines management, effective transfer of care and talking therapies.

Nursing Improvement and Entrepreneurship

You focuses on enhancing skills and attributes to enable you to explore systematic approaches to develop the quality improvement agenda and improve the safety, effectiveness and people’s experience of care. The role of the nurse in this context will be explored. You will develop and propose a service improvement initiative in the workplace utilising enhanced knowledge and understanding of the tools, techniques and models linked to successful improvement initiatives in health care practice.

Entry requirements
You are expected to have:

a minimum of two GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above including English language and maths. Key Skills/Functional Skills Level 2 in Communication and Application of Number can be accepted in place of English and Maths GCSE.

Plus any of the following qualifications:

GCE and VCE Advanced Level
112 points from two or three A levels.

AS Level
These are only acceptable combined with other qualifications. One AS level can be accepted when combined with two or three A Levels to meet the 112 points required.

Access course
112 UCAS points from a QAA-recognised Access course (any combination)
*We can accept level 2 Access units in communication and maths in place of English and maths GCSEs.

BTEC QCF Extended Diploma
112 points (DMM).

CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care
120 points (B) in health and social care.

Foundation degree
A pass in any subject.

Irish Leaving Certificate
112 points from four or five Highers/Honours subjects.

Open University
60 credits at Level 4 with the Open University or a CertHE pass in any subject.

Scottish Highers
112 points from four or five Highers.

Advanced Scottish Highers
112 points from three Advanced Highers.

For further detailed entry requirements for this course please visit www.ucas.com.

Shortlisting criteria
Your application will be measured against the following criteria:

your ability to complete all sections of the application form fully and correctly
the level of all qualifications and grades are specified
appropriate academic entry requirements achieved or working towards qualifications
personal statement supportive of chosen course and demonstrates the uniqueness of the profession and the role of the professional
satisfactory appropriate supportive references (academic/employer/character).
If you are invited to interview and the date is not suitable we may not be able to offer you an alternative date due to the high volume of applications received for this course - but it is important that you contact the Admissions Office immediately.

Interview criteria
A mini multiple interview process will be used as part of the selection process. This will involve you moving through a series of three interview stations (approximately ten minutes per station). At each station you will explore a different scenario and will be measured against the six C's and the following criteria which has been mapped against the NHS Constitution:

knowledge of chosen profession/career
an appreciation of the demands of the course and chosen profession
enthusiasm for the course/profession
ability to communicate effectively both verbally and non verbally.
a future plan for the specialism.
If you are successful in both shortlisting and interview you will receive a conditional offer which is subject to the following:

evidence of achievement of the required academic qualifications
a successful work-based risk assessment which will reflect the appropriate HEOPS recommendations. Find out more about all of the HEOPS standards
an enhanced criminal history (DBS) check may be required for certain modules or placements which involve working with children and/or adults at risk. Where an enhanced DBS check is required, applicants will cover the cost of these checks which can only be processed through the University.
satisfactory references.

Please note until 1 to 4 have been successfully completed the offer of a place on the course remains conditional. Advanced standing for a maximum of 50% of the course is available for suitable candidates, subject to them meeting the Recognition of Prior Learning criteria. This is only considered once a place has been offered and accepted.

International applicants
International applicants must have a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent in line with the University English Language Policy that equates to overall IELTS 7 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing (or equivalent), before an unconditional offer is made.
If you are successful at shortlisting you will be invited to attend an interview (which may be in person OR video call) in one of our international offices in either India, Malaysia or China, or through a secure web link (which will be arranged by the University).
If you can not attend an interview as stated, you will be unable to proceed with your application.
 

Entry to 2022/23 academic year

Fee for UK applicants
£9,250 a year

Fee for international applicants
£14,000 a year

Career opportunities

A diverse range of career opportunities are available within the NHS and private sectors in the UK and overseas. This course has been designed to prepare you for the challenges and demands of contemporary and future nursing, health, and social care practice. It also provides a stepping stone from which you can further develop your expertise in the fields of nursing practice, leadership, research, education and consultancy.