Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 7 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers

Practice staff and people who use services, their families and carers will be involved in developing teaching and learning activity. The contribution of visiting speakers via pre recorded sessions is an essential and integral part of the course where care or differing perspectives are offered to students for discussion and debate.

The course team have strong professional relationships with expert clinicians in practice and these will contribute to the delivery and maintenance of the distance learning course. Detail of the delivery of sessions by practice staff and people who use services will be highlighted on module timetables.

Work Placements or Internships

Students on this course are employees within a community healthcare environment and thus do not require work placements.

However, there is discussion and negotiation on relevant assessment topics to best suit the students’ needs in their career progression and to meet clinical strategic goals

Work-based Learning

Students will need to achieve specified proficiencies as part of this course as outlined by the NMC (2022) and these will be achieved whilst in a designated practice-based learning environment where students will be supported by practice supervisors and practice assessors.

Based on work-based learning (WBL) pedagogies, the course encourages the health professional to undertake reflective practice.

This will produce reflective practitioners and active learners that are able to apply the knowledge and skills gained in real-life situations and workplaces.

Employer Forums

The Faculty has a strong track record of engaging with practice partners/employers due to the nature of healthcare. Quarterly meetings are held with University Health Boards, Welsh Ambulance Service and the independent sector to consider the support of students from their employer. Students will be employed whilst undertaking the course and supported by their employer in terms of finance or study leave. Tripartite meetings with employers also occur as part of the course to ensure students are supported and on track for clinical and academic attainment.

Other

Students on this course will be employed as healthcare professionals and will have prior varied skills, knowledge and experience that they will bring to the academic discussion and debate within the course

Means of Assessment

Practice Learning:

The students practice (clinical) learning is governed in accordance with the NMC (2018) Standards for student supervision and assessment. Practice learning accounts for 50% of the assessment for each module. The students are supported during practice learning experiences by Practice Supervisors and assessed during practice learning by Practice

Assessors.

Practice Supervisors are registered health and social care professionals who will support the student through their practice learning experience. The student may work with a range of Practice Supervisors however, they will be allocated one designated Practice Supervisor to provide continuity of their learning experience. The designated Practice Supervisor will provide feedback on progression to the student and the nominated Practice Assessor and will contribute to the students PAD, providing feedback to the Practice Assessor on the students’ achievement of proficiencies. To be a designated Practice Supervisor the registered nurse must have undertaken a period of preceptorship in line with the NMC principles for preceptorship as community nursing specialist practice qualified professionals or be able to provide evidence of prior learning and relevant practice supervisor experience that enables them to facilitate effective evidence-based learning opportunities for post registration community nursing specialist practice students.

The student will have a nominated Practice Assessor who is accountable for confirming achievement of their proficiency against proficiency outcomes in the PAD.

To assess a community nursing specialist practice student the Practice Assessor must be an experienced registered community specialist practice nurse for the programme the student is undertaking – Community Children’s Nursing.

The Practice Assessor must have undertaken a period of preceptorship in line with the NMC principles for preceptorship as community nursing specialist practice or be able to evidence prior learning and relevant experience that enables them to engage in fair, reliable and valid assessment processes in the context of community nursing specialist practice.

The Practice Assessor will collaborate with a nominated Academic Assessor at scheduled points during the students practice learning experience, to review the students’ progress and at the end of year to evaluate and recommend the student for progression and/or completion.

Practice Assessors will make assessment decisions by drawing on the student’s record of achievement, periodic observations of their practice, feedback from a range of Practice Supervisors, additional supervisors, people who use services and their carers, and the student’s self-reflections on practice.

Each student will have a nominated Academic Assessor, who will collate and confirm student achievement of proficiencies and programme outcomes. Practice and Academic Assessors will collaborate to determine whether the student has met all the necessary requirements to recommend the students completion in line with programme standards.

To assess a community nursing specialist practice student the Academic Assessor must have a specialist practice qualification annotation and have appropriate equivalent experience for the students’ field of practice. Academic Assessor must have undertaken a period of preceptorship in line with the NMC principles for preceptorship as community nursing specialist practice qualification or be able to evidence prior learning and relevant academic assessor experience that enables them to engage in fair reliable and valid assessment processes in the context of community nursing specialist practice.

The Practice Assessment Document (PAD) which details how the students will be assessed and the level they need to demonstrate achievement of the Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) (2022) Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualifications, has been co-produced at an All-Wales level. The group developing the PAD, has had representatives from all Universities delivering these programmes, all Practice Partners supporting students who will be studying these programmes, current students and people who use services and their careers.

This co-production collaborative approach has produced common, standardised processes throughout Wales to ensure a consistency of approach for students, supervisors and assessors in practice learning environments. A further benefit is that students, throughout their programme will continue to be assessed in practice using a common set of agreed criteria helping to ensure a comparable expectation, skill set and quality of registrants studying to achieve the annotation as a Specialist Practitioner.

The All-Wales group has also worked collaboratively to update amend the criteria and preparation programmes in accordance with the NMC (2018) Standards for student supervision and assessment for the Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors who will be supporting students on these programmes and developed a guide to the Practice Assessment Document and its associated processes.

Students are required to demonstrate they have achieved the NMC (2022) Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualifications (NMC 2022) related to their chosen field of specialist practice. The students’ clinical competence will be assessed using a framework devised by Benner (1984). In accordance with Benner’s criteria, students undertaking the programme must achieve at least a COMPETENT level (level 3) of practice in all proficiencies to pass the clinical component.

Theoretical Learning.

A blended approach utilising a variety of activities and modalities of delivery will support the students distance learning during the course. This approach will facilitate differing learning styles of learners and provide a degree of flexibility in learning. Online lectures and tutorials will be used in conjunction with group virtual discussions and debates to facilitate the development of knowledge and understanding of a wide range of themes and topics and their application across community practice contexts. Online activities, discussion forums, challenged based learning and enquiry-based learning will be used to explore several of the topic areas.

The Hydra Minerva online suite will also be utilised to facilitate development of teamworkand decision-making strategies. It provides opportunities for the application of knowledge to practice, decision making, critical thinking and team building. The menu of assessments has been designed to meet a variety of learning styles and preferences of assessment including presentation, development of multi-media health tools, service improvement initiative, clinical viva and critical appraisal of the underpinning evidence base. The students will have a named supervisor to help them prepare for each assessment with formative assessment built in to further support students learning.

Learning Support

Induction

Induction days are provided and timetabled for all modules within this course which will allow students the chance to settle and get to know academic staff and this will be via Unilearn and Microsoft Teams.

Personal Academic Coach

All students are allocated a Personal Tutor/Personal Academic Coach (PAC) who is there to discuss any issues relative to their academic progress and who will advise the student on how to seek support for any personal or professional matters arising that maybe affecting their studies. All students are able to contact the PAC/course leader to support their academic progress, this can be utilised by using set contact days, or discussion can be had via email and/or Teams.

Learner Analytics

USW uses a learning analytics system which can track engagement with the VLE i.e. log in attempts and can also monitor students’ attendance etc. These weekly STEAM reports can be accessed bymodule leaders and Course Leader can access this information and identify if there is any concern about participation or student engagement with the module or course. Subject Support Officers can also assist in determining engagement of students and provide support where and when needed.

Office hours

Office hours are communicated to the students at the start of each academic year and within each module induction. This is further enforced within the course handbook. Announcements will be placed on Unliearn/blackboard for when staff are on annual leave and there are key dates for each of the modules where it shows clearly when the University is closed.

Tutorials

Online tutorials will take the form of small group work which are facilitated by module staff which encourages independent development. The format of the tutorials is flexible and tailored to work with students’ needs.

Seminars

Seminars/Webinars that would be useful for the students to attend are placed on blackboard as announcements. These would not be linked to the university course but are external webinars/conferences

Progress meetings

There will be contact days arranged throughout each of the modules where students are able to get in touch to discuss their own progression and development.

Research Supervision

Supervisors will be allocated for each piece of academic work in order to facilitate the academic and personal relationships needed to allow the student to maximise their potential during the course.

Students will be encouraged to be active in the supervision process and will be supported by a number of different academics as they move through modules.

Online Resources

All modules are linked to UniLearn, the USW integrated system, which supports assessment, learning and teaching activities through technology. Video capture, podcasts and short video clips and Panopto sessions and recorded sessions will be used providing context and additional learning to support student’s development.

Advice Zone

Students are able to self-refer or be directed to the USW Advice Zone where staff are able to offer advice about the circumstances where extenuating circumstances are offered. The Advice Zone is available online whereby staff can help with a wide range of students queries and point students in the direction of additional support services.

Advice Zone Online | University of South Wales Instruction on the services available and how to make an appointment are included in course handbooks and on the USW website. Subject Support Officers are also available to assist and support students depending on need.

Disability

The Disability Support Service provides a confidential and professional service where students can discuss individual requirements relating to disability.

Advice and support are available for all students who have additional learning needs or those that require reasonable adjustments to be made. Students are encouraged to discuss additional needs or support with personal tutors, module and course leader.

https://disability.southwales.ac.uk/

IT/Library

Students have access to all USW resources both on and off campus.

The Health Division of the Faculty has a subject specialist librarian available to help and support students. Students have access to

Findit and online resources.

Online reading lists will be set up for each module.

Students will have a library introduction session, so they are aware of the facilities and functions available to them before they start the course.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

This course runs from Glyntaff

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

Applicants must be a NMC registered nurse (level 1) with relevant professional registration, capable of safe and effective practice at the level of proficiency appropriate to the NMC approved community nursing specialist practice qualification (SPQ) programme before being considered as eligible to apply for entry to the programme.

Applicants should have a first degree and be employed in a setting where specialist community care is delivered relevant to the applicants chosen field of specialist practice.

Applicants need to confirm they have the character and good standing required to uphold the values of the Code.

If English is not the first language of the applicant, then a certificate in English Language Proficiency is needed (e.g. IELTS at least 6.5) or an OET. (equivalent international qualifications are acceptable).

Selection occurs through a review of the applicant’s personal statement and confirmation that the applicant meets the University and NMC requirements for admission to the programme. If these criteria are met the student will be offered an interview with a panel that consists of an academic, practitioner and/or people who use services. The interview ensures applicants have fully considered the demands of the programme and are able fully cognisant the demands of their chosen field of specialist community.

Recognition of prior learning that is capable of being mapped to the programme learning outcomes and standards of proficiency for the applicant’s intended field of specialist community practice will be considered in line with USW RPL/RPEL processes.

All successful applicants must meet NMC requirements for good health and good character on admission, and as they progress through and on completion of the programme. During application and interview each candidate will be asked to declare that they are of good health and good character to enable safe and effective practice.

Candidates who declare any previous cautions, convictions or determinants will be considered on an individual basis by the Faculty’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Panel.

The offer of a place on the programme is subject to a confirmation that the applicant has an updated and satisfactory child and adult workforce DBS check (including a subscription to the update service). Candidates who have a specific need which may require reasonable adjustments are assessed by practitioners of occupational health in collaboration with practice partners as appropriate to determine reasonable adjustments.

On the commencement of course, students are fully informed of the requirement to immediately declare any police charges, cautions, convictions or conditional discharges or other determinations that their fitness to practise may be impaired. If a student is subject to any of the above, then this is considered with immediate effect by USW Fitness to Practice processes.

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A