CA4S041 - Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) 21 Dec 2020 - 31 Aug 2027 | Version 4

Associated Module Information

Module Code: CA4S041
Module Title: Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing)
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Community and Professional Practice Nursing
Faculty Sub Group: Community Nursing
Module Leader: Alexandra James
Module Team: Angela Hiscocks, Eileen Munson, Michelle Panniers
First Intended Intake: DEC 2012 Final Year of Intake: 2024
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100281 - community nursing
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 4
Valid From 21 Dec 2020
Valid To 31 Aug 2027

Module Aims

The aim of the module is to enable the student to critically analyse district nursing specialist practice knowledge and expertise within the context of a variety of settings, complexity and change. It will promote learning to prepare the student to take the lead in working as a specialist clinician, adapting to meet challenges, to develop both generalist and specialist skills in order to provide timely and comprehensive care to individuals and populations and so maximise health across all sectors of the community.

Content Summary

What is a specialist practitioner? Defining the context of care delivery. Promoting health, improving health and preventing disease, addressing determinants of health. Public health. Working with communities. Health needs assessment and profiling. Leadership and management. Facilitating learning and development; self, parents, patients, colleagues. Collaborative, partnership and integrated working.
The political, legal, ethical and policy components of care, mental capacity. Evaluating standards and outcomes. Evidenced-based nursing.. Assessing, planning, providing, and evaluating specialist care for patients. Assessment frameworks. Working with guidelines and protocols. Risk Assessment. Mentorship and Preceptorship.
Protection of Vulnerable Adults. Working across disciplines and agencies. Continuity of care. Clinical guidelines and care pathways. Developments in District Nursing. Mental health and emotional issues, counselling and therapeutic techniques. NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS funded care. Addressing ageing population, chronic disease management and patients with multiple health needs. Individual case-load management and care coordination. Palliative and end of life care. Presentation skills. Quality. Model for Improvement. Report Writing.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 25
Seminar 25
Independent Study 50
Placement 100
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 To critically evaluate practice developments taking the lead as the change agent and leading the community nursing contribution to enhancing quality of care. (Standard 13.23)
LO2 To critically review evidence base for creation of an environment in which clinical practice is fostered, evaluated, disseminated and transformed. (Standard 13.26)
LO3 Assess, the health and health-related needs of patients, clients, their families and other carers and identify and initiate appropriate steps for effective care for individuals and groups (standard 28.1)
LO4 Assess, diagnose and treat specific disease in accordance with agreed nursing/medical protocols (standard 28.2)
LO5 Contribute to strategies designed to promote and improve health and prevent disease in individuals and groups (standard 28.4)
LO6 Assess, plan, provide and evaluate specialist clinical nursing care to meet care needs of individual patients in their own homes (standard 28.3)
LO7 Manage programmes of care for patients with chronic disease (standard 28.5)
LO8 Play key role in care management as appropriate (standard 28.6)

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Presentation (Asynchronous) 1 This will form a 20-minute presentation of an improvement project, critically applying a model of improvement and demonstrating application to practice. This should include critical consideration of how leadership and management of others can assist in creating an effective environment for practice development. 20 N/A 100 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Clinical Learning 1 Achievement of five clinical learning outcomes: Sign-off mentor verification of achievement of the clinical learning outcomes, and documented within the Clinical Outcomes Achievement record. 0 N/A 0 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Presentation (Asynchronous) 1
Clinical Learning 1

Reading List

Department of Health (2013) Care in Local Communities – A New Vision and Model for District Nursing DH; London

Chilton S, Bain H, Claridge A and Melling K (2012) A textbook of Community Nursing Hodder and Stoughton Ltd: London

QNI (2014) 2020 Vision 5 Years On: Reassessing the Future of District Nursing QNI: London

Gopee N and Galloway J (2013)Leadership and Management in Healthcare. SAGE Publications Ltd; Second Edition

Great Britain. The Department of Health. (2008) High Quality Care for All: NHS Next Stage Review Final Report by Lord Darzi. Stationery Office Books: London