AU1S011 - The Essentials of Nursing Practice 01 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: AU1S011
Module Title: The Essentials of Nursing Practice
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Integrated Health, Social Care and Post Registration Nursing
Faculty Sub Group: Collaborative Provision
Module Leader: Samantha Metcalfe
Module Team: Stuart Baker, Anitha Livingstone
First Intended Intake: SEP 2023 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 4
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100290 - nursing
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

To provide students with an essential understanding of key areas of nursing practice, and the implications of being a professional.

Content Summary

The content of this module will be applied across all four fields of practice. The module will explore the following themes:

Introduction to professionalism, overview of The Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers in Wales (WAG 2011) and The Code for Registered Nurses and Midwives (NMC 2018).

Definition of professional approaches in meeting the needs of service users across the age continuum. 

Introduction to social sciences as applied to service users, families and carers.

Introduction to ethical frameworks applied to the fields of nursing and relationship to The Code (2018).

Ethical challenges and the implications for delivery of safe and compassionate family and person-centred care. Involving service user, carers and families in care.

An introduction to person centred care in relation to hygiene, mobility, nutrition, hydration, elimination, sleep and rest.

Develop an understanding of people’s needs related to safety, dignity, hygiene, mobility, nutrition, hydration, elimination, sleep and rest.

Introduction to study skills/ development of self, personal health/resilience and reflective practice. Introduction to the nurse’s role when working in multi-professional teams.

Importance of effect record keeping.

Introduction to evidence-based care and its application to a range of practice settings. 

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 8
Tutorial 8
Independent Study 110
Directed Study 66
Active/Simulation Based 8
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Analyse the fundamental knowledge, skills and professional values needed in order to deliver safe, holistic person-centred care
LO2 Identify and differentiate a range of evidence that underpins contemporary nursing practice

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Essay 1 You are required to write a 2000-word assignment following the given format: Reflect on an interaction with a patient, client or service user from your own field of practice. Consider reflecting on and exploring the care they received during that interaction or an aspect of care provision. Please use ‘Evidence Based Practice’ to ensure that the interaction being explored is supported by appropriate standards/guidelines. 0 2000 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Essay 1

Reading List

Blackburn, S. (2001) Ethics: a very short introduction. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

Delves-Yates, C. (2018) Essentials of Nursing Practice (2nd Edition) Sage. London.

Dougherty, L. Lister, S and West-Oram, A. (2015) The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures, Student Edition, (9th Edition) Wiley-Blackwell. London

Esterhuizen P, Howatson-Jones L (2019) Reflective Practice in Nursing (4th Edition). Sage. London.

Marshall, P et al. (2017) Anatomy and Physiology in Healthcare. Scion Publishing. Banbury.

Peate, I (2019) Learning to Care: The Nursing Associate. Elsevier, London.

Price, B and Harrington, A. (2018) Critical Thinking and Writing in Nursing, (4th Ed), Sage. London

Rees, C. (2016) Rapid Research methods for Nurses, Midwives and Health Professionals, Wiley Blackwell. London

Adult Texts

Barker J, Linsley P, Kane R, (2016) Evidence-based practice for nurses and healthcare professionals, (3rd Edition). Sage publishing. London.

Elcock, K., Wright, W., Newcombe, P. and Everett, F. (2019) Essentials of Nursing Adults. Sage. London.

Peate, I (eds) (2019) Alexander’s Nursing Practice Hospital and Home. 5th edition. Elsevier. Edinburgh.

Child Texts

Gormley-Fleming E, Martin D (2018), Children’s and Young People’s Nursing Skills at a Glance. Wiley, Hoboken New Jersey.

Keenan T, Evans S, Crowley K (2016), An Introduction to Child Development 3rd Ed. Sage, LA Meggitt C, (2012), Child Development; An Illustrated Guide 3rd Ed. Pearson Education, Harlow Peate I, Gormley-Fleming E (2015), Fundamentals of Children’s Anatomy and Physiology; a textbook for nursing and healthcare students. John Wiley and Son, Chichester

Learning Disability Texts

Atherton, H, Crickmore D. (2011) Learning disabilities: towards inclusion. (6th Edition). Churchill Livingstone. London

Gates, B; Mafuba, K. (2015) Learning Disability Nursing: Modern Day Practice. Taylor and Francis. London.

Hardy, S; Chaplin, E; Woodward, P; (2016) Supporting the Physical Health Needs of People with Learning Disabilities: A Handbook for Professionals, Support Staff and Families. Pavilion Publishing. London

Williams, V. (2012). Learning Disability Policy and Practice: Changing Lives? Palgrave Macmillan. England

Mental Health Texts

Harvey,J and Taylor,V (2013) Measuring health and wellbeing. Sage. London.

Wright, K. and McKeown (2018) Essentials of Mental Health Nursing. Sage. London