Programme Specification for BSc (Hons) Health Visiting (Specialist Community Public Health Nursing) 2012/2013 Teaching Institution: London South Bank University Accredited by: Nursing and Midwifery Council Faculty of origin: HSC Highest Award within the Programme: BSc (Hons) Health Visiting (Specialist Community Public Health Nursing) Other Awards within the Programme: No other awards. Reference Points: Internal: LSBU Mission Statement and Strategic Plan LSBU Core Skills Policy LSBU Academic Regulations External: Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (QAA, 2001) Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 2008 Guidelines for preparing programme specifications 2006 Benchmark statement: Health Care programmes health Visiting 2001 SEEC Credit level descriptors for Higher Education 2010 Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nurses (2004) Health visiting competencies (2002) Standards to support learning and assessment in practice NMC 2008 Skills for Health Public Health Skills and Career Framework (2009) LSBU Academic Regulations 2010-11 Corporate Plan 2009-12 Students First 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (1/8)
Rationale & Aims: The Course Team used the NMC (2004) Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses to ensure that the programme covers all aspects of learning required for registration and professional practice in order to ensure public protection. The Course Team recognises that the NMC is currently about to start a major review of the SCPHN standards and that there have been a range of changes in the health service and in policies that have necessitated the team to produce a programme that is as flexible as possible to reflect contemporary practice whilst still adhering to the NMC standards. The SCPHN standards of proficiency will be achieved on this programme by students following a specific pathway comprising 50% theory and 50% practice. This provides comparability of proficiency at the point of entry to the NMC register, whilst ensuring that the specific knowledge, skills, values and proficiencies pertaining to each defined area of community public health nursing are achieved for safe and effective practice. In developing the programme the course team has built upon and mapped against the 4 core areas of public health and the standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nursing which are grouped into 4 domains: Search for Health Needs Surveillance and assessment of the population s health and well-being. Stimulation of awareness of health needs Collaborative working for health and well-being Working with and for, communities to improve health and well-being Influence on policies affecting health Developing health programmes and services and reducing inequalities Policy and strategy development and implementation to improve health and well-being Research and development to improve health and well-being Facilitation of health enhancing activities Promoting and protecting the population s health and wellbeing Developing quality and risk management within an evaluative culture Strategic leadership for health and wellbeing Ethically managing self, people and resources to improve health and wellbeing The programme needs to develop the student in three key areas: Professional knowledge and understanding Professional skills and abilities Professional values and accountability and development The relationship between these three areas should enable the student to enter Specialist Community Public Health Nursing and be well prepared for practice. 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (2/8)
The programme aims to: Develop the appropriate knowledge and skills to enable students to promote the health of individuals, groups, and the wider public. Integrate theory and deliver health visiting practice that is evidence based. Promote health visiting practice that incorporates awareness of the needs of disadvantaged, vulnerable populations and those subjected to health and social inequalities. Enable students to be knowledgeable, competent, innovative, flexible and reflective practitioners who are able to practise safely in a range of settings and work effectively within multi-professional and multi agency teams for the benefit of clients/service users. Work autonomously as well as working effectively within a range of uni and multiprofessional teams. Programme Outcomes The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and skills in a range of areas and these are described as below: Students will have a knowledge and understanding of: A1Child and young person normal development, presentation of deviations from the norm and appropriate actions and the impact of health inequalities. A2 Contemporary approaches to effective leadership and management skills and strategies applicable within public health and primary care settings. A3 Principles and application of effective collaboration with other professionals, agencies, service users and the public to promote health and well-being and reduce inequalities in health. A4 Theoretical bases and critical application of research, other forms of evidence, audits, evaluation, quality assurance and other principles of clinical governance. A5 Contemporary approaches to public health, different perspectives on health that include epidemiological, health economic and sociological perspectives and strategies and interventions to improve health, well-being and inequalities. A6 Appraising health and social policy, understanding the process of policy making and how professional practice may contribute to these processes and how it is applied to public and primary health and social care. A7 Multifactorial nature of vulnerability and abuse and assessment strategies that identify individuals and families at risk, alongside strategies to manage and minimise risk particularly with safeguarding and protecting children. A8 Concepts and influence of poverty, inequality, culture, disability and differential health needs of the population and how to practise within an ethical framework A9 The nature of health visiting and related professional issues including the use of higher level interpersonal skills, reflective practice, the development of a professional identity, advocacy, autonomy, accountability and non discriminatory practice Teaching and Learning Strategies: A range of teaching and learning strategies will be utilised to achieve the learning outcomes. As students spend 50% of the course in practice under the supervision of a Practice Teacher they have many opportunities for applying theory to practice and to bring practice experience to the classroom setting. A1-9 will all have some formal lecture input but will all be further explored in group tutorials. A2 and A3 will utilise workshops to apply problem solving approaches to issues encountered in contemporary practice. A7 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (3/8)
will utilise critical discussion groups to focus on the findings of published Serious Case Reviews and how learning from these is implemented in practice. Areas of knowledge and understanding that are shared across the three SCPHN pathways (OHN, HV and SN) will lend themselves to a variety of blended and electronic learning activities. These would include for example, issues around accountability and responsibility (A9), legal and ethical frameworks for practice (A4,5,6,8), models of reflection (A9), clinical governance (A2,4,6), change management models (A2,3,5,6,9,). Blackboard is the current Virtual Learning Environment and currently the medium through which electronic learning is delivered but this is an area for development. Assessment Assessment methods are specified in each module guide. Content, knowledge and understanding is assessed through coursework and examination. This course is utilising mostly written assignments to test knowledge and understanding but these are focused in different ways with essays, case studies, reports and reflection on practice. There is one examination as this is an NMC requirement. Assessment covers the module and course learning outcomes prescribed in the Module Guide. Practice Teachers are continually assessing knowledge as part of the assessment of competence. Intellectual Skills Students will be able to develop and integrate intellectual skills with practice to: B1 Demonstrate reflective, critical and evaluative thinking to analyse experience and develop new insights into practice. B2 Integrate knowledge and theories explored in the university with practice learning to enable new insights and innovation for community public health nursing practice. B3 Critically analyse information from a range of sources to present logical, reasoned and critical arguments to support decision making and developments in practice. B4 Utilise effective problem solving skills and strategies that enable practice to be developed and delivered within appropriate ethical, moral and legal frameworks. B5 Critically analyse research to ensure evidence informed practice. B6 Develop and articulate strategies that enable the practitioner to deal with uncertainty and competing and contested concepts in practice in the exercise of professional judgement. Teaching and learning strategies As practice comprises 50% of this course many of the intellectual outcomes will be further developed in practice with the support of the Practice Teacher (B1-6) In the classroom setting these skills will be developed through individual and group tutorials, preparation of assignments and workshops, case scenario discussions and seminars. Assessment Intellectual skills are developed and assessed through the assignments set for each module that include a range of topics related to practice. Practical Skills These 6 broad outcomes form the basis of the practice portfolio. 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (4/8)
C1 Apply effective management and leadership skills to ensure high quality care for services users and the public in general. C2 Identify, assess and manage risk to ensure protection of vulnerable groups including children and protection of self. C3 Apply an enquiring and reflective approach to practice, ensuring that interventions and management strategies are evidence informed and delivered within an ethical framework. C4 Assess the health and well being needs of individuals and groups within relevant populations identifying those disadvantaged by health and social care inequalities and work in partnership with these individuals and groups to plan and implement effective strategies to meet identified needs. C5 Demonstrate skills of effective collaborative working with both service users and other professionals to achieve health gain for individuals, families, groups and communities. C6 Appraise the implications of national and local policies on both service delivery and the public health of the local population to enable a pro-active innovative response to future service provision. Teaching and learning strategies The practical skills are the key learning outcomes that will need to be assessed by the Practice Teacher to meet the SCPHN standards for the NMC. The theoretical modules are all designed to support the achievement of these skills and competencies. There are very close links between the university and sponsoring organisations and wherever possible Practice Teachers are brought into the classroom to support practice-theory integration. Normally each student is visited twice in practice by a member of the teaching team. The course length is 52 weeks including 7 weeks annual leave and 45 programmed weeks of which 50% is spent in the practice area under the supervision of a Practice Teacher. Students will spend 15 practice days during the initial practice period gaining experience in settings and/or with clients that are considered important to their understanding of public health nursing or future areas of potential responsibility. Assessment These practical skills are incorporated in a practice portfolio and each practice learning outcome is divided into a number of smaller areas. Students progress through an initial practice period between September and May and are formatively assessed throughout by their practice teacher and then progress is reviewed in May to ensure they have reached a satisfactory standard. This is recorded at the semester 2 examination board and is a progression or step off point. Progress is summatively assessed by the Practice Teacher and completion of the portfolio countersigned by the course team at the examination board in September Transferable Skills Students will acquire and develop transferable skills to be able to: D1 Utilise a range of media and means to communicate effectively with clients, peers, other professionals and groups. 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (5/8)
D2 Demonstrate utilisation of information management skills. D3 Work independently, gaining autonomy and as an effective and contributing team member. D4 Build on their post qualifying experience as a registered nurse to develop their professional portfolio and personal development plan. D5 Develop time management strategies and the ability to meet deadlines. D6 Utilise effective self directed learning strategies. D7 Develop confidence to challenge, defend and debate academic and practice issues Teaching and learning strategies Transferable skills are developed throughout the course by the use of activities that need to be prepared before classroom sessions, support to manage the demands of the academic and practice commitment of the course, keeping a reflective journal that will help them to understand personal strengths and weaknesses and how to engage in future personal and professional development. Assessment This will be via the practice portfolio (D1,2,3,4,5,6,7,), via poster presentation (D1) and through the other assignments which are all related to practice. Entry Requirements To be considered for entry to the BSc (Hons) Health Visiting (SCPHN) programme applicants are required to have the following qualifications: Current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a first level nurse or a midwife Applicants should normally have completed two years, recent and relevant, post-registration practice in order to have consolidated pre-registration outcomes and to have gained a deeper understanding of professional practice. Relevant Diploma in Higher Education in Nursing award or prior academic attainment equivalent to 120 CATS points at level 5 in relevant subject areas, normally, including research appreciation. Those students (the minority) who do not hold a Diploma Qualification must normally have a minimum of 60 CAT points at level 5 and demonstrate their readiness to study at level 6. APEL/APL may be considered as part of the entry process, particularly for applicants with evidence of substantial professional experience Students need to have a practice placement and practice teacher agreed for the duration of the course. Currently this is usually offered via sponsorship from health care provider organisations. 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (6/8)
Programme Structure BSc (Hons) Health Visiting (SCPHN) Full-Time Study Graduates for this award will achieve 120 credits level 6 and have successfully completed the Practice Learning Outcomes. Semester of study: 1 Professional Practice for Health Visiting (20 credits) Level 6 Evaluating Research for Health Care (20 credits) Level 6 A Public Health approach to Promoting Health (20 credits) Level 6 Professional Portfolio (not academically accredited but must be signed off by the Practice Teacher to show that students have achieved level 4 for the practice learning outcomes by the end of the programme) Semester of study: 2 Developing leadership and management skills for SCPHNs (20 credits) Level 6 Mental health and well-being of children and families (20 credits) Level 6 Protecting vulnerable children (20 credits) Level 6 Professional Portfolio (not academically accredited but must be signed off by the Practice Teacher to show that students have achieved level 4 for the practice learning outcomes by the end of the programme) BSc (Hons) Health Visiting (SCPHN) Part -Time Study Graduates for this award will achieve 120 credits level 6 and have successfully completed the Practice Learning Outcomes. Year 1 Semester 1: Professional Practice for Health Visiting (20 credits) Level 6 Evaluating Research for Health Care (20 credits) Level 6 Semester 2: Mental health and well-being of children and families (20 credits) Level 6 Year 2 Semester 1: A Public Health approach to Promoting Health (20 credits) Level 6 Semester 2: 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (7/8)
Developing leadership and management skills for SCPHNs (20 credits) Level 6 Protecting vulnerable children (20 credits) Level 6 Year 1&2 Professional Portfolio (not academically accredited but must be signed off by the Practice Teacher to show that students have achieved level 4 for the practice learning outcomes by the end of the programme) 0_A62B_1213 finalised on 14/08/2012 by Joanna French (8/8)