Nursing MSc
20 Months Full-Time | January Start

This module introduces you to notions of globalisation and the impact upon health, policy development, professional practice and service delivery. It will encourage you to consider the nature of health care and the challenges it faces within a contemporary global community. Consideration of global, national and local priorities and demands will feature and you are expected to develop a comprehensive critical awareness of globalisation and responses to health care demands. You will also be expected to provide some commentary on the impact of nursing care and patient experience.

The main content of the module includes:

Existing and emerging global health issues such as: Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, mental health, cancers, women’s health, maternal and child health, care of the elderly, infectious diseases and outbreaks – malaria, HIV and AIDS, Ebola, H1N1, STI’s and sexual health. RTA’s Health inequalities. Tobacco, drugs and alcohol.

Globalisation: Global politics, poverty, global burden of disease, war and conflict, displacement and migration: including refugees. Health systems and health policy development. Social justice, human rights and ethics. Cultural dimensions.

Structures supporting global health: WHO, international health movements. The State, NGO’s and voluntary organisations. Universal health care and access. Nursing development and nursing heroes. The westernisation of nursing. Global and local workforce issues.

Through exploring these topics you will develop a deeper appreciation of critical analysis to understand how globalisation impacts upon health.

This module starts with a practical research workshop that will ensure that you have the required research knowledge and skills to inform your learning on this module and to support subsequent modules on this programme.
You will learn about theories, concepts and policy in health care and how they may be applied to an area of professional practice that is of relevance to you. Areas to be explored will include models of health, changing global priorities in healthcare, an appreciation of economic drivers, and the impact of ethics, gender and diversity on health and healthcare. You will also look at theories of change, as well as models of practice development, and the use of research evidence in practice. You will consider how these might influence and enable you to critically review and change or improve practice in an area selected by you. By working to review an area of practice with which you are familiar, and considering practical plans for change or improvement, you will enhance your critical analytical skills and creativity, potentially enhancing your employability. You will develop and build on your understanding of research methods and develop the knowledge and skills needed to review, lead and evaluate changes in practice. Developing practice needs to be understood in the context of the intended outcomes of change. Planning for evaluation will enable you to further demonstrate critical analysis and project management skills.

In this module you will learn about theories and concepts of knowledge, regarding the skills and behaviours required to ensure safe and effective nursing practice. You will consider how knowledge affects and influences professional judgement, clinical reasoning and decision making. You will explore a number of contemporary issues affecting safe clinical practice which include: international healthcare challenges regarding patient safety, recognition of the deteriorating patient, and the various means of addressing these within clinical practice.

You will be introduced to educational simulation and topics discussed during theoretical sessions will be explored further using a simulation technology enhanced learning approach. Your personal strengths and areas for development regarding your professional knowledge base and clinical decision making skills will be explored, whilst considering influencing factors.

You will engage in collaborative learning and working, and will be encouraged to think critically and participate in peer discussion. You will develop skills by working with others, and this will enable you to learn about yourself as a nurse, but also about the context of your own daily practice and different members of the professional team. Clinical simulation will facilitate further development of collaborative working skills.

Your professional development will be enhanced by having raised awareness of global and contemporary health issues and through the critical appraisal of evidence based knowledge, particularly the use of researcher evidence to underpin practice. You are encouraged to consider your own area of professional nursing practice throughout the module and for your summative assessment particularly you need to identify where there are gaps in the current knowledge base on the subject you have chosen. You will therefore further develop skills with literature searching, retrieving information and with critical appraisal, as well as developing critical analysis and writing skills in relation to your professional field.

This module will start with a full day research workshop that will enable those who have had minimal research tuition to have a broad understanding of the basic research principles upon which to build upon for the remainder of the module. For those with previous research instruction, the workshop will serve as a reminder (scaffolding) about the basic research tenants. Students with research experience will be encouraged to support those with less research awareness within a collaborative teaching and learning environment.

On this interactive module you will appreciate the knowledge and skills needed to undertake research. You will learn about research philosophy, methodology and the different methods associated with a range of research traditions. You will explore the value of research evidence in informing healthcare practices and be able to apply the principles of research to critically appraise research quality. You will gain specific skills in research proposal writing.

Specifically on this module you will learn about:
*Qualitative and Quantitative research
*Research methods, including experimental design, surveys, observational methods, mixed methodological approaches, Narrative approaches, interviews, focus groups.
*Data collection and data analysis
*Research Governance
*Research ethics

By the end of the module you will be able to prepare a research proposal on a topic of interest to yourself and of value to your professional practice.

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.