Programme Specifications

This undergraduate modular programme of study includes 50% of delivery taught and assessed in clinical practice during placements with practice partners.

QAA Nursing

NMC Standards of Proficiency

September 2023

The United Kingdom Nursing and Midwifery Council Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses (NMC 2018a) require registrants to have the confidence and ability to think critically, apply knowledge and skills, and provide expert, evidence based, direct nursing care across health care settings.

The new Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) standards of proficiency for registered nurses (2018) were approved by Council at its meeting on 28 March 2018. They have been updated to ensure that standards remain contemporary and fit for purpose in order to protect the public and take into account the changes taking place in society and health care, and the implications these changes have for registered nurses. The proficiencies therefore specify the knowledge and skills that registered nurses must demonstrate when caring for people of all ages and across all care settings.

The standards are now grouped under seven platforms or aspects of professional practice which are important to understand because they:

• represent the knowledge, skills and attributes that all registered nurses must demonstrate when caring for people of all ages and across all care settings

• reflect what the public can expect nurses to know and be able to do in order to deliver safe, compassionate and effective nursing care

There are seven NMC platforms followed by two annexes, which are reflected throughout the planned nurse curriculum:

• Being an accountable professional

• Promoting health and preventing ill health

• Assessing needs and planning care

• Providing and evaluating care

• Leading and managing nursing care and working in teams

• Improving safety and quality of care

• Coordinating care

• Annexe 1: Communication and relationship skills

• Annexe 2: Nursing Procedures

The aim of this programme is to provide an inclusive learning experience which meets the NMC standards for proficiency and enables students to become autonomous registered healthcare practitioners confident in their ability to meet the person-centred, holistic care needs of the people they encounter in their practice who may be at any stage of life and who may have a range of mental, physical, cognitive or behavioural health challenges.

The University of Aberystwyth nurse celebrates diversity, engages proactively with their learning journey and is flexible and confident to lead and deliver healthcare across both rural and urban settings. They understand the professional code of practice and how this guides their everyday approach to professional nursing practice.

The programme aims to enable students to:

• Develop as autonomous, accountable healthcare practitioners who meet the NMC (2018) Standards of proficiency and reflect the qualities identified in the NMC Code of Conduct (NMC 2015)

• Deliver holistic patient centred care for people of all ages in a diverse range of rural and urban settings

• Critically appraise the evidence base underpinning patient assessment, care planning, delivery and evaluation

• Develop the confidence and ability to think critically, apply knowledge and skills, and provide expert, evidence-based, direct nursing care

• Adopt a compassionate approach to leading teams and working collaboratively with others

• Promote self-awareness, wellbeing and reflect upon different strategies used to enhance resilience

• Perform a wide range of clinical skills and procedures with confidence and respond dynamically to the clinical situation and environment

• Clearly articulate the underlying anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, common diagnostics and therapeutic management of common conditions in own field of practice

• Embrace a multidisciplinary approach to health promotion, health protection and the prevention of ill health by empowering others to make informed choices and decisions

• Appreciate the complexity of moral, legal and governance frameworks and political drivers underpinning healthcare

• Promote a positive approach to inclusivity, diversity and increasing cultural awareness

• Appraise quality assurance processes, identify areas for innovation and plan a change

• Become a passionate advocate for patients, others and the wider profession

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

L.6 QAA: A systematic extensive and comparative understanding of key aspects of the field of study, including coherent and detailed knowledge of the subject and critical understanding of theories and concepts, at least some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of a discipline

Level 4 Certificate of Healthcare Studies

• A1 demonstrate knowledge of the underlying theories, concepts and principles associated with nursing, and have an ability to evaluate and interpret these within the context of that area of study

• A2 describe their own role and proficiency as a student nurse and their responsibilities towards ensuring patient safety and public protection within the context of the NMC Code

• A3 explore the evidence base underpinning patient assessment, care planning, delivery and evaluation

• A4 explain the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems related to nursing and demonstrate A5 develop lines of argument and make sound judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts

Level 5 Diploma of Healthcare Studies

• A1 demonstrate knowledge and a critical understanding of the well-established principles, theories and concepts associated with nursing, and of the way in which those principles have developed

• A2 appraise their own role and proficiency as a student nurse and their responsibilities towards ensuring patient safety and public protection within the context of the NMC Code

• A3 examine the evidence base underpinning patient assessment, care planning, delivery and evaluation

• A4 explain the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems related to nursing and demonstrate

• A5 confidently develop lines of argument and make sound judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts

Level 6 BSc Nursing

• A1 demonstrate a systematic understanding of key aspects of principles, theories and concepts associated with nursing including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge of defined aspects of the discipline and an ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry

• A2 critique their own role and proficiency as a student nurse and their responsibilities towards ensuring patient safety and public protection within the context of the NMC Code

• A3 evaluate the evidence base underpinning patient assessment, care planning, delivery and evaluation

• A4 justify the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems related to nursing and demonstrate

• A5 analyse different lines of argument and make sound judgements in accordance with complex theories and concepts

Teaching and Learning Strategy

The aim is to develop a progressive spiral curriculum which visits key principles and theories repeatedly with increasing complexity over a three-year programme. Students will spend 50% of their time in an academic setting and 50 % in practice learning opportunities, they must complete a minimum of 4,600 hours in accordance with NMC 2018 (2,300 theory and 2,300 practice). Registered nurses must be able to meet the person-centred, holistic care needs of the people they encounter in their practice who may be at any stage of life and who may have a range of mental, physical, cognitive or behavioural health challenges. The curriculum has been designed with cross-field modules which introduce aspects of professional practice and holistic person-centred care to all students regardless of field. The focus will be on developing the personal skills and attributes associated with professional nursing practice to enable safe, compassionate nursing care in a variety of care settings.

Registrants “must also be able to demonstrate a greater depth of knowledge and the additional more advanced skills required to meet the specific care needs of people in their chosen fields of nursing practice.” (NMC 2018a, p.6). Therefore, there are ‘field specific’ modules as part of this curriculum which reflect learning associated with developing expertise essential for the chosen field of practice.

There will be a student-centred blended learning approach to delivery using a combination of self-directed, on-line and face to face teaching. Where possible the programme will aim to be family friendly and minimise travel for academic lectures, some students will be able to attend some sessions ‘virtually’. Delivery will include lead lectures, seminars and small group work, simulation, case studies, action learning sets and clinical supervision. This will be supported by expertise from the wider University team as well as our PLPs and service users. We acknowledge learning takes place at different times of the day, in both formal and informal settings, through self-directed activities (i.e. reflection, discussions, reading). Students will be encouraged to take ownership of their learning and will be empowered to engage with further reading and self-directed research as required.

Simulation is essential in nurse education and at Aberystwyth we are investing in a Clinical Skills Unit which models local care delivery. This will include areas which reflect the patient journey from home and community services to assessment, planned and acute care. Students will be able to gain valuable exposure to clinical skills in a safe, learning environment which reflects the nurse/patient experience.

Aberystwyth have developed a ‘Virtual Family’ which will help support learning throughout the 3-year programme. This will encourage a truly holistic approach to family centred care. This resource will be used to support teaching, learning and assessment and will try to capture some of the complexities of care in the 21st century. It is hoped this will encourage critical thinking and also bridge some of the challenges in understanding care delivery across settings and specialities.

The 3-year plan for simulation includes scenario-based workshops which will include exposing students to other professional students and multidisciplinary teams to gain insight into the strengths and challenges of working together to deliver care.

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

QAA Level 6: A conceptual understanding of a level that is necessary to devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems and comment on research and scholarship in the discipline, with an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge.

Level 4 Certificate of Healthcare Studies

• B1 Recognise common problems encountered in clinical practice and respond appropriate

• B2 Identify own opportunities and barriers as a student nurse

• B3 Recall fundamental skills essential for basic patient assessment, care planning, delivery and evaluation

• B4 Understand reflective practice and how this increases self-awareness

• B5 Understand basic legal, moral, ethical and governance frameworks

Level 5 Diploma of Healthcare Studies

• B1 Recognise complex problems encountered in clinical practice and respond appropriately

• B2 Examine own opportunities and barriers as a student nurse

• B3 Recall fundamental skills essential for complex patient assessment, care planning, delivery and evaluation

• B4 Explore reflective practice and how this helps enhance skills associated with collaborative working

• B5 Explore legal, moral, ethical and governance frameworks

Level 6 BSc Nursing

• B1 Recognise complex problems encountered in clinical practice and lead others to respond appropriately

• B2 Appraise opportunities and barriers facing others using a given framework

• B3 Recall advanced skills essential for complex patient assessment, care planning, delivery and evaluation

• B4 Examine the impact of wider social, political and economic influences associated with reflective practice

• B5 Appraise complex legal, moral, ethical and governance frameworks

10.2.2 Professional practical skills / Discipline Specific Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

QAA Level 6: an ability to manage one’s individual learning and to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within a discipline or as necessary for the discipline

Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses: The outcome statements for each platform have been designed to apply across all four fields of nursing practice (adult, children, learning disabilities, mental health) and all care settings. Registered nurses must be able to meet the person centred, holistic care needs of the people they encounter in their practice who may be at any stage of life and who may have a range of mental, physical, cognitive or behavioural health challenges. They must also be able to demonstrate a greater depth of knowledge and the additional more advanced skills required to meet the specific care needs of people in their chosen fields of nursing practice (NMC 2018)

Level 4 Certificate of Healthcare Studies

Meet Part 1 of the NMC (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses

Level 5 Diploma of Healthcare Studies

Meet Part 2 of the NMC (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses

Level 6 BSc Nursing

Meet Part 3 of the NMC (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses with eligibility to join the register

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

QAA Level 6: Personal and enabling skills appropriate to the discipline, including the ability to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility, and decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts

Level 4 Certificate of Healthcare Studies

• D1 communicate accurately and reliably, and with structured and coherent arguments

• D2 demonstrates basic numeracy and digital literacy skills

• D3 manage own learning and study time effectively

• D4 develop effective teamworking skills

• D5 demonstrate increased resilience and emotional intelligence

Level 5 Diploma of Healthcare Studies

• D1 effectively communicate information, arguments and analysis in a variety of forms to specialist and non-specialist audiences

• D2 demonstrate more advanced numeracy and digital literacy skills

• D3 manage own time effectively with increased awareness of wider pressures

• D4 effective leadership and teamworking skills

• D5 demonstrate resilience and emotional intelligence and be capable of explaining the rationale that influences their judgments and decisions in routine situations

Level 6 BSc Nursing

• D1 effectively communicate complex information, arguments and analysis in a variety of forms to specialist and non-specialist audiences

• D2 consistently high level of numeracy and digital literacy skills

• D3 manages own and others time effectively and delegates workload appropriately

• D4 effective leadership, teamworking and management skills

• D5 demonstrate resilience and emotional intelligence and be capable of explaining the rationale that influences their judgments and decisions in routine, complex and challenging situations