Adult Nursing (BSc) with Professional Practice Year

Program Overview

With 50% hands-on practice placements, simulation suites, and immersive wards, this program equips students with specialized knowledge and skills in adult nursing, preparing them for a wide range of career opportunities in the healthcare sector. The program boasts a supportive learning environment, strong industry links, and high graduate employment rates.

Program Outline

Adult Nursing (BSc) - University of Bedfordshire

Degree Overview:

This program aims to equip students with the specialist knowledge and skills required to become registered adult nurses. The program emphasizes hands-on experience, with 50% of the learning time dedicated to practical placements in hospital and community settings.

Outline:

Program Content:

• Core Units: The program covers a wide range of topics, including:
• Introduction to Public Health
• Introduction to Nursing Interventions
• Care Across the Lifespan in Adult Nursing
• Assessment and Interventions in Adult Nursing Practice
• Law and Decision Making in Medicines Management
• Understanding Health
• Planning, Delivering and Coordinating Care for Adults
• Transforming Care
• Supporting Learning
• Advocacy, Empowerment and Protection
• Leading Complex Care in Adult Nursing
• Exploring Health and Primary Care Services in the Community
• Exploring Evidence
• Placement: Students spend 50% of their time in practice settings, gaining experience in various healthcare environments, including hospitals and community health settings.
• Simulation Suites: The program utilizes fully immersive simulation suites at both the Luton and Bedford campuses, providing students with opportunities to practice responding to and managing clinical situations and scenarios.
• Simulation Wards: Students have access to simulation wards equipped with medical-grade training mannequins, allowing them to tackle real-life scenarios in a safe and supported environment.

Program Structure:

• Duration: The program is typically a three-year full-time course.
• Foundation Year: A Foundation Year option is available for students who require additional support or did not meet the standard entry requirements.
This option extends the program to four years.
• Professional Practice Year: Students can choose to take the program over four years, including a year placement in industry.
This option provides practical experience and networking opportunities.

Course Schedule:

• Face-to-Face Teaching: The program primarily utilizes face-to-face teaching, allowing students to interact with tutors and other students.
• Placement Shifts: Students experience a mix of early, late, and night shifts during their placements to familiarize themselves with typical healthcare professional shift patterns.

Individual Modules:

• Introduction to Public Health: This unit explores the fundamentals of health and public health promotion, examining current perspectives on health and the role of ethics in public health practice.
• Introduction to Nursing Interventions: Students learn to perform a range of basic nursing procedures and interventions, building confidence in their practical skills.
• Care Across the Lifespan in Adult Nursing: This unit focuses on developing awareness of adult nursing practice by providing direct holistic care to adults in practice learning environments.
• Assessment and Interventions in Adult Nursing Practice: Students learn to assess adult patients and develop targeted plans for nursing interventions, enabling them to intervene appropriately and collaborate effectively in clinical environments.
• Law and Decision Making in Medicines Management: This unit covers the safe administration of medicines, emphasizing professional standards, legislation, safeguarding, consent, pharmacology, and medicines administration.
• Planning, Delivering and Coordinating Care for Adults: Students develop a deep understanding of diverse patient needs and learn to plan, deliver, and coordinate care in various clinical settings, working collaboratively with other professionals.
• Transforming Care: This unit encourages critical reflection on service delivery and promotes the development of ideas for change.
• Supporting Learning: Students learn to support people in self-managing their conditions, developing teaching and supervision skills to support learning in clinical environments for patients, carers, and other students.
• Advocacy, Empowerment and Protection: This unit enhances awareness of safeguarding, emphasizing the nurse's responsibility to protect individuals through advocacy, empowerment, and care.
• Leading Complex Care in Adult Nursing: Students acquire skills for risk management within an adult nursing setting, developing decision-making, planning, intervention, and evaluation skills for complex care needs.
• Exploring Health and Primary Care Services in the Community: This unit explores the health needs of the local population and supports learning in health service provision.
• Exploring Evidence: Students learn to draw conclusions from healthcare research and use evidence to inform nursing practice and care.

Assessment:

• Assessment Methods: The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:
• Written assignments (reflective pieces, case studies, academic essays)
• Assessed practice within placements
• Practice Assessment Document (PAD)
• Self-reflections on progress
• Contributions from service users and carers
• Assessment Criteria: Assessments are designed to demonstrate achievement of unit learning outcomes at undergraduate level (Level 6) and to evidence safe and effective practice.
• Practice Assessors: Each placement has a nominated Practice Assessor who confirms achievement of NMC proficiencies and course outcomes for practice learning.
• Academic Assessors: Each part of the course has a nominated Academic Assessor who confirms achievement of NMC proficiencies and course outcomes in the academic environment.

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods: The program utilizes a combination of teaching methods, including:
• Face-to-face lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Group discussions
• Practical skills sessions
• Simulation exercises
• Placements
• Faculty: Lecturers are experienced registered nurses with extensive knowledge and experience in their field.
• Unique Approaches: The program incorporates a range of unique approaches, including:
• Fully immersive simulation suites
• Simulation wards with medical-grade training mannequins
• Collaboration with regional healthcare providers
• Clinical specialists from partner trusts visiting campus to support learning
• Integration of theory and practice in assessments

Careers:

• Career Paths: Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as adult nurses.
This opens doors to a wide range of career opportunities, including:
• Adult nursing in hospitals, community settings, and residential care facilities
• Specialized clinical practice
• Management roles
• Education roles
• Opportunities: The program provides graduates with the skills and knowledge to pursue a variety of career paths in the healthcare sector.
• Outcomes: The program boasts high graduate employment rates, with 98% of graduates securing graduate-level employment.

Other:

• Accreditation: The program is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• Industry Links: The program is developed in collaboration with regional healthcare providers and health authorities, ensuring that learning meets the benchmark set for care providers.
• Student Experience: The program offers a supportive learning environment with opportunities for students to meet and exchange ideas with other healthcare students.
• Placement Locations: Students can secure placements in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, or East London.

UK:

• The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £9,250 per year.

International:

• The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £15,500 per year.