Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE NUR2213

 
TITLE Practical Placement 4

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Nursing

 
DESCRIPTION During this study-unit, the student will be required to develop competence and safe practice in all the level 2 domains of competence as delineated in the student's practical portfolio.

The domains of competence include:
1) Personal and Professional Development;
2) Communication, Teamwork and Cooperation;
3) Organisation and Delivery of Nursing Care;
4) Knowledge and its Clinical Application;
5) Ethical and Legal Aspects of Care; and
6) Teaching and Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle.

The students will be exposed to two clinical settings (which may include mental health, paediatric care, critical care, primary health care, maternity care as well as acute or chronic settings) and work with one of these under the supervision of named mentors as well as nursing professionals in the respective settings to learn, practice and subsequently develop safe and competent nursing practice required at this level.

This practical placement spans the semester 2 and the summer period. The grand total number of hours for this study-unit is 300 hours which must be achieved by the end of the study-unit. The students will have a 3 - 5 week unmentored placement followed by a 10-12 week mentored placement.

In order to be eligible for assessment students must:
i) complete a minimum of 190 hours (per mentored placement); and
ii) satisfactory completion of the documentation required for year 4 (The Practice Portfolio).

Study-Unit Aims:

The aim of this study-unit is to provide clinical placements to enable the student to practice the specific performance indicators and subsequently demonstrate safe and competent practice as the required level of competence, as specified in the Practice Portfolio.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Independently identify own learning needs and discuss learning strategies to address the identified needs;
- Reflect on and discuss the nursing care delivered, to improve own professional practice and meet learning needs;
- Evaluate and highlight the need of delegation to other members of staff appropriately in various specific situations;
- Critically evaluate the nature and quality of nursing care delivered by self or others;
- Apply correct theoretical knowledge to practice, according to the specific clinical setting;
- Apply knowledge and skills in various common situations and circumstances affecting patient care;
- Recognise acute deterioration or crisis situations, and actively participate in and/or articulate the provision of life-preserving measures;
- Recognise improvement and discuss such improvements with the appropriate health care professionals and/or relatives;
- Understand nursing responsibilities and practice within professional boundaries;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the nature and ethics of the profession, and knowledge of the code of professional practice;
- Demonstrate responsibility and accountability in patient care; and
- Discuss pertinent ethical and legal challenges associated with the delivery of nursing care.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate a professional attitude and professional behaviour;
- Actively seek and follow on learning opportunities;
- Communicate effectively and in a professional manner with nurses, other health-professionals, patients and relatives in the clinical setting;
- Give complete information to patients and relatives with regards to nursing interventions being performed;
- Integrate with health-care professionals, patients and relatives in a professional manner;
- Cooperate and work well as part of the health-care team;
- Demonstrate leadership in the delivery of safe nursing care;
- Assess and identify the nursing needs of patients allocated to his/her care, from various sources including medical history, interviewing and assessment;
- Deliver safe nursing care, effectively and efficiently, in line with appropriate organisational guidelines;
- Participate in the delivery of physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual patient care at each stage of the nursing process (assess, plan, implement and evaluate);
- Prioritise nursing care appropriately;
- Make decisions related to the provision of nursing care;
- Work pro-actively under supervision;
- Competently apply a range of basic and complex clinical skills throughout the placement, with minimal help and supervision from a qualified member of staff;
- Act lawfully and ethically;
- Educate and support patients and relatives in techniques that enable and facilitate self-care; and
- Give advice and empower patients and relatives towards a healthier life- style and self-care.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

General Nursing Care
- Hogston, Richard, and Penelope M. Simpson. Foundations of Nursing Practice : Making the Difference. 2nd ed. Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.
- McCormack, B. & McCance, T. (2016) Person-Centred Practice in Nursing and Health Care: Theory and Practice.
- Ellis, P. (2020) Understanding Ethics for Nursing Students (Transforming Nursing Practice Series).
- Jarvis, Carolyn. Physical Examination & Health Assessment. 7th ed. Elsevier, 2016.
- Burnard, Chapman, and Chapman, Christine M. Professional and Ethical Issues in Nursing. 3rd ed. Baillière Tindall, 2003.
- Howatson-Jones, L & Standing, M (2015) Patient Assessment and Care Planning in Nursing (Transforming Nursing Practice Series).
- Wilson, Susan Fickertt., and Jean. Giddens. Health Assessment for Nursing Practice. 6th ed. Elsevier, 2017.

Caring for Children and Adolescents
- Glasper, Richardson, Glasper, Edward Alan, and Richardson, Jim. A Textbook of Children's and Young People's Nursing. 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, 2010.
- Glasper, Aylott, Battrick, Glasper, Edward Alan, Aylott, Marion, and Battrick, Cath. Developing Practical Skills for Nursing Children and Young People. Hodder Arnold, 2010.

Mental Health
- Basavanthappa, B.T. Essentials of Mental Health Nursing. Jaypee, 2011.
- Eby, Linda, and Nancy J. Brown. Mental Health Nursing Care. 2nd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
- Fortinash, Holoday Worret, and Fortinash, Katherine M. Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. 4th ed. Mosby, 2008.
- Kneisl, Carol Ren, Holly Skodol Wilson, and Eileen Trigoboff. Contemporary Psychiatric-mental Health Nursing. Pearson, 2004.

Maternity Care
- Bindler, and Bindler, Ruth McGillis. Clinical Skills Manual for Maternity and Pediatric Nursing. 5th ed. Pearson Education, 2017.
- Leifer, Gloria. Introduction to Maternity & Pediatric Nursing. 6th ed. Elsevier/Saunders, 2011.

Community/Primary Health Care
- Fowler, John. Fundamental Aspects of Community Nursing : The Experience of Community Nursing. Quay, 2006.
- St. John, Keleher, and Keleher, Helen. Community Nursing Practice : Theory, Skills and Issues. Allen & Unwin, 2006.

Pharmcology
- Barber, Paul, and Deborah Robertson. Essentials of Pharmacology for Nurses. Open U.P., 2009.
- Burchum, Jacqueline Rosenjack, Laura D. Rosenthal, and Richard A. Lehne. Lehne's Pharmacology for Nursing Care. 10th ed. Elsevier, 2019.
- Davison, N. (2014) Numeracy and Clinical Calculations for Nurses Paperback.

Clinical Skills
- Altman, Gaylene, Patricia Kerestzes, and Mary A. Wcisel. Fundamental & Advanced Nursing Skills. 3rd Ed., International ed. Delmar, 2010.
- Dougherty, Lister, West-Oram, Dougherty, Lisa, Lister, Sara E., West-Oram, Alex, and The Royal Marsden, NHS Foundation Trust. The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures. 9th ed. Wiley Blackwell, 2015.
- Elkin, Perry, Potter, Perry, Anne Griffin, and Potter, Patricia A. Nursing Interventions & Clinical Skills. 4th ed. Mosby Elsevier, 2007.
- Perry, Potter, Ostendorf, Potter, Patricia Ann, and Ostendorf, Wendy R. Clinical Nursing Skills & Techniques. 8th ed. Elsevier/Mosby, 2014.
- Randle, Coffey, Bradbury, Randle, Jacqueline, Coffey, Frank, and Bradbury, Martyn. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Skills in Adult Nursing. Oxford U.P., 2009. Oxford Medical Publications.
- Toca, Carmen. Skills Performance Checklists for Clinical Nursing Skills & Techniques. Mosby, 2010.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Clinical Practice

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Competencies See note below Yes 100%
Note: Assessment due will vary according to the study-unit availability.

 
LECTURER/S Trevor Abela Fiorentino
Michelle Camilleri
Adrienne Grech

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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