UDNURMTH - BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health)

The BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health) courses are designed to be fully inclusive, engaging with the sociocultural diversity of our students and ensuring that all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment allows for the promotion of different learning styles and an understanding of the multi-disciplinary areas of Mental Health Nursing. Embedding the Education for Social Justice Framework (ESJF), the courses use a spiral curriculum to introduce and assess the seven platforms of nursing care (NMC 2018) across the programme (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; and Coordinating care). These platforms are routinely revisited throughout the BSc (Hons) courses to advance content and add complexity to learning. NMC standards and proficiencies for pre-registration nursing programmes and the blend of behaviours, knowledge, skills, and values used by nurses in their work form the basis of programme content. As a result, the content of the course: teaching approaches and assessment tasks are focused on intentionally creating awareness and critically reflecting on learners’ values, knowledge base and skills, to ensure that they can enter the nursing profession with the requisite skills to be safe, effective and fit for practice

The curriculum of this courses is designed to showcase our unique selling point of creating placements close to home in primary, community and social care settings. Students are allocated placements according to their termtime postcode to achieve local placements within our catchment area of placement providers and will experience a range of nursing settings and disciplines. The lecture programme provides the underpinning theoretical foundation in nursing subject areas. Thinking skills are developed through complementary activities including scheduled reflection on practice, practical classes, case studies, workshops, seminars, tutorials, assignments, and practice-based learning. Biosciences content sessions are carried out in the Science Centre utilising the Super Lab. Simulation of practice will take place in our Simulation and Skills Suite, which provides facilities replicating ward, Psychiatric Intensive care, home care, primary care clinic, telehealth and committee room areas where students can develop and practice skills safely before implementing them in a practice setting. We have invested in state-of-the-art immersive virtual reality simulation facilities to add further realism to simulations, and to allow students to experience and practice in high-risk situations without risk to actual patients. Our values- based approach addresses the challenges faced by our students in London, supporting them to succeed through equipping them with the skills and abilities to fight health inequalities faced by the diverse populations they will go onto serve.

The core teaching team comprises suitably qualified university teaching staff who are registered as Mental Health Nurses or Adult Nurses by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as well as subject experts in physical and social sciences and experts from wider mental health and allied health professions. The course draws upon the wider expertise of the school and its partners in the wider university. Learners are expected to complement formal teaching with self-directed reading, learning and completion of specified assignments. Learners are encouraged to use all open spaces of study available to them within North Campus (Holloway Road). Learners will also be given opportunities to develop skills in and use appropriate resources and technology available both within and outside the institution (e.g., literature databases, specific software, internet applications).

The course also promotes the learner’s self-management and a reflective approach to their learning with a view to future continued professional development (CPD) in their chosen field of nursing. Teaching and learning are integrated with assessment and with the University’s Student Success Strategy Delivery is through a combination of lectures, blended learning, practical sessions, seminars, tutorials, case studies and workshops allowing learners to be actively involved in the learning process and develop their own learning style. Learning support is available for students in the form of an Academic Mentor, as well as Personal Academic Tutor and individual module leaders.

The Mental Health Nursing course allows students to qualify for registration in the chosen field of practice. There is a core shared curriculum which is followed by all students which allows for coverage of Nursing proficiencies, knowledge and professional values common to both routes of study. In both years one and two a specialist module for mental health is core for the field of study. Within the shared modules, cohorts will be split into field specific groups for tutorials or where content and understanding may vary.

The course aims to produce graduate Mental Health Nurses who are fit for practice as a registered nurse and reflect the philosophy and values underpinning the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards and requirements for registration, as well as the values of London Metropolitan University. They provide a sound knowledge base and a high standard of cognitive, practical and transferable skills, enabling students to feel a sense of belonging at London Met and to encourage student engagement with learning and the opportunities offered by the University. The course gives students opportunities to share experiences, encourages reflection on individual values and understanding their response to the world, preparing them for the dynamic healthcare environment of the 2020s and beyond.

Our locally focused approach prepares our students for the evolving mental health nursing and wider healthcare landscape. Students are encouraged to be critical thinkers, gaining core clinical skills for their chosen field of nursing and proficiencies in the person-centred care of people of all ages in local primary, community and social care settings, as well as in-hospital nursing care and private and voluntary care providers. The course allows students to develop skills in communication and interpersonal skills when working with people in distress: in teams and across professions. Students will develop a reasoned comprehension of professional values and reflect on continuous professional growth as a Mental Health Registered Nurse to become leaders of the future in the nursing profession.

The NMC Standards Framework for Nursing Education (2018) dictates seven platforms of learning that underpin nursing preparation courses. These are included in the course outcomes below and marked with an asterisk.
On completion of this course learners will be able to:

1. Identify relevant psychological, social and biological sciences underpinning the client, service user and patient experience *

2. Understand the relevant psychopathology, physical pathology and treatment, health promotion and social care needs of the person with a mental health diagnosis

3. Demonstrate all proficiencies required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for delivery of safe and effective care*

4. Assess, plan, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of care and health promotion across a range of patients, service users and clients in different healthcare settings *

5. Appraise nursing research, audit and quality standards, formulating this into evidence-based and person-centred nursing care and improving the quality and safety of care *

6. Critically reflect on practice, developing strategies to cope with the physical and mental demands of nursing practice, promoting resilient practice in others*

7. Lead care, coordinate teams and work as team members in providing care across a range of health care settings *

8. Demonstrate fitness to practice through professional values and accountability in registered practice according to the NMC Code. *

9. Demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible practitioners/professionals in their discipline (University Learning outcome)

No current Nursing Benchmark

Module and course learning outcomes will be assessed with a variety of authentic assessment types such as practice-based assessment of skills, essays exploring biopsychosocial case studies, evidence-based problem-solving, complex case study essay, professional development, reflective accounts, applying theory to practice, inter-professional group presentation, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and research projects. The mathematical elements of the course, designed to prepare students in pharmacological aspects of the course will be assessed in each part, and assessed in both practice placements, and theoretical modules. These assessments are selected to direct students learning towards the achievement of core proficiencies, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities.

There is a progressive development of practice proficiencies and performance as a student nurse across the three years of the course. These proficiencies are required elements for registration as a Nurse as specified in the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses.

The pan-London Electronic Practice Assessment Document (ePAD). Part one of the courses introduce core nursing assessment and care strategies which progress to more complex skills across parts two and three as students gain exposure to more complex clinical presentations and fast changing circumstances. Students are assessed in their demonstration of professional values, proficiency development, knowledge and communication skills through several prescribed assessment tasks by their practice assessor who records outcomes in the student’s ePAD. These increase in levels of complexity, knowledge and professional skills required in each subsequent part of the course. Simulation will be used formatively for skill rehearsal and preparation for practice, but also for summative skill assessment in the form of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) in year three.

In line with the inclusive assessment principle of the ESJF, all assessments are scaffolded with briefing, question and answer sessions, and early formative opportunities will be used to provide feedback prior to summative assessments. These approaches will ensure that both academic staff and students have a shared understanding of the aims, rationale, marking criteria and feedback cycle for each assessment. Furthermore, assessments will be scheduled in a way that enables students to receive appropriate and timely feedback which prepares them for the next related assessment.

In addition, the assessment strategy has considered the volume of assessments, and limit the use of unseen written examinations to one in part one (year 1) and one in part two (year two).

The course is designed to satisfy the NMC standard of 4600 hours combined taught and practice learning, required to qualify as a registered nurse (RMN). 2300 hours must be gained from nursing practice placement experience. These are evidenced through timesheets contained within the student electronic practice assessment document, where hours are confirmed by practice supervisors and assessors. Students will have supernumerary status whilst in any form of practice placement, which may take place in a variety of mental and physical health care settings with a focus on local, primary, community and social mental health nursing care provision.

Students can expect placements in care homes, home settings, occupational health departments, GP surgeries, and telehealth as well as community, acute and forensic clinical placements within local NHS Trusts. Students attend two practice placements per academic year (part) of the course, and these may range in length from 4-12 weeks in total. Students also have an opportunity to attend insight placements, which are short, two-week non-assessed placements in clinical areas relevant to their field of nursing.

The University will provide 420 hours (out of 2300 total practice hours) of simulated clinical practice across the three years of the course using our Simulation and Skills Centre facilities as well as current or future in-house health care clinic provision. Accurate recording of simulated and placement practice hours is made possible through the recording function within the student ePAD.

A part-time version of this course is not provided.

The BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health) complies with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Standards for Nursing and Midwifery Education; Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses, and Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (All included in this submission).

Mapping of module content against the standards for Education and Training is available on request.

The Pan London ePAD has been pre-approved by the NMC as compliant with the Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses and do not need to be reassessed.

There is no condonement in assessments across theory and practice, requiring all assessments to be passed.

All modules are core and compulsory for learners to qualify for an award of BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health) and will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Mental Health Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Students who pass all modules except the 30-credit dissertation module (i.e., achieving 90 credits in part three of the course rather than 120) will be eligible for the BSc (Ord) Nursing (Mental Health) award, and will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

There is no professional NMC award eligibility for students who achieve fewer than 330 credits.

Reflective learning and developing skills in reflective practice are essential to help student nurses develop critical and analytic approaches to their learning, refine clinical skill development prepare for further development of nursing practice after qualification. The development of skills in reflective learning and practice are embedded within each module and practice placement element.

Students will be first introduced to the concept of reflective practice as a professional requirement in the module ‘Foundations of Professional Practice’ and this theme will continue through the provision of timetabled and structured reflection sessions in the simulated placement which occurs on one day per week during term time where students are not in external practice placements. Simulated placements occur in all years of the courses. In these sessions, students will be introduced and encouraged to explore and utilise a range of methods of reflective approaches and receive clinical supervision that enable reflection on practice and develop strategies for personal and professional development. Written reflective assignments provide opportunities to explore the evidence base behind student experiences of providing nursing care and can propose alternate actions and evidence to improve care giving. In part three (year 3), where students undertake the NR6002 ‘Leadership, Collaboration and Integrated Care in practice’ modules, students critically reflect upon performance, team working and preparedness for registered practice and the requirements of reflection within the professional validation process.

In external practice placements (all years) students are assessed on their written reflections on patient care, which are uploaded to their electronic Practice Assessment Document (ePAD). They are encouraged to reflect on their practice performance and their reflective outputs are assessed by suitably prepared Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors, and by link learning facilitators (University nursing lecturers with current NMC Registration) who also provide opportunities for reflective conversations in their visits to practice areas.

Nursing is a profession regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It makes up the largest group of health care workers in the NHS today, and nurses also contribute strongly to social care, private and independent sectors of work. Following registration, graduates may go on to further study such as a second primary registration in Adult Nursing or develop expertise in a clinical specialism to become a specialist or consultant nurse such as an Advanced Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP), or develop expertise in areas such as occupational health, prison nursing, community psychiatric nursing, or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Nursing graduates may decide to undertake further registration in specialist public health roles such school nursing, district nursing, occupational health. Graduates may further develop their careers in education or research areas of nursing practice. Students may discuss their aspirations with their personal academic tutors and seek help from the University Careers and Employabiity Service. The school holds regular ‘enhancement weeks’ where the focus is on career issues, helping students identify their future nursing roles and development required to achieve these.

Students and registered members of the nursing profession must demonstrate fitness to practice at all points in their clinical education and practice. This includes the requirement for student nurses to be of good health and good character, which is self-assessed annually. Registered nurses are required to continue their own personal and professional development throughout their career, undertaking revalidation of their registration with the professional regulator (Nursing and Midwifery Council) every three years.

This mental health nursing course offers excellent opportunities to join the nursing workforce in London and beyond as a registered mental health nurse. Following registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (professional regulator), this course will open doors to work across primary, secondary and tertiary (social) care, in a range of NHS, private, independent, voluntary sectors, or prepare you to undertake further study or research to extend knowledge and experience within the field of nursing.

Continuing your studies with us

The School of Human Sciences has a range of industry-linked postgraduate courses available on a full-time and part-time basis These courses would be ideal for postgraduate progression:

• Public Health MSc
• Health and Social Care Management and Policy MSc

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• a minimum of grades BBB (or a minimum of 114 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification).
• GCSE grades 4/C in Maths and English or Functional Skills level 2 pass.
• an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

All applicants will be required to pass an interview. The applicant will need to demonstrate values that promote compassion, dignity and respect.

The University believes in the transformative nature of higher education and the wide-ranging impact education can have on individuals and the wider community through widening participation. The University encourages applications from all students irrespective of socio-economic status or background who have the potential to benefit from a higher education course and to succeed at university.