Nursing (Mental Health) BSc (Hons) with Foundation Year

Acceptable alternative Maths and English Language qualifications

Acceptable alternative Mathematics qualifications:

• Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics
• Essential Skills Level 2 (Wales) Maths
• NARIC approved GCSE C/4 or above equivalent International qualification
• University of Worcester GCSE Equivalency Exam in Mathematics

Acceptable alternative English Language qualifications:

• Functional Skills Level 2 English
• Academic IELTS of 6.0 with a score of at least 5.5 in each component.
• NARIC approved GCSE C/4 or above equivalent International qualification
• University of Worcester GCSE Equivalency Exam in English
• Essential Skills (Wales) Level 2 English

Teaching

The learning and teaching strategies of this creative and exciting BSc Nursing with Foundation Year promotes active student engagement. The Inclusion Toolkit is used to develop accessible, flexible and inclusive approaches that empower you to engage with self-directed learning. Blended and inclusive teaching and assessment occurs across all academic modules. The course is challenging and student-focused, utilising scenario-based and e-learning strategies, rooted in the real world of contemporary health and care systems, allowing you to build knowledge, solve problems and make decisions as you become a reflective practitioner and leader.

You will be taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures and seminars. Case studies (developed in partnership with service users) support a scenario-based approach to learning which facilitates small group activities and discussions, leading to shared and individual problem-solving and decision-making. A campus-based approach, complemented by appropriate use of both synchronous and asynchronous online learning including virtual learning environment collaborate, flipped classroom and e-learning packages, which promote personalised engagement with learning.

You will meet with your personal academic tutor 4 times in year one and two and 3 times in year 3 and 4.

Once you progress onto the BSc Nursing, at the core is learning in a diverse range of clinical placements, learning in the real world which facilitates work-readiness, personal and professional development. Mandatory practice learning equates to 50% of the programme credit for each year. Your practice learning is mapped across the programme, gradually increasing as you gain in confidence, by year 4 you will complete over 55% of the programme in practice learning environments, supporting your transition from student to Registered Nurse. Your placements run in blocks across the year, with experiences normally in a minimum of 2 practice placements each year, in a setting appropriate to your chosen field of practice. The use of ‘spokes’ (visits to alternative placement settings) to maximise learning opportunities offered by diverse and non-traditional settings, offer exposure to opportunities to care for people from across the life-span, with mental and physical health needs and learning disabilities. Enhanced practice learning days, rooted in clinical practice, provide opportunities to consolidate learning, provide opportunity for reflection and inter-professional learning, including added value learning experiences and seeking additional support as necessary to promote inclusive learning in the practice setting.

While on placement you are supernumerary and are supported by a practice supervisor and assessed by a practice assessor, both having undergone appropriate preparation for their roles. Further support is provided by the inter-professional team, a nominated person (usually a member of the practice education team) and an academic assessor allocated for each part of the programme. You will have access to the internet and library resources whilst on placement.

You will be provided with opportunity to complete skills and simulated learning activities. All skills and simulation activities involve a range of people including students, peers, service users/carers, practitioners, technicians, academics and includes role play, ‘hands on’ practical skills sessions using a range of simulation manikins, video recording and playback. Formative feedback on performance is provided to facilitate safe and effective support for essential skills development, in state of the art simulation suites, replicating hospital and community practice learning environments. This learning is particularly important in year two, with 20 days allocated to prepare you for your practice learning experiences. This is reduced in year 3 and 4 to 10 days per year.

You will have opportunity to complete a UK or international elective placement, during Year 4, semester one. This can be either a 4-week or a 12-week experience, helping with the globalization of the programme and employability.

Contact time

In the Foundation Year:

Contact time is likely to be a maximum of 15 hours per week.

Typical contact time will be structured around:

• Lectures and seminars (face-to-face and online)
• Workshops
• Group work (problem and enquiry-based learning)

Once you progress to the BSc Nursing programme:

In a typical week, a student will have around 15-18 contact hours of teaching during theory weeks. The precise contact hours will depend on the year of study as there is normally slightly less contact time in the final year in order to do more independent study. This allows for the completion of an independent studies project or dissertation, a sustained piece of individual work, which critically and ethically engages with professional practice, relevant to the students’ chosen field of practice.

Typically, class contact time per day will be structured around:

• 2 hours lead lecture
• 4 hours of seminar, workshop or tutorials

Nursing is campus-based, with approximately 90% of theory delivered on campus.

Whilst in placement, you will be expected to attend placement for 37.5 hours per week, experiencing the full range of hours expected of Registered Nurses. All practice learning hours, including skills and simulated learning must be formally recorded and signed for.

Independent self study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 25 hours personal self study in the Foundation Year. Once you progress to BSc Nursing you are expected to undertake 19.5-22.5 hours of personal self-study per week during theory weeks. Typically, this will involve locating and reading resources, including preparing for assessments.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including The Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

4 years full-time.

Foundation Year follows a standard academic year

BSc Nursing is a 45-week timetabled year (50% theory and 50% practice learning), plus 7 weeks pre-planned holiday each year

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the Foundation Year and our nursing degree. During the Foundation Year, the team includes senior academics, professional practitioners and work-based learning tutors all with industry experience.

For BSc Nursing, the team is made up primarily of Registered Nurses from different backgrounds, with expertise in their chosen field of practice/area of expertise. Teaching is also supported by the inter-disciplinary and multi-agency team, when specialist knowledge is required. Contributions by service users, carers and their families, provides opportunity for them to share their lived experiences, with service users as appropriate having a role in the assessment process.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments.

Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade, all summative assessments must achieve a pass grade. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and a final year independent studies project.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to your chosen field of practice, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1 (Foundation Year)

• 1 written exam/test
• 1 seminar presentations
• 1 case study
• 2 reflective portfolios
• 1 individual presentation
• 2 written assessment

Year 2

• Scenario-based essay
• Poster or leaflet with supporting paper
• Group presentation
• Unseen exam
• Reflective assignment (visual or written)
• Assessment of practice learning using the e-Practice Assessment Document, with evidence of medicines calculation test at 80%

Year 3

• Report
• Care plan plus supporting paper or individual presentation
• Unseen, scenario-based exam
• Essay
• Critically reflective assignment (visual or written)
• Assessment of practice learning using the e-Practice Assessment Document, with evidence of medicines calculation test at 90%

Year 4

• Essay
• Individual presentation
• Dissertation
• Critically reflective assignment (visual or written)
• Assessment of practice learning using the e-Practice Assessment Document, with evidence of medicines calculation test at 100%
• Professional discussion

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.