Nursing
PgCert/PgDip/MSc

About this course

About

MSc Nursing (general pathway): This will allow students to build upon their existing knowledge, skills and values. This course will challenge students about their practice and offer different opportunities to enhance their knowledge, understanding and critical thinking through classroom and personal study. Nurses undertaking this option often self fund.

International applications from individuals who are qualified as nurses in their own country are particularly welcome for this course. As this course is for qualified nurses and it does not include registration as a nurse.

All staff contributing to the programme hold or are working towards a teaching qualification.

• The School has achieved “earned autonomy” from monitoring exercises carried out by Mott MacDonald on behalf of the NMC
• The School has an active Educational and Professional Issues Research Group which links with the Centre for Higher Education Research and Practice (CHERP)
• Several members of staff have received funding from CHERP to undertake projects designed to develop and enhance teaching, learning, assessment and feedback strategies within the School and Faculty
• The School encourages all staff to seek accreditation with the Higher Education Academy either at Fellow or Senior Fellow level
• In the 2014 Research Exercise Framework (REF2014) submission, the School excelled in all three areas: Output 94.6% internationally excellent or world leading; Impact 100% internationally excellent or world leading; Environment 100% internationally excellent or world leading
• Many of the teaching staff are full or associate members of the Institute of Nursing and Health Research
• Teaching is informed by the research activities of staff

Attendance

Attendance will be at the Jordanstown campus (dependent on availability).

MSc Nursing (general pathway): attendance on this part time option is normally one day per week, however this can vary depending on optional modules chosen.

The final component of all MSc Nursing pathways is a research project (dissertation). This module is by supervision and and as such there are no face to face taught classes. Occasionally additional workshops may be offered. Regular supervisory meetings will take place where students will be supported by an experienced member of academic staff. These meetings will be arranged between supervisor and supervisee over the duration of the research project (normally an academic year in part time mode).

Start dates

• September 2020
• January 2021

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching, learning and assessment take a variety of forms across the suite of modules in this course. The strategies used are based on principles of adult learning such as self-direction and a capacity to draw upon experience. The course assumes that students have recent experience in practice or are currently working in practice.

Teaching strategies are selected by the nature of the intended learning outcomes. The learning experience is designed to encourage students to become active and motivated learners, who can seek information, question and analyse its validity and draw appropriate and logical conclusions. Students are encouraged to make connections between theoretical content and professional experiences and this facilitates their ability to move from understanding practice and applying skills taught, to questioning and critiquing practice, and ultimately to proposing and carrying out possible research or innovation that would contribute to service/practice developments or enhancements.

Teaching methods on the course include:

• Lectures that provide students with the necessary knowledge base to develop their insight into practice and thus inform skill development. Lectures also provide an excellent opportunity for experts to be invited in to teach students about current practice and developments in their field
• Seminars that encourage students to take responsibility for leading discussions on practice based issues and reviewing the current literature in their field
• Tutorial group work sessions enable students to examine a specific focus. Small group working is encouraged throughout the course to enable students to engage with problem based learning
• Creativity is encouraged to enable students to develop a flexible approach to learning

Assessment throughout the course has been constructively aligned to the learning outcomes of each of the modules and all contain a combination of formative and summative components. Ongoing formative assessment that has a significant diagnostic function occurs throughout the course and students are encouraged to discuss their progress and actively plan to address identified learning needs. Summative assessment of student performance and progression in modules on the MSc Nursing (general pathway) is carried out through coursework. Assessments include essays, presentations, literature reviews and reflective analyses. These are designed to test knowledge and understanding, to allow students to integrate and apply information, and encourage the development of critical thinking skills.

Content

The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.

Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:

• the relevant generic national Qualification Descriptor
• the applicable Subject Benchmark Statement
• the requirements of any professional, regulatory, statutory and accrediting bodies.

Attendance and Independent Study

As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.

Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10- or 20-credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate course typically 15- or 30-credit modules.

The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.

Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.

Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.

Assessment

Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessment. The precise assessment will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification and the assessment timetable. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised.

Calculation of the Final Award

The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).

Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.

All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study. In Master’s degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (18%) or Lecturers (57%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures correct for academic year 2019-2020.

Modules

Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.

Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.

Year one

Advanced Methods in Research and Development in Health and Social Care

Year: 1

Status: C

This 30-credit module is compulsory for the student to achieve their MSc award. This module builds upon previous study of research methods and enables students to develop and apply theoretical and scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills, extending their understanding of the philosophical and practical aspects of research, service evaluation and project development initiative. Students are required to write an identified research question relevant to research, service evaluation or a project development initiative. This module is assessed by 100% coursework.

Principles of Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Healthcare Practice

Status: O

Year: 1

This module is optional

The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop your understanding and skills around learning and teaching in practice. The module will provide you with opportunity to construct professional knowledge about the fundamental principles of learning, teaching and assessing and directly impact upon how you use these skills to develop learning activities in your practice.

Transforming Practice Through Person-Centred Collective Leadership

Status: O

Year: 1

This module is optional

This module encourages students to lead small step change contributing to quality improvement initiatives leading to transformation of services through person centred practice. It focuses on the development of strategic leadership skills in nurses in order to meet the global challenges facing todays healthcare systems.

Enhancing Learning and Teaching in the Practice Setting

Status: O

Year: 1

This module is optional

This module provides the opportunity for practitioners who undertake an educational role, facilitating others' learning in the practice setting, to develop their understanding of effective learning and teaching. It enables participants to develop and enhance their skills in practice-based learning, teaching and assessment. It provides the opportunity for participants to reflect critically on their own experience as a learner, a practitioner and an educator, and to identify aspects of their own practice that could be developed and/or improved.

Year two

Ethics and Professional Decision Making

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This module develops students' understanding of the major components and complexities of professional decision making and accountability and the central role this plays in the design, delivery and evaluation of ethically safe and effective compassionate care for people within services in hospital and community settings. Within the module. students will critically analyse the relationships between professional decision-making, accountability, governance and patient safety within an interdisciplinary context. Assessment is by coursework.

Advanced Knowledge in Symptom Management in Palliative Care

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This module will develop the capacity to critically engage with complex symptom management and to apply this knowledge and skills to the development of advanced symptom control from a pharmacological and non-pharmacological perspective. lt emphasises the palliation of pain and other symptoms and the application of an evidence based holistic person centred approach. The module Incorporates a variety of teaching approaches.

Quality Improvement in Nursing Practice

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This module provides students with the policy background to quality improvement and encourages critical analysis of quality within healthcare. It provides students with an opportunity to explore issues relating to their workplace and to utilise skills of problem solving considering aspects like the patient experience and stakeholder involvement. The module also encourages practitioners to critically reflect on quality improvement to improve nursing practice and person centred care. Assessment is by coursework.

This module is a compulsory module for students on the MSc Nursing - Leading Practice pathway.

Advanced Communication for Transforming Nursing Practice

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

Recent reports and evaluations in healthcare suggest that standards of communication are slipping and there is growing disquiet in relation to the patient and family experience. This module provides an opportunity to enhance practice in relation to communication and interprofessional and interagency working. A flipped classroom approach combined with authentic simulation and role play facilitates students gain a fresh perspective on self-awareness and self-agency to innovate and advance nursing. Assessment is by coursework.

Informed Practice in Dementia Care

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This module provides students with a thorough understanding of the theoretical and clinical aspects of dementia which underpin informed practice. Collaborative working with people and families, inter-professional and inter-agency practice informed by differing perspectives, together with research, clinical guidelines, policy and strategies are explored in the delivering of person-centred care across the dementia trajectory. Assessment is by coursework.

Principles of Palliative & End of Life Care

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This module aims to develop students' knowledge in palliative and end of life care, enabling them to gain a wider strategic understanding in order for them to provide quality person-centred care. It emphasises the principles and philosophy of palliative and end of life care and the need for an inter-disciplinary approach to service delivery. The module incorporates a variety of teaching approaches. Method of assessment is 100% coursework.

Essential of Pathophysiology

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This postgraduate module provides nurses with an opportunity to synthesise knowledge of physiological disorders both at a systems and cellular level. A problem-solving approach using clinical cases is used to illuminate how knowledge of pathophysiology is applied. Assessment is by coursework consisting of a class test and a case study.

Principles of Nursing Assessment

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This level 7 module will encourage students to develop their knowledge of the evidence that underpins nursing assessment. Students will further develop their ability to care for people experiencing a range of conditions, and will enhance their understanding of complexity within care. Assessment is by assignment and OSCE.

Year three

MSc Project

Year: 3

Status: C

This 60-credit module is compulsory for the student to achieve their MSc award. Students are allocated an MSc supervisor. The student completes either a traditional research project or a service evaluation or a project development initiative. Students must write a project proposal, apply for ethics, collect data, analysis the data and the write the final report. This module is assessed by 100% coursework.

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

Entry Requirements

Applicants for the MSc Nursing will be a qualified nurse, midwife or health visitor (in any field of practice) with registration or licensure in their country of practice and have a first degree or equivalent.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants

For those who do not have English as a first language, the minimum requirement for this course is an academic IELTS of 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

• English language requirements
• Your country

Exemptions and transferability

Accreditation of Prior Learning may be considered through the School of Nursing APL process. Students are encouraged to discuss this with the Course Director. There are no exemptions from the MSc Research Project.

Careers & opportunities

Career options

The MSc Nursing encourages qualified nurses, midwives and heath visitors from all fields of practice to develop high levels of reflection, decision-making and criticality in nursing theory and research. This is particularly useful for nurses who wish to develop their careers and strive for promotion, particularly those aspiring to higher roles in research, leadership and education.

Also avaiable within the programme, are MSc Nursing pathways in Health Assessmnet, Dementia Care, Palliative Care, Education and Leadership.

Work placement / study abroad

MSc Nursing (general pathway): students undertaking this course on a part time basis are generally in employment. No work placement or study abroad is required for this option.

Apply

Start dates

• September 2020
• January 2021

Contact

For information about the admissions process, please contact:

Karen McCarroll

T: +44 (0)28 9036 8983

E: kl.mccarroll@ulster.ac.uk

For information relating to the content, please contact Course Director:

Dr Helen McGarvey

T: +44 (0)28 7167 5749

E: he.mcgarvey@ulster.ac.uk

For more information visit

• Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
• School of Nursing

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