BACHELOR OF NURSING(HONS) / INTEGRATED MASTERS
Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health
School of Health Sciences
Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
STUDENT HANDBOOK
SEPTEMBER 2023
Version: August 2023
Purpose of this Handbook
The Student Handbook has been developed as a resource for undergraduate nursing students, providing a comprehensive introduction to the Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work and information on all aspects of your programme of study, and should be used as the first point of reference for questions concerning your programme, support and advice, or academic policies and procedures.
The University of Manchester is a large and complex organisation and we want to ensure that you know how to access the information and support and guidance you need to succeed in your studies. It is therefore designed to guide you through many aspects of your time as a student and provides useful links to information available through the University’s website, as well as summarising the facilities and support services that are available across the University and how you can access them. It also outlines what you should expect of the Division and what they can expect from you, and clarifies the policies and procedures relevant to your area of study. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Student Handbook and with the contents of the student pages on Blackboard (http://online.manchester.ac.uk) and to use them as a reference when required since they govern important aspects of your programme and therefore may have a significant impact on your students and the successful completion of your degree.
Note: The material in this handbook can be provided in alternative formats. Please discuss your requirements with your Academic Advisor in the first instance.
Communication
You should note that email is the default means of communication between staff and students. You must use your official University email address when communicating with the University not least because email sent from non-University mail accounts may be classified as SPAM and hence not read.
Information is also provided electronically using Blackboard (http://online.manchester.ac.uk) where students can find detailed information on units and Division specific information.
Teaching staff and students are normally expected to check their email accounts, Blackboard and other electronic methods of communication on a daily basis during term-time and to respond to messages as appropriate.
Disclaimer
Although the information in this Handbook is accurate at the time of publication, aspects of the programme and of Divisional practice may be subject to modification and revision. The Division reserves the right to modify the programme in unforeseen circumstances, or where the process of academic development and feedback from students, quality assurance processes or external sources, such as professional or regulatory bodies, requires a change to be made. In such circumstances, revised information will be issued. Information provided by the Division in the course of the year should therefore be regarded, where appropriate, as superseding the information contained in the Handbook.
You will need to refer to it throughout your programme.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO THE DIVISION OF NURSING, MIDWIFERY AND SOCIAL WORK
I am delighted to welcome you the Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Manchester.
As Head of the Division, I am privileged to lead the massively talented teaching, research and professional support staff teams you will be meeting during your time here at the University of Manchester.
We are thrilled that you have chosen the University of Manchester as the destination for your undergraduate student journey on the BNurs/MNurs programme. This is a particularly exciting time to be joining the profession. Both qualified and student nurses have been widely acknowledged for the significant contribution they have made to caring for those people affected by COVID 19 and supporting their families and friends.
You are joining a rich and diverse community of scholars – including students training to be nurses, midwives, social workers and psychological wellbeing practitioners as well as those students already qualified in these and other disciplines completing their postgraduate taught and/or research programmes of study. Our education programmes share a common grounding in robust research – much of which has been generated here at the University of Manchester – by the academic staff you will meet while you are here.
We are dedicated to working in partnership with you – placing you and your success at the centre of what we hope will be a transformational learning experience to support you to realise, if not exceed your individual goals and aspirations.
We know that you will place a premium on high quality teaching and will expect timely and comprehensive feedback on the assessments you submit. We are committed to consistently excellent standards and a growing number of our lecturers have received external recognition for their high standards of teaching. Our approach to assessment is rigorous. Our assessment strategies are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant, valid and fair. We recognise the importance of providing feedback on assessments that helps you prepare for building on your success in future assignments and ultimately your practice as a nurse.
We challenge you to embrace all of the opportunities that your programme here will offer, to make the most of your time here at the University of Manchester. We want your student journey with us to be intellectually stretching, rewarding but also memorable, enjoyable and fun.
We are hugely proud of the achievements of our many students and alumni who have made a difference to the health and wellbeing of people locally, nationally and internationally. We look forward to celebrating your achievements while you are here at the University of Manchester.
Welcome again and my very best wishes for your successful student journey here at the University of Manchester.
Professor Hilary Mairs
Head of the Division of Nursing Midwifery & Social Work
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR’S WELCOME
Dear Student Nurse,
On behalf of the programme team, I am delighted to welcome you to our community of learners. As you begin your journey towards becoming a nurse, we are committed to supporting you in achieving your goals and developing the knowledge, skills, and values that will enable you to provide excellent care to patients and service users.
Our nursing programme is built on a foundation of values that reflect our commitment to providing high-quality care that is compassionate, ethical, and evidence-based. The course has been designed to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes (2018), and we provide a range of learning experiences to develop you as a professional nurse. We believe that nursing is a holistic practice that recognises the unique needs of each individual and that a deep understanding of the human experience is essential for providing effective care. We are also committed to ensuring that our students have a strong grounding in the latest research and evidence-based practices so that they can provide the best possible care to patients.
Nursing is a complex and rapidly evolving discipline, and you will need to develop a range of skills, knowledge and competencies to embark on your career. As you begin your studies, we expect you to engage fully in the learning community we have created at the University of Manchester. Nursing is a collaborative practice; learning together is the best way to develop our knowledge and skills. We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with your peers, to ask questions, and to challenge yourself and others to think critically and creatively.
We recognize that pursuing a nursing degree can be challenging, and that each of you will have unique needs and circumstances that may require additional support. We are committed to providing a range of academic and pastoral resources and services to help you to thrive. You are now part of the University of Manchester and join the many thousands of students who have sustained our tradition of excellence, We look forward to supporting you in achieving your goals as you embark on this important and rewarding career path.
Welcome to our community.
Dr Laura Green
Programme Director
CONTACT DETAILS
The Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
The University of Manchester
Jean McFarlane Building
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
Head of SchoolProfessor Andy Brass Tel: 0161 275 7943 |
Head of DivisionProfessor Hilary Mairs Tel: 0161 306 7779 |
Director of EducationSam Freeman Samantha.Freeman@manchester.ac.uk Tel: 0161 306 7873 |
Acting Head of Teaching, Learning & Student ExperienceChris Bamford Tel: 0161 306 7727 |
Division Website: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/nursing/
Programme Management Team
BNurs (Hons) MNurs Programme DirectorLaura Green |
Year 1 LeadShelly Allen |
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Year 2 LeadMike Bird |
Year 3 LeadKaren Iley Year 4 LeadBrendan Garry |
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Adult Field LeadClair Burns |
Mental Health Field LeadOwen Price |
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Child and Young Peoples’ Field LeadMichaela Barnard |
Exams OfficerMargaret Walsh |
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| Senior Academic Advisor
Ruth Heffernan |
Academic Lead for Practice Development
Kevin Bayley kevin.bayley-2@manchester.ac.uk 0161 306 7818 |
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| Academic Lead for Practice Governance | Practice Learning Unit Officer
Lindsay Blanks |
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| Placements Officer
Lindsay Blanks |
Student Support Officer
Sam Green 0161 306 7717 |
Support Staff
Programme Support Office (G304)
The Programme Support Office manages day-to-day administration of the programme, including timetabling, room bookings, registration, enrolments and attendance monitoring. If you have issues relating to your timetables, attendance or seminar groups a member of the team will be able to help you between 9:00-16:00 Mon-Fri or via shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk
Placements Support Office (G314)
The Placements Support Office manage day-to-day administration of practice learning for your programme. If you have issues relating to your practice learning a member of the team will be able to help you between 9:00-16:00 Mon-Fri or via shs.placements@manchester.ac.uk
General enquiries – shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk
Examinations Office
The Examinations Office deal with all administration relating to exams and assessments. You may need to contact the Exams office if you require an extension, or have mitigating circumstances affecting your performance in assessments. You can contact the Examinations Office at shs.assessments@manchester.ac.uk.
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP AND ADVICE
See also: Programme Staff Roles section
Information, Advice & Guidance Team
The Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) team are your first point of contact for any non-academic queries you may have relating to your studies, such as what support is available to you, how to access it, and where to direct any queries which you’re not sure about. The IAG team can be contacted via email at shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk, over the phone at 0161 306 7811, or in person at the student hub which is located on the ground floor of the Jean McFarlane building.
Academic Advisor/Academic Assessor
For support throughout your programme.
Our aim is that by engaging with your Academic Advisor, you:
- will know that your advisor cares about your progression, academic success and future plans
- will feel that you belong and are valued regardless of your background, personal strengths and weaknesses
- will know who to contact if you experience difficulties either personally, academically or in placement
- will work to enhance your academic and personal self-efficacy as a result of setting & reviewing goals and reflecting on your experiences
- will gain and grow in confidence and skills in developing professional relationships
- will gain professional support in managing your placement learning and assessment
You will also have an Academic Assessor who will work with your Academic Advisor to support your progress through the practice elements of the programme.
Unit Lead
The Unit Lead provides detailed unit information including timetabling and assessment guidelines. If you have any queries relating to an individual unit you should speak to the unit leader.
Programme Director
The Programme Director’s role is to ensure the smooth running of the programme for which she is responsible. This involves chairing the Programme Committee, overseeing the unit evaluation process, considering changes and improvements to the programmes offered and ensuring adherence to the guidelines set out in the University’s Academic Standards Code of Practice (Teaching Standards Committee of Senate 1998).
Practice Learning Unit (Room G.314, Jean McFarlane)
Allocates you to placements, monitors practice hours and practice evaluations, and liaises with NHS students grants unit. allocations.
Student Support Office (Room G.319, Jean McFarlane)
Your Student Support Office can provide you with advice, guidance and signposting regarding any queries or concerns you may have about: your course, placement, finance, disability, accommodation or life at university in general and monitor and report on sickness and absence. You can contact the SSO by email, telephone or by visiting the office on the ground floor of Jean Farlane.
Student Support Office, Room G.304, Jean McFarlane Building
Open to visitation: 9am – 4pm, Monday – Friday
Email: shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 306 7725 / 7717
Programme Support Office (G304)
The Programme Support Office manages day-to-day administration of the programme, including timetabling, room bookings, registration, enrolments and attendance monitoring.
The office is based on the ground floor of the Jean McFarlane Building.
If you have issues relating to your timetables, attendance or seminar groups a member of the team will be able to help you between 9:00-16:00 Mon-Fri or via shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk
Placements Support Office (G314)
The Placements Support Office manage day-to-day administration of practice learning for your programme.
The office is based on the ground floor of the Jean McFarlane Building.
If you have issues relating to your practice learning a member of the team will be able to help you between 9:00-16:00 Mon-Fri or via shs.placements@manchester.ac.uk
SHARING INFORMATION
The University may share appropriate information relating to your health and/or conduct with external organisations such as your professional employer(s) (for example, relevant NHS Trust, Professional and Statutory Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)), placement and training providers and/or regulator such as the NMC. This may occur where concerns in relation to your health and/or conduct arise and the University considers it necessary for them to be disclosed to one or more of the above organisations. The University’s Privacy Notice for Registered Students (which is accessible via this link: Regulations | Non-academic regulations | Registered student Privacy Notice | The University of Manchester includes further information about how the University may use and process your personal data, including the legal basis and conditions which may be relevant to such processing (see section 6 of the Privacy Notice). The University will only disclose special category data (such as data relating to your health) to a third party organisation where one of the additional conditions are satisfied (see section 9 of the Privacy Notice), including where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.
CONTACTING STAFF
- Lecturers will let you know how best to contact them at the beginning of each unit
- Academic Advisors at the beginning of the programme.
- Any meetings are best made at the beginning or end of the day so that lecturers and students can have a break at lunchtime.
- If you want to make an appointment you should do so via email or Teams. On doing so you should ensure that you leave your own contact details.
- In an urgent situation any available lecturer can be accessed for advice and support. It may then be necessary to share this information with the academic advisor / unit leader / examinations officer or programme director as appropriate.
- Five working days is recognised as a reasonable time for lecturers to respond to students. Please remember that some staff are part time or have research days, holidays etc. If you require an urgent appointment, please check the location details at the main reception on the ground floor at Jean McFarlane Building.
- Contact details of lecturers teaching on your programme are available in Blackboard.
PROGRAMME SCHEDULE & KEY DATES
Term Dates
https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/key-dates/ (NOTE: term dates may look different to the University year)
Clinical days are illustrated as weekdays for the purposes of number of days worked per week but will utilise weekend work as allocated at ward, department or team level.
Please note that holidays will not change but other aspects of the timetable are liable to alteration to facilitate learning.
PLEAE Do not book holidays on study weeks etc.
University Holidays
| Christmas | 18 December 2023 – 14 January 2024 |
| Easter | 25 March 2024 – 14 April 2024 |
| Summer | NB: You should be aware that the summer vacation period covers the University resit period and 3 weeks nominated for making up outstanding practice hours. You must prioritise attending resit examinations and completing outstanding hours and will not be able to negotiate alternative dates for these activities due to holidays. |
Please note that the dates of annual leave for BNurs students may differ from those listed above and you should check the A-Z before confirming any holiday arrangements. These holidays are non-negotiable. Holidays taken outside of the programme annual leave dates will be recorded as unauthorised absence. Absence may adversely affect your progression and achievement on the programme. See also Programme Attendance Requirements.
It is also important that you make your family and friends aware that your holidays are pre-arranged and fixed and for them not to arrange any holidays on your behalf other than at holiday times.
HEALTH & SAFETY
You must familiarise yourself with the procedures for dealing with an emergency, including suspecting or discovery of a fire and fire exit points. Similarly, you are required to familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety at Work regulations, extracts of which are posted outside Room G.319 Jean McFarlane Building. Anyone requiring first aid for themselves or for others should contact a University first aider. First aid notices with information on how to contact a first aider are placed in main corridors, centrally timetabled areas and common user areas. You can access a regularly updated first aider list by using the QR code on notices and via this link https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/protected/display.aspx?DocID=57290. Additionally, the SafeZone mobile app https://www.welcome.manchester.ac.uk/get-ready/health-wellbeing-safety/safezone/ can be used to call for a first aider whilst on campus and also for the following services:
- ‘Check in’ any time of day – to keep you safe on campus, such as if you’re studying or working late or alone on campus
- Quickly and discreetly call for assistance – whenever you feel unsafe on campus
- Get medical assistance quickly – whether it’s for first aid, an accident or in an emergency
- Keep up to date – notifications sent directly to your phone if there is an incident on campus
- Wellbeing assistance – get access to support 24/7 to help you care for your own wellbeing
- IT help – contact our IT team for help
You can use SafeZone to call for help whenever you’re located in:
- Fallowfield
- Victoria Park
- The University of Manchester campus
- Manchester Metropolitan University campus
- University of Salford campus.
As part of the Manchester SafeZone Alliance, any student can use the SafeZone app to get assistance on any of these campuses – no matter which university you attend. The app will directly connect you to the appropriate safety or security team for that area, who will provide the assistance you need. If you leave these areas you can still use the app, which will provide you with your local emergency services number – even if you’re outside the UK.
You MUST complete the Health and Safety induction via the Student Gateway on Blackboard (http://online.manchester.ac.uk).
The Division and its associated Trusts all have NO SMOKING policies which you must strictly adhere to. The University has implemented a total no smoking policy throughout the University.
Aspects of the course content may cause distress to some students. If you are affected by any of the issues raised, you can access support via the SafeZone app or your Academic Advisor who may then refer you to other support services such as the counselling service.
Please see University of Manchester Health and Safety Policy for further information.
It is important to remember your health and safety extends to any clinical practice areas you attend as part of the programme. Whilst in practice you must familiarise yourself with and follow local procedures and ensure the University is informed of any incidents you may be involved in during your practice placements.
POLICY ON RELIGIOUS OBSERVATIONS
Information on the University Policy on Religious Observations can be found at: https://staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/policy-guidance/assessment/practice-of-assessment/religious-observance/
The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has also produced guidance for healthcare students on fasting and caring: display.aspx (manchester.ac.uk)
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES
It is your personal responsibility to ensure that you have appropriate supplements to your uniform, i.e. black, supportive, soft-soled shoes, scissors, pens, etc.
Whilst the library holds a wide range of texts and journals you will find that your studies are best supported by buying some key texts. Recommendations were sent as pre-course reading.
The cost of travel to the University, to sites and between sites is your responsibility, however, students eligible for The Learning Support Fund can claim back some travel expenses online using the Travel and Dual Expenses (TDAE) link. TDAE is part of the broader Learning Support Fund provided by the NHS https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/learning-support-fund.
WHERE TO FIND FURTHER INFORMATION
Blackboard
Blackboard, the University’s ‘virtual learning environment’, will be used for online teaching. It is a web-based system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. By using Blackboard you can:
- view course materials and learning resources,
- communicate with lectures and other students,
- collaborate in groups,
- get feedback
- submit assignments
- monitoring your own progress at a time and place of your own convenience.
Training in the use of software
The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students. The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on YouTube:
Once you have registered you will be able to access Blackboard (http://online.manchester.ac.uk).
Student Services Centre
Burlington Street
Tel: +44(0)161 275 5000
The Student Services Centre can offer help and advice about tuition fees assessments or payments, Council Tax, examinations and graduation.
A-Z Student Services
My Manchester
You should familiarise yourself with ‘My Manchester’ http:/my.manchester.ac.uk/sometimes called your Portal. My Manchester is a way of accessing resources and services, including your personalised timetable, Blackboard, the Library, Student Services, non-academic services, University Email and the Student’s Union.
Noticeboards
Divisional notice boards and electronic screens are located in the Atrium on the ground floor of the Jean McFarlane Building and are used to display a wide variety of information relating to teaching, learning and the student experience, as well as additional student activities such as conferences, internal and external speakers, and wellbeing, charity and other events.
SharePoint
The programme SharePoint can be accessed at: BNurs MNurs Student Gateway (sharepoint.com) where you access and share documents and resources and find answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
2. TEACHING, LEARNING & ASSESSMENT
DETAILS OF THE PROGRAMME
Successful completion of this three year/four year full-time pre-registration nursing degree entitles you to apply for inclusion on one of the following parts of the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) professional register:
Adult Nursing
Children’s Nursing
Mental Health Nursing
Our philosophy of education is to nurture a broad range of knowledge and skills, coupled with personal and professional qualities essential to excel as Manchester Graduate Nurses. We endorse an approach to education that is student-centred, in line with adult-learning principles, founded on mutual respect and collaboration. We recognise and value the unique identities and contributions of our students, fostering a learning environment that upholds the dignity of all its members.
Our approach is to foster lifelong learning. We encourage all of our students to embrace independent learning, self-direction and proactivity. Our teaching aims to help you influence the future trajectory of nursing and healthcare delivery. Our commitment is to create an enabling platform that provides robust support mechanisms, encouraging you to shape your learning journey.
It is our responsibility to guide you in your transformation into compassionate, innovative, and research-driven nursing professionals. We are dedicated to shaping a future generation of healthcare professionals that not only meets the demands of the evolving healthcare sector, but also contributes to its evolution and innovation. Our curriculum, revised in 2019, will take you on this journey.
You will develop skills in leadership and education, and evidence-informed practice. You will be equipped to contribute to innovation and development in nursing and healthcare practice by integrating skills and knowledge in the following elements, which form the basis of the curriculum:
- Nursing Theory and Practice
- Biological and Social Sciences
- Leadership and Citizenship
- Cognitive and Technical Clinical Skills Development
- Evidence-based Practice and Research
OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME
The Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) is a three-year full-time programme comprising a minimum of 2,300 hours of theory and 2,300 hours of practice, as required by the current NMC Standards (NMC 2018). There are two progression points stipulated by the NMC whereby you must have achieved certain competencies to continue to the next stage of your learning. These are at the end of part 1 and part 2.
The NMC (2018) state that the route to registration in one or more of the specific fields of nursing practice must be made clear and, for this programme, you will evidence your specific field of practice via the completion of 2 field specific (FS) and 5 field applied (FA) units and their associated assessments (see below) and 8 practice placements specific to your field of practice which also incorporate opportunities to prepare for and reflect on your experience with an academic advisor from that field of practice. In nursing, we often encounter patients and service users in distress, and at times this can elicit responses in us that can affect us emotionally. This is not a weakness but a strength. If you are affected in any way by the course content, please seek support from your Academic Advisor who may then refer you to other support services.
Practice Placement: You will undertake all practice placements within your field of practice except for one unit in the 2nd year which is an opportunity to study abroad and which may incorporate aspects of other fields of practice.
Generic Units (G): There are three generic units on this programme. The first is ‘Values Based Nursing’ which is a first year unit that focuses on the principles and core values of nursing that are applicable across all fields. The other two generic units are the biosciences units ‘Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing’ and ‘Applied Biosciences for Nursing Practice’ where the content incorporates all fields of practice across the lifespan.
Field Specific Units (FS): There are two field specific units in the core content of the programme which are: ‘Collaborative Care Planning’ (year 1) and ‘Developing Nursing Knowledge and Skill’s (year 2). All of the content for these units is related directly to the specific field of practice that you have embarked upon and the sessions are all facilitated by staff with professional qualifications from that field of practice.
Field Applied units (FA): You will undertake a number of units that are designed to deliver both generic and/or field specific nursing content in lecture, Podcast or flipped classroom format. This content covers the whole life span, incorporates common conditions of both physical and mental health and is discussed with reference to a range of care settings. Field specific content is then discussed in groups (e.g. seminar/action learning sets) which are facilitated by staff with qualifications and experience in that field of practice to apply the generic concepts to that field. These hybrid units are termed ‘Field Applied’ units and include: Year 1: ‘Public Health, Society & Nursing’; ‘Introduction to Evidence Based Nursing Practice’. Year 3: ‘The Nurse as Leader, Manager and Coordinator of Care’; ‘The Nurse as an Inquirer of Clinical Evidence’; ‘The Nurse as a Facilitator of Learning’.
Discovery (Option) Units: In line with the University of Manchester policy for personalized learning, you are given the opportunity to pursue your individual academic interests whilst maintaining the fundamental objectives of your degree as recognised by the Purposes of a Manchester Undergraduate Education https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=8521
All units in the BNurs programme are core, except for the discovery units listed below. You will choose two of these units in year two and the units must be chosen and completed to meet the credits required for the degree. The programme outcomes are completed outside of this menu (i.e. completion of the programme outcomes does not depend upon the completion of any specific discovery unit) however the resources for all of the units are available to you via the VLE Blackboard should you choose to learn about the topic without undertaking the assessment.
The Discovery Units are an opportunity for you to enhance your knowledge of a specific area of interest. These 10 credit units currently include:
1. Principles of Adult Critical and Intensive Care Nursing
2. Dementia: Empowering and Creative Practice
3. Introduction to Neonatal Low Dependency Care
4. Delivering Harm Free Care in Infection Prevention and Tissue Viability
5. Palliative and End of Life Care
6. Mental Health and Mental Ill Health in Children and Young People
7. Negotiated Learning unit
The process for registration onto Discovery units will be outlined in Blackboard (http://online.manchester.ac.uk) later in the academic year.
OVERALL PROGRAMME AIMS AND INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Within this three year, full-time, Undergraduate Honours Degree:
1. We aim to develop graduate first level nurses who will be eligible for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in Adult, Mental Health or Child fields of nursing practice, in accordance with the Standards for Pre-Registration Nursing Education (NMC 2018).
2. We aim to develop graduate level nurses who will be eligible for the award of an honours degree from the University of Manchester, in accordance with the University’s 2020 strategic plan and the university’s criteria for a Manchester Graduate, as set out in the Manchester Matrix of graduate attributes (http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/themanchestermatrix/
3. We aim to provide opportunities for undergraduate nurses to explore the central features of the discipline of nursing in a research enriched environment to gain the knowledge, understanding, practical skills and personal attributes required to provide, lead and manage safe, ethical and compassionate nursing care.
- Prepare students to apply core and field-specific knowledge, skills and understanding to function effectively in their chosen field of nursing;
- Prepare students to think and act critically in all aspects of their nursing practice;
- Foster students’ development of caring, holistic philosophies for nursing process and practice that will embed concepts of partnership and negotiation with clients, their families and meaningful others;
- Foster students’ development to identify, respect and show dignity for social and cultural diversity in healthcare practice, without prejudice, and to be prepared to challenge discrimination in healthcare delivery;
- Develop in students a range of assessment and care planning skills, drawing on nursing and other theories for healthcare delivery, that will enable students to think, reason, judge and make clinical and ethical decisions for nursing with, or on behalf of, their clients;
- Equip students with research skills that will enable them to apply evidence-based nursing practice, challenge nursing and other healthcare practice, engage in research enquiry and promote a career-long quest to keep abreast of current thinking and new knowledge in their field of practice;
- Equip students to work as part of a healthcare team within an interdisciplinary and client context, developing and utilising effective interpersonal skills;
- Equip students to engage (and disengage) in therapeutic relationships with clients, their families and meaningful others, applying effective interpersonal skills and clinical and ethical judgment skills
- Prepare students to develop leadership and problem-solving skills that will lay the foundation and potential for students to plan and lead on changes to improve nursing practice, to lead and specialise in nursing practice, policy developments, education and/or research, locally, nationally and internationally;
- Foster within students core graduate attributes that will provide the basis for lifelong learning and development, to optimise their potential to influence and advance the scope of high quality nursing practice, and eliminate poor practice.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
YEAR 1: ESSENTIALS OF NURSING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & PRACTICE
In your first year, our key emphasis will be on facilitating your ‘learning how to learn’. We aim to cultivate the ability to work both autonomously and in study groups, as well as harnessing various blended learning methodologies. This foundation is crucial in fostering critical engagement in the field of contemporary nursing. As you begin to navigate through the fundamentals of nursing knowledge, skills, and practice within and across your chosen field, you will become orientated to the UK healthcare system and explore nursing knowledge and theory, and how these will be applied in your practice. Additionally, you will be introduced to other life science and social science domains that underpin nursing and healthcare practice.
You will be offered a safe space to begin to develop your clinical skills and knowledge. By engaging with clinical simulation learning opportunities on campus, you will gain practical experience before stepping into real clinical placements. This comprehensive learning approach serves to strengthen your theoretical understanding and equip you with the confidence and competence to apply your skills in real-world settings.
Year 1 Units of Learning Level 4
| Year 1 – 120 Credits Level 4 | ||||||
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Semester 2 Ext. | Credits | Assessment | Practice | |
| Public Health, Society & Nursing (FA) | 10 | 15 minute oral group presentation (100%) | ||||
| Values Based Nursing (G) | 10 | Two parts (100%):
500 word formative draft and 2000 word essay |
||||
| Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing (Bioscience 1) (G) | 20 | Unseen Exam 2 hours | ||||
| Evidence Based Nursing Practice
(FA) |
10 | Open Book Examination (2 hours) (100%) | ||||
| Collaborative Care Planning
(FS) |
10 | Detailed care plan resulting from holistic nursing assessment supported by evidence based rationale 1,000 words (100%) | ||||
| Essential Skills for Nursing Placement 1 | 20 | •Completion of elements of SafeMedicate (50%)
Completion of the online Northwest Clinical Skills Framework (50%) |
* | |||
| Clinical Placement 2 | 20 | PAD | * | |||
| Clinical Placement 3 | 20 | PAD | * | |||
| Portfolio Development | 0 | |||||
YEAR 2: DEVELOPING NURSING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & PRACTICE
The second year focus for you will be to build on and broaden your nursing and allied sciences’ knowledge-base, skills and practice. There will be a greater emphasis on practice-based learning, simulation, interdisciplinary learning opportunities and optional studies, to include oversees placements and cross-field learning.
Year 2 Units of Learning (Level 5)
| Year 2 – 120 Credits Level 5 | |||||
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Semester 2 Ext. | Credits | Assessment | Practice |
| Applied Biosciences for Nursing Practice (Bioscience 2) (G) | 20 | 2 hour exam (MCQ and short answers) based on a case study | |||
| Developing Nursing Knowledge and Skills (FS) | 20 | Individual evidence based poster, equivalent to the effort required to produce an assessment of 3000 words (100%) | |||
| Discovery Unit 1 | 10 | See below | |||
| Discovery Unit 2 | 10 | See below | |||
| Clinical Placement 1 | 20 | PAD | * | ||
| Clinical Placement 2 | 20 | PAD | * | ||
| Clinical Placement 3 | 20 | PAD | * | ||
| Portfolio Development | 0 | ||||
Discovery Unit Menu (all 10 credits at level 5)
| Unit | Assessment | |
|
Examination 1 hour (100%) | |
| Dementia: Empowering and Creative Practice | Assignment 2500 words (100%) | |
| Principles of Adult Critical and Intensive Care Nursing | Report 2500 words (100%) | |
| Delivering Harm Free Care in Infection Prevention and Tissue Viability | A case study 2500 words (100%) | |
| Palliative and End of Life Care | Individual vlog presentation – 10 min (100%) | |
| Introduction to Neonatal Low Dependency Care | Examination 1 hour seen (100%) | |
| Negotiated Study | Essay 2500 words (100%) |
YEAR 3: CONSOLIDATING NURSING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & PRACTICE
In your third year, our emphasis will be on developing confidence and proficiency in nursing, consolidating your knowledge-base and skills, and deepening your practice. The aim is to prepare you for nursing registration and the achievement of an Honours degree. Your educational journey will be scaffolded around the NMC’s four pillars of nursing. We will continue to underscore the value of practice-based learning, aiding you in the transition towards professional practice. You will be supported to develop skills as an educator, and to apply these to facilitating learning in practice. Your role as a leader and manager will develop your ability to take iniative and develop services. You will develop skills in being able to understand and apply research findings to clinical care.
Year 3 Units of Learning (Level 6)
| Year 3 – 120 Credits Level 6 | |||||
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Semester 2 Ext. | Credits | Assessment | Practice |
| The Nurse as Leader, Manager and Coordinator of Care (FA) | 20 | Reflection (2500 words) and PDP (500 words) focusing on a leadership experience | |||
| The Nurse as an Inquirer of Clinical Evidence
(FA) |
20 | Annotated bibliography words 3500(100%) | |||
| The Nurse as a Facilitator of Learning (FA) | 20 | A patient teaching session (Equivalent 2500 words Teaching plan and 1500 self-assessment 100%) | |||
| Clinical Placement 1 | 20 | PAD | * | ||
| Clinical Placement 2 | 20 | PAD | * | ||
| BNurs: Clinical Placement 3 | 20 | PAD
Portfolio reflection |
* | ||
| OR | |||||
| MNurs:
Advancing care – the social and political context of health and social care |
20 | I
Essay 3,000 words (10 0%) |
|||
| Portfolio Development | 0 | ||||
PROGRESSION TO MASTER OF NURSING PROGRAMME (MNurs)
We have developed an integrated Master’s programme for students who wish to take the opportunity to embark on advanced scholarship in nursing. To access the programme you must have achieved grades corresponding to an overall average 2:1 classification across Levels 4 and 5 of the BNurs programme and eligibility for transition to the MNurs will be determined at the end of year 2. If you choose this option, you will undertake much of your learning with the BNurs students but will replace the Year 3 Clinical Placement 3 unit with the Level 6 theory unit ‘Advancing care – the social and political context of health and social care’. You will then continue and advance your academic study at level 7 and register with the NMC on completion both practice and academic learning outcomes at the end of your 4th year.
Further details of the MNurs programme specification and units will be available to students via Blackboard.
UNIT INFORMATION
Further information on all BNurs/MNurs units is available via Blackboard : (http://online.manchester.ac.uk).
PROGRAMME STAFF ROLES
See also Contact Details section.
Academic Advisors
Each student is assigned an Academic Advisor at the beginning of their degree. This will be a member of the academic staff in your department who can offer support and advice on academic and pastoral matters, and are key to the School’s student support structure.
You will meet with your Academic Advisor during Welcome Week, and will then have one-to-one meetings throughout the semester to discuss academic progress, steps taken towards career planning, and professional and personal development.
The specific role of the Academic Advisor is to:
- provide you with pastoral support and guidance including advising you of sources of additional help available within the University;
- give support and advice in relation to general study skills
- maintain a record of contact/meetings with you, either through contact sheet forms or electronic meeting summaries
- provide support should you need to attend Fitness to Practice / Health & Conduct Committee
You should meet with your AA once a semester and this should one to one, face to face. You might meet more often than this, make contact through email, telephone or other modes of communication. You are also free to contact other members of staff for advice on urgent and non-urgent matters. The important thing is to stay in touch and let us know how we can help you.
You may request to change your Academic Advisor at any time by negotiation. If you feel there is a need to change your Academic Advisor you should first discuss any difficulties/ problems with Gillian Singleton, Senior Academic Advisor.
You can also seek advice from other quarters, for example, the School Student Support Officer, the Student Union Welfare Section, or the Student Health Care and Counselling Service. Details of these and other services are set out in the Undergraduate Crucial Guide ((http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/).
Academic Assessors (Practice)
Your Academic Assessor is responsible for collaborating with practice assessors to collate and confirm your achievement in the practice environment for each part of the programme, making recommendations for progression.
NMC regulations require that you do not have the same Academic Assessor in consecutive parts of your programme. Therefore, in year 1 and year 3, your Academic Advisor will also act as your Academic Assessor; in year 2 you will be assigned a different Academic Assessor but retain the same Academic Advisor.
Programme Director
The Programme Director has overall responsibility for the running of the Burs/MNurs (Hons) programme. They work closely with all members of the programme management team to support delivery of the programme.
Unit Lead / Seminar Lead
Each unit of study you complete will be facilitated by a team of academic staff. You will find details of the staff associated with a course unit within the unit guides found on Blackboard (http://online.manchester.ac.uk).
For many units you will be allocated a seminar lead who will lead seminars and/or online group work. The overall unit lead will also be able to answer questions you may have including relating to assessment. Your seminar lead will be your first point of contact for unit-related issues.
Field Lead
The Field Lead role is to ensure the smooth running of the programmes for which they are responsible. This involves overseeing the curriculum for their field to ensure that you gain maximum benefit from your chosen programme of study. Field Leads monitor student course evaluation process and ensures that areas of concern or need are raised at the appropriate programme committees and groups.
Year Lead
Each year of the four-year program has an assigned Year Lead. Their main duties include ensuring student satisfaction and wellbeing. They act as a point of contact for issues affecting the cohort. They will arrange regular meetings (at least twice per semester) with student representatives and bring any concerns or issues to the attention of the programme management in accordance with the university’s policy on student representation. They will meet regularly with Academic Advisors and Assessors to support students and to maintain links with Practice.
Programme Support Office (G.304) Practice Learning Support Office (.G314)
The Programme and Practice Learning Support offices manage day-to-day administration of the programme, including timetabling, room bookings, registration, enrolments, attendance monitoring and practice learning.
Both of the above office’s are based on the ground floor of the Jean McFarlane Building.
All sickness and absence from theory and practice should be reported to the Student Support Office via the Self Certification of Illness Form or Notification of Absence Form or exceptionally by email (shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk).
Placement allocation issues / queries can be referred to the Practice Learning Unit via email at shs.placements@manchester.ac.uk
See also Programme Attendance.
EXTERNAL EXAMINERS
External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the programme to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They can raise questions about the way the assessment process is conducted and make recommendations to the Examination Board regarding marking processes and standards. They ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions. External examiners are also consulted about proposals to change assessments and future assessment planning.
External Examiners’ reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives at the BNurs/MNurs Programme Committee, where details of any actions carried out by the programme team, in response to the External Examiners’ comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiners’ reports or the process for considering them.
The External Examiners for this programme are:
Year 1
Helen Clarke, Senior Lecturer Mental Health Nursing, University of Derby
Claire Sevenoaks, Senior Lecturer for Children’s Nursing, University of Greenwich
Lesley Strouther (Programme External Examiner), Assistant Professor in Adult Nursing, University of Nottingham.
Year 2
Emma Le Poidevin, Academic Lead for Quality Assurance, Institute of Health and Social Care Studies, Guernsey
Claire Sevenoaks, Senior Lecturer for Children’s Nursing, University of Greenwich
Tamsin Graham, Senior Lecturer, Teesside University
Liz Mills, Senior Lecturer, Children’s Nursing, Sheffield Hallam University
Year 3
Deborah Goode, Lecturer in Nursing, University of Ulster
Warren Stewart, Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton
MNurs Year 4
To be confirmed
Please note that it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments. Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the University of Manchester Students’ Union Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact the Programme Office.
DEGREE REGULATIONS
University degree regulations are available at the University’s Teaching and Learning Support Office’s website: TLSO .
All students will be subject to the University’s degree regulations: Degree Regulations
The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health have agreed to a number of exemptions and clarifications of the University’s degree regulations due to the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. These are detailed below.
PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The NMC dictate that the minimum award for a pre-registration nursing education programme is a degree in Nursing[1]. There is no option to register for practice with the NMC if the honours degree level outcomes are not successfully achieved.
The BNurs (Hons) programme of study shall normally extend over three years full-time and not normally exceed a maximum period of five years. The BNurs (Hons) programme comprises 4,600 hours in length and these hours are equally split between theory and practice learning. The period of study commences on the date you register for the BNurs (Hons) programme with the University of Manchester.
Exceptions to the period of study shall be permitted where:
- you have satisfactorily completed an approved programme of study in another institution, subject to the University’s regulations relating to the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). Evidence submitted by the applicant for APL should meet the requirements of the BNurs (Hons) programme. Applications for APL will be considered for up to 33% (120 Credits) of the programme, in line with NMC Standards (2023).
- you have appropriate mitigating circumstances that allow interruption and/or extension to the programme
The BNurs (Hons)/MNurs programme is structured as follows:
Year 1 – 120 Credits at Level 4
Year 2 – 120 Credits at Level 5
Year 3 – 120 Credits at Level 6
Year 4 – 120 Credits at Level 7 (MNurs only)
You are required to attend 100% of the theory and practice based components of the programme.
- Compensation is not permitted between theory and practice components of assessment. No compensation is available for theoretical assessments (all work submitted must be passed at the required pass mark (normally 40%)) 50% at MNurs, final year
- Progression to the final year (level 7) of the Integrated Masters is dependent upon you achieving an average of at least an upper second classification by the end of the second year to register for the Masters (level 7) element of the course.
- If you undertake the MNurs component and subsequently withdraw, you must complete the outstanding practice learning element to be eligible to register with the NMC to practice.
- You are required to declare, at the beginning of each new year of study and upon return from interruptions, any changes to or that there are no changes to your health and your Disclosure & Barring Service record via a self-declaration.
- Students will be supervised by a practice supervisor and assessed by a practice assessor in the practice setting. The expectations of these roles are detailed in the online practice assessment document. An Academic Assessor will also be involved in this assessment process.
Completion
- If you successfully complete all requirements for the Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) or MNurs award will be awarded one of the following, dependent upon the grades awarded for their assessment:
a) First Degree (1st)
b) Upper Second (2:1)
c) Lower Second (2:2)
d) Third/pass degree (3rd)
The classification of the award will be determined using the following calculations:
BNurs (Hons): 0.0 (Level 4), 0.33 (Level 5), and 0.67 (Level 6)
Masters 0.0 (Level 4), 0.2 (Level 5), 0.4 (Level 6) and 0.4 (Level 7)
- If you fail to achieve 360 credits on the Hons programme you will be considered by the examination board, and depending on the number of credits accumulated will receive an academic award in line with the credit and award framework outlined in the University’s degree regulations. You will not be eligible for registration with NMC to practice nursing.
- The University of Manchester must ensure that you have met all theory and practice requirements before confirming that they have successfully completed the programme.
- You will qualify in a specific field of nursing practice and may apply to enter the NMC register as a nurse in that field, either Adult, Mental Health or Children’s nursing.
- All Nurses, regardless of field must ‘be able to recognise and respond to the needs of all people who come into their care including babies, children and young people, pregnant and postnatal women, people with physical health problems, people with physical disabilities, people with learning disabilities, older people, and people with long term problems such as cognitive impairment’. to
You are expected to demonstrate exposure to all fields of nursing practice: adult, mental health, learning disabilities and children and young peoples’ nursing (NMC 2023)
You will be required to evidence experience of these outcomes in your Portfolio by the end of Year 3, or end of Year 4 for MNurs students. You will be expected to avail yourself of opportunities that arise throughout the course of the programme, including in Year 1. You will be provided with guidance on how to achieve this during your studies.
DBS and Annual Declaration of Good Health & Good Character
The offer of a place to study on this programme is conditional upon clearance of your suitability to practise Nursing, following investigation and consideration of any past criminal convictions or cautions. Enhanced disclosure will be undertaken through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) as you enter the first year of the programme, and may be repeated at any time during your studies. If information is subsequently provided through the DBS which indicates that you may not be a person fit to practise, full consideration will be given to your continuation on the programme, but you may be excluded from the programme at any point based on information provided to us by the Disclosure and Barring Service.
IMPORTANT: You are responsible for keeping your certificate from your Disclosure and Barring Service and are advised to keep a record of your DBS number and issue date. In some practice areas you may be asked to provide evidence of your DBS number and issue date.
You are required to provide the School with information relating to any charges, convictions or cautions, which you may have received either in this country or in other countries as soon as you can after receiving it. You must also complete this declaration on an annual basis. Any information provided is treated in the strictest confidence and may not necessarily lead to a reconsideration of your position on the programme. However, failure to disclose any information at this stage, which may be provided to us at a later date by the Disclosure and Barring Service through its enhanced disclosure, will be viewed most seriously and will result in a reconsideration of your suitability to practise. You will be sent an electronic form to complete at the start of each academic year.
See also: Behaviour & Professional Conduct
Learning Contracts
If you are finding it difficult to make academic progress, there many resources and individuals ready to support you. First, access the ‘My Learning Essentials’ resource. This tool offers a wide range of practical guides and workshops aimed at improving your skills, from academic writing and referencing to time management and critical thinking. Secondly, seek assistance from your academic advisor, unit lead, or seminar lead. They are there to provide guidance and can help tailor a plan to improve your academic performance. They can provide personalised feedback, suggest study strategies, and help identify potential areas of improvement.
Occupational Health Clearance
Continuation on the programme is conditional on continued health clearance. The BNurs/MNurs programme is predicated on an integrated model of learning combining both theory and practice. If at any stage the Division is notified that you are not fit to attend, either by an advisory notification from Occupational Health or through a GP fit note you would normally be placed on sick leave (attending neither theory or practice). A continued period of sick-leave may lead to a period of interruption from the programme. See also: Attendance and Interruptions.
To maintain safety for the public, your colleagues and yourself, the Division will defer to the advice and recommendations of Occupational Health in matters of health and fitness for the programme.
During the course of your programme you may be exposed to Exposure-Prone Procedures and you should follow the guidelines in the Division’s Exposure-Prone Procedures Policy (. If you have any concerns about your own health in this regard please refer to the advice available on BNurs Student Gateway.
The Occupational Health Department operate an ‘open door’ policy where you can make an appointment at any stage of your course. Where you self-refer to Occupational Health no report or contact with the Division is made without your consent. If it is mutually agreed that a report would be helpful then this will be undertaken with your consent.
If you have health concerns (physical or psychological) or a disability that affects your ability to study you may be referred formally to the Occupational Health Service by anyone with a concern e.g. Division, accommodation, pastoral team etc. You may also be referred if study is affecting your health.
The referring party should advise you of the reason for referral. When referred, the Occupational Health department will email you to arrange an appointment time.
In making decisions with regards to medical fitness for the programme, Occupational Health will ensure that they comply with relevant legislation, e.g. Equality Act 2010 and National Fitness Standards: http://www.heops.org.uk/uploads/1521730818HEOPS_Nursing_Student_fitness_standards_2015_v9.pdf.
The Occupational Health Physicians and Occupational Health Nurses are all bound by the Code of Professional Conduct as set out by the GMC and NMC and the information you provide to the Occupational Health Service is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 and will only be divulged with your informed consent.
You must inform your Academic advisor or self-refer to Occupational Health if you are pregnant: see Policy for Pregnant Students.
You must inform the Occupational Health Services of any needlestick or sharps injury which occurs whilst on placement in addition to meeting the accident reporting requirements of the NHS placement provider.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAFF AND STUDENTS
The Student Charter
Students on the BNurs/MNurs sign up to both the University’s Student Charter and the Division’s Student Charter and Conditions of Practice Experience.
Checking Blackboard and your University E-mail Account
The Division uses Blackboard as the Virtual Learning Environment for your course units.. For more generic information relating to your programme you have access to a Microsoft Team, where you can find out answers to frequently asked questions via the linked SharePoint page which is updated twice a semester. You will be given training on how to use Blackboard and Teams in your induction.
You are required to check your university email account and Teams space regularly as these are the agreed method of communications.
Introductory Courses:
All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory unit that provides information on health and safety, academic malpractice and academic literacy. Completion instructions for each of these sections are clearly defined within the course. Completion of the academic malpractice and health and safety sections is mandatory for all students. All assessments must be completed as soon as possible after the programme begins, with the academic malpractice assessment completed before the first piece of coursework is submitted. Completion of these assessments is monitored by the School. All students are also strongly advised to complete the academic literacy section.
SharePoint Student Community
The SharePoint student gateway has been devised to provide information that is generic to all course units within the programme. This has been designed to address frequently asked questions:
- Who to contact
- Professionalism
- Academic Advising
- PARE
- Attendance / making up hours
- Exams and assessments
- e-Portfolio
- Your wellbeing
- Newsletters
- Social Media
- Policies and Procedures
- Your feedback
You can access the Gateway using this link
ASSESSMENT
Introduction to Assessment
This section reflects the assessment regulations of the University of Manchester. The standard of the University’s awards and the students’ confidence in the equity and parity of the assessment of their work depends crucially on the scrupulous conduct of all matters relating to the assessment process.
The BNurs/MNurs programme is bound by the undergraduate degree regulations of the University of Manchester valid at the time of the student’s admission to the University.
In addition to these regulations, there is a requirement for additional rules and regulations in relation to nurse education, as prescribed by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).
All programmes of study need to be assessed and in this programme you will be assessed in both theory and practice elements.
The purpose of assessment is to form a judgement on the quality of your work, to ascertain and certify levels of achievement, and to enable examiners’ to report on the standard of performance reached by students.
Assessments are either formative or summative. Formative work is designed to help you meet the requirements of summative assessments. Summative assessments must be passed in order for an award to be conferred. Failure to pass all summative assessments will affect your progression through the course and may result in discontinuation of your studies.
All theory summative assessments are classed as Certificate, Intermediate, or Honours level normally depending on your year of study. Certificate Level (FHEQ level 4) assessment normally precedes that of Intermediate Level (FHEQ level 5) which in turn precedes Honours level (FHEQ level 6). Masters Level (FHEQ level 7) refers to students undertaking the MNurs element.
The pass mark for all summatively assessed work is 40% unless stated otherwise. The pass mark in Year 4 of the MNurs programme will be 50%.
The course uses a variety of assessment methods such as written assignments, examinations, practice assessments online assessments, presentations. These examples are not exhaustive but give an idea of the variety of assessment methods.
The dynamic nature of nurse education, the variety of assessment strategies, and the changes in University regulations will lead to periodic review of the assessment information within this handbook.
You will be notified of updates through via Teams, so please ensure that you , check in on a regular basis.
It is essential that you familiarise yourself with these regulations so that you are aware of the correct procedures to follow for all assessment matters.
Systems are in place to support your progression throughout the programme. Please take time to read the rest of this section as it will guide you through relevant processes. If you have a problem or concern at any stage of the assessment process it is beneficial to deal with issues as they arise by contacting your academic advisor in the first instance.
Range of Assessments
Our programme uses various assessment methods to gauge your understanding and skills. These include examinations that require you to showcase your grasp of fundamental subjects and apply your knowledge in a supervised setting.
We employ both individual and group seminars as a means of assessment. These forums enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and abilities through oral presentations to staff and fellow students. Effective communication, a skill vital to your future nursing careers, can be honed and displayed in these settings. Group tasks also give us a chance to evaluate your collaborative skills.
The programme also includes written assignments such as case studies, essays, and critical reviews to assess your ability to use your knowledge in specific areas of clinical practice. During your third year, we will facilitate the development of your understanding of various subjects, including how to act as a leader and educator. You will develop your ability to create logical arguments based on a thorough understanding and critical analysis of primary research.
Practical assessments form a significant part of your evaluation. Your achievement of practical outcomes will be assessed using a ‘Practice Assessment Document’ (PAD), accessed via an online system known as PARE (Practice Assessment Record and Evaluation). This assessment helps us ensure that you have the knowledge and skills needed to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements for entry into the field programme and, eventually, the professional register. Completed PADs are part of your portfolio, and it’s recommended that you save important sections of your PAD for your portfolio. There is also a significant amount of practice assessment. Achievement of practice-based outcomes and competencies will be assessed by a Practice Assessor within the using a ‘Practice Assessment Documents’(PAD). Your PAD will be accessed via an online system PARE (Practice Assessment Record and Evaluation). This is essential to assess your abilities to demonstrate achievement of the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the requirements of the NMC for entry to the field programme and subsequently for entry to the professional register. Completed ‘Practice Assessment Documents’ form part of your portfolio. You may wish to keep relevant pages from your PAD as evidence in your portfolio.
Whilst a distinction is made between the assessment of theory (in the form of written assignments and assessment under controlled conditions) and the assessment of practice (by the measurement of clinical competence and clinical judgement), the two processes are closely linked. For example, theoretical assessment may be based on your actual clinical experience, or clinical case scenarios whereby nursing care is analysed, reflected upon and /or evaluated in written assignments. Similarly, the assessment of practice involves evidence of your reasoning, judgement and decision-making skills through reflection and evaluation of clinical performance. The intention of the assessment of practice is to integrate the indicative content and learning outcomes of the unit, together with the appropriate competencies and outcomes related to practice.
For each assignment/examination, you will be provided with written guidelines to help you formulate your work.
Preparing for Assessments
Thorough preparation for any form of assessment should enable you to reach your maximum potential.
In each unit of study you are allocated a seminar lead who will act as your academic teacher for that unit. The role of the seminar lead is to support your development during the unit in any aspect of study.
Academic support is normally timetabled within the unit programme where you can meet with your seminar lead and discuss issues relating to your assessment work. This may be on a one-to-one basis, or in the form of tutorials
All Units have a formative submission point. The purpose of this is to provide feedback on style and level of writing and ability to integrate evidence into your discussion. The type of formative assessment will vary according to the Unit, so
Please see the individual Unit handbook for more information about formative feedback.
It is recommended that you take the opportunity to gain developmental feedback by active participation in seminars, academic support sessions and/or by completing practice examination questions as appropriate.
Details of appropriate and specific academic support within units are contained within your unit handbooks and on the timetable.
Seminar leads may provide formative feedback from draft work normally no later than two weeks prior to submission.
Should a seminar lead be unavailable for any reason you are advised to contact the Unit Lead for guidance.
Should you feel there are any adverse circumstances that may be affecting your ability to engage with your studies you are strongly advised to discuss these with your unit lead, academic advisor, or practice supervisor as appropriate.
MANAGEMENT OF THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS
University and Professional Requirements for Progression
Both the University and the NMC set requirements for progression from one part of the course to the next.
NMC progression points exist before the end of each year of the programme, and at the end of year 3 for progression to the register. Summative submission for Part?
University Progression points occur at the end of each academic year and, along with the professional requirement, will determine whether or not you may progress into the next year of study. University progression criteria require you to:
Reach the pass mark, at first attempt, in individual units totalling at least 40 out of 120 of the credits for that year
and
Reach the minimum pass mark overall.
Progression
The NMC Requirements for Pre-Registration Nursing Programmes (2018) and ESC specifies a set of learning outcomes that you must achieve by the end of each progression point.
You must achieve all the learning outcomes of Year 1 to progress into year 2 of the Programme and all the year 2 outcomes in order toto progress into year 3; failure to do so will normally result in you not being permitted to progress.
Guidelines for Assessment
Course Work Requirements
Guidelines for written assignments are provided in Unit guides available on Blackboard.
Guidelines for each written assignment are discussed with you before the submission date.
If you are seeking further guidance on marked work you should review your feedback and contact the first marker of that work if further clarification is needed.
- You must check each of your unit outlines very carefully to determine the course work requirements for that particular unit. It is strongly recommended that if you do not understand any aspect of an assignment or are otherwise experiencing some related difficulty you should contact the unit leader as soon as possible to discuss the situation. The self-recognition of academic limitations is not a point of failure. All tutors have a function to support students.
- You must make a note of all submission deadlines for course work and make every effort to submit all your course work in on time. Penalties will be applied for failure to meet a submission deadline.
- You need to submit each unit assignment via the online submission process. Alternatively, where online submission is not available another method of submission will be provided.
- All work handed in must be accompanied by the relevant submission details completed by you, including your correct ID number and course unit code (beginning “NURS”).
- If due to illness mitigating circumstances or other serious personal problems you cannot hand a piece of course work in on time you must complete an extension request form and submit this along with any supporting evidence to the Examinations Office more than 1 day (24 hours) prior to the hand-in deadline date, to request some extra time to complete your course essay. Once agreed you will be emailed an alternative submission date.
- Essays will usually be marked by a lecturer who has contributed to the teaching of the course being assessed, or another member of academic staff with expertise in the area being assessed.
- Moderation should sample all fails, all borderlines (49%, 59%, 69% etc), and a sample (approximately 15%) of the remaining scripts. The total number of scripts moderated should be at least 20% of all submissions.
- You must note that any grade or mark which you receive prior to the Examination Board is provisional, since the Board considers and makes final decisions on academic assessments.
- Essays are the equivalent of examination scripts and as such you should exercise care over your work.
- You must reference their work appropriately using the Harvard referencing system. Further details regarding this method of referencing are included in this handbook. Failure to submit a reference list will result in a mark of 0% being awarded.
- If you submit an essay which is outside the prescribed word limit you will be penalised by a reduction in the mark awarded. This may result in an essay which would have been considered to be a pass being deemed to be a fail.
Do not write your name on any part of the assignment as the assessment process is supposed to be anonymous. All work submitted online will be given a deadline of 12 noon on the submission date. This is an absolute deadline.
You must gain a receipt for the work to prove that you submitted the work on time. For work submitted online print out and keep the receipt for your records.
Confirm in writing that the work being submitted is you own work that it has not been plagiarised and has not been submitted for any other form of assessment anywhere else.
Word Limits
In accordance with the University Policy on Marking:
Each written assignment has a word limit which you must state at the top of your first page. It is acceptable, without penalty, for you to submit an assignment within a range that is plus 10% of this limit. If you present an assignment with a word count exceeding the specified limit+10%, the assignment will be marked but 1% will be deducted from this mark for every 100 words over the limit given.
For an original word limit that is 1000 words and an assignment that is marked out of 100. If a submission is made that is 1101 words, then it exceeded the 10% leeway, and is more than 100 words over the original limit and should receive a 1-mark deduction.
In accordance with accepted academic practice, when submitting any written assignment for summative assessment, the notion of a word count includes the following without exception:
- All titles or headings that form part of the actual text. This does not include the fly page or reference list
- All words that form the actual essay
- All words forming the titles for figures, tables and boxes, are included but this does not include boxes or tables or figures themselves
- All in-text (that is bracketed) references
- All directly quoted material
Certain assessments may require different penalties for word limits to be applied. For example, if part of the requirement for the assessment is conciseness of presentation of facts and arguments. In such cases it may be that no 10% leeway is allowed, and penalties applied may be stricter than described above. In such cases the rules for word count limits and the penalties to be applied will be clearly stated in the assessment brief and in the submission details for that assessment.
Presentation of Assignments
- Presentation is an important aspect of assignment writing. Poor presentation of assignments can result in poor marks. You are strongly advised to take heed of the following guidelines. Further aspects of assignment presentation can be obtained from Academic Advisors, Unit leaders, and the Unit Guide
- All work handed in must be accompanied by the relevant submission details completed by you, including your correct ID number and course unit code (beginning “NURS”). This should be inserted into the header.
- Each page must be numbered, preferably at the bottom centre position.
- Each assignment must possess a reference list using the Harvard referencing style. (You will incur a penalty for any assignment submitted without a reference list meaning a mark of 0% will be awarded).
- Academic assignments should not be decorated.
- The specific requirements for assessments can be found in the individual unit guide.
Referencing – The Harvard System
Accurate referencing of all written work is essential as it enables readers to (i) assess the accuracy of the writer’s interpretation of source material; (ii) check the writer’s integrity; and (iii) easily seek out material that may be of interest to their own studies. All assignments completed for this programme of study are required to have a reference list.
Though there are many referencing/bibliographical systems around, the Harvard system is the system adopted by many of the prestigious social work and social science journals. More importantly, it is the system, which the Division of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work has adopted.
This means that it is the only system, which is acceptable for any work submitted by students within the Division. Please see the Library’s Referencing Guide.
ACADEMIC MALPRACTICE
Avoiding Academic Malpractice
As a student, you are expected to cooperate in the learning process throughout your programme of study by completing assignments of various kinds that are the product of your own study or research. For most students this does not present a problem, but occasionally, whether unwittingly or otherwise, a student may commit what is known as plagiarism or some other form of academic malpractice when carrying out an assignment. This may come about because students have been used to different conventions in their prior educational experience or through general ignorance of what is expected of them.
This guidance is designed to help you understand what we regard as academic malpractice and hence to help you to avoid committing it. You should read it carefully, because academic malpractice is regarded as a serious offence and students found to have committed it will be penalised.
Academic malpractice is any activity – intentional or otherwise – that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. Academic malpractice includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results and anything else intended by those committing it to achieve credit that they do not properly deserve. In addition to the advice that follows, your Division will give you advice on how to avoid academic malpractice in the context of your discipline. It will also design assessments so as to help you avoid the temptation to commit academic malpractice. Finally, you should take note that work you submit may be screened electronically to check against other material on the web and in other submitted work.
Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found: click here
The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice: click here
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting the ideas, work or words of other people without proper, clear and unambiguous acknowledgement. It also includes self-plagiarism (which occurs where, for example, you submit work that you have presented for assessment on a previous occasion), and the submission of material from essay banks (even if the authors of such material appear to be giving you permission to use it in this way). Obviously, the most blatant example of plagiarism would be to copy another student’s work. Hence it is essential to make clear in your assignments the distinction between:
- the ideas and work of other people that you may have quite legitimately exploited and developed, and
- the ideas or material that you have personally contributed.
To assist you, here is the library’s e–learning essentials guide.
Collusion
Collusion occurs when a student or students collaborate with another student or students, as an individual or group to gain a mark or grade to which they are not entitled. Students who allow another student to copy their work or who make their work available to another student are also committing collusion and both the copier and the provider of the work are liable to be penalised.
Fabrication / Falsification
Fabrication or falsification of data or results by individual students or groups of students is the presentation or inclusion in a piece of work of figures or data which have been made up or altered and which have no basis in verifiable sources; this may or may not involve other instances of academic malpractice.
If you commit any form of academic malpractice, teaching staff will not be able to assess your individual abilities objectively or accurately. Any short-term gain you might have hoped to achieve will be cancelled out by the loss of proper feedback you might have received, and in the long run such behaviour is likely to damage your overall intellectual development, to say nothing of your self-esteem. You are the one who loses.
TurnitinUK
The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking. Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.
As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work). If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the required timescales.
The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.
Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We urge students to be cautious when using a chatbot or AI tool within their learning. Chatbots and AI tools can be useful, but there are a number of risks associated with using them. Please ensure that you are aware of what is permissible use of AI for each assignment. You can utilise AI to generate ideas, key themes, and plan your assessment but not to write your assessment. Do not use AI to generate text, or partial text for use in your assessment unless the assignment brief explicitly states that this is permitted, otherwise use will be deemed academic malpractice. This is academic malpractice because the words and ideas generated are not your own and not an accurate reflection of your learning. Further to this, the words and ideas generated by the chatbot or AI tool may make use of other, human authors’ ideas without referencing them, which is plagiarism. Where a chatbot or other form of AI has been used, make sure you acknowledge that use. Information on how to cite can be found here: https://manchester-uk.libanswers.com/teaching-and-learning/faq/264824 Some units, for example those on AI and technology, permit the use of AI. However, they require you to sign a code of conduct which must be adhered to. Make sure you understand and follow these codes. If you are unclear on what is permissible, speak to the unit lead.
ASSESSMENT PROCESS
How to Submit Assessed Work
All assignment texts must be submitted by 12.00pm on the date specified unless stated. All essays must be submitted online via Blackboard. When submitting your assignment online, this must include your reference list as part of the same document. Failure to do so will result in 0% grade being recorded.
All work submitted online will produce an e-receipt which should be kept for your records. This receipt is proof that the submitted assignment has been received by the examinations office. Failure to produce an e-receipt when questioning whether a submission has been uploaded will result in a non-submission and a mark of 0% being awarded. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have read and understand the online submission guidelines prior to submission. Regardless of whether you submit work in person, via post or online you must obtain a receipt that verifies on what date the essay was submitted. Unless an extension has been formally granted work must be submitted on or before the published submission date.
The submission of work online will be supported by the examinations office up until the deadline for a submission has passed. You are therefore encouraged to plan ahead and not leave the submission of work online to the last minute.
Location of Examinations Office
The Examinations Secretary is located in the School of Health Studies Exams office, Jean McFarlane Building, University Place. In recognizing ‘normal office hours’ (Mon-Fri 9.00am-4.00pm) you should take account of the normal breaks which occur during the working day in the morning and afternoon and at lunchtime.
Submission Dates
See the examinations folder on the SharePoint BNurs Student Community Area. Please note that examination dates are determined by the Central University Examinations team and will fall within the period specified on the assessments schedule unless stated. For information on late submission due to illness or other reasons please refer to the Mitigating Circumstances section of this document.
Late Submission Penalties
Work submitted after the deadline without prior approval will be subject to a late penalty in accordance with the University Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes. The penalty applied is 10% of available marks deducted per day/24 hours (from the time of the original or extended deadline), until the assignment is submitted, or no marks remain.
Penalties for late submission relate to 24 hours/calendar days, so include weekends and weekdays, as well as bank holidays and University closure days.
The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by:
10% of the available marks deducted if up to 24 hours (1 day) late
20% of the available marks deducted if up to 48 hours (2 days) late
30% of the available marks deducted if up to 72 hours (3 days) late
40% of the available marks deducted if up to 96 hours (4 days) late
50% of the available marks deducted if up to 120 hours (5 days) late
60% of the available marks deducted if up to 144 hours (6 days) late
70% of the available marks deducted if up to 168 hours (7 days) late
80% of the available marks deducted if up to 192 hours (8 days) late
90% of the available marks deducted if up to 216 hours (9 days) late
100% of the available marks deducted if up to 240 hours (10 days) late
If the assessment is submitted within 10 days of the deadline the assessment should be marked and feedback to the student provided. If this mark before the penalty is applied reaches the appropriate pass mark but the applied penalty results in a fail of the assessment, the student should not be required to resit the assessment as the original mark can be taken as the resit mark. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents.
For work submitted more than 10 days late, it is regarded as a non-submission and need not be marked. In this case a mark of zero will be awarded and normal resit regulations will apply.
The sliding scale should only be applied to first-sit submissions. For all referred (resit) assessment, any late submission will automatically receive a mark of zero.
For further information:
Policy on the Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes
The full late submission policy can be found here : http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29825
Extensions
If you experience difficulties that will prevent you from submitting assessed coursework on time, you can request an extension of up to one week. You need to provide a credible reason for your extension, in line with the extension policy, but you do not need to submit evidence to support your request.
Please think carefully about whether one-week is enough time to submit and how this will impact the rest of your workload before requesting an extension.
To apply for an extension, you will need to complete this form:
https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_56LcBQhsaZ6Agsu
Extensions should be applied for by 15:00pm on the day of your original assessment submission date. Any applications after this time will not be considered and you will need to apply for mitigating circumstances.
If mitigating circumstances prevent you from submitting an extension request in advance, or mean that you miss the extended deadline that has been awarded, you should submit mitigating circumstances following the procedures outlined in the mitigating circumstances procedure. Please note, such requests for mitigation will only be considered where students provide a clear justification (including evidence) for failing to follow the normal extension request procedure.
Some DASS students are entitled to an automatic one-week extension, which does not need to be applied for. If you are a DASS student with this automatic extension and require longer than one-week, please complete the form above by 15:00pm on the day of your DASS submission date.
If you are on a clinical programme and your reason for an extension or mitigating circumstances may impact on your placement, your academic team will be made aware so that they can review your fitness to practice.
For all programmes, if you apply for repeated extensions your Academic Advisor will be made aware so that they can support you appropriately. If this exceeds four extensions in one semester, your Programme Director will also be informed.
Mitigating Circumstances
Sometimes, factors beyond your control may interfere with your ability to attend to your academic studies. The University’s mitigating circumstances procedures exist to try to mitigate against the impact that this could have on your grades.
The full mitigating circumstances policy can be accessed via the following link: https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/study-support/mitigating-circumstances/
We strongly recommend that you seek advice from a member of the Wellbeing team before submitting any claim for mitigating circumstances. You can contact them via shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk or shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk
Grounds for mitigation
Grounds for mitigation are unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances that could have, or did have, a significant adverse effect on your academic performance.
Possible mitigating circumstances include:
- significant illness or injury
- the death or critical/significant illness of a close family member/dependant
- significant family crises or major financial problems leading to acute stress
- absence for public service e.g., jury service
Circumstances that will not normally be regarded as grounds for mitigation include:
- holidays, moving house and events that were planned or could reasonably have been expected
- assessments that are scheduled close together
- misreading the timetable or misunderstanding the requirements for assessments
- inadequate planning and time management
- consequences of paid employment
- exam stress or panic attacks not diagnosed as illness or supported by medical evidence
- disruption in an examination room during the course of an assessment which has not been recorded by the invigilators
Applying for mitigation
You should inform us if you experience difficulties that may negatively affect your performance on assessed work. You can inform us of such difficulties by submitting an online Mitigating Circumstances Form. The form must be completed by you. It will ask you to provide details of your difficult circumstances and to list the assessments affected. It is important that you list each separate assessment, giving details of the course unit and the nature of the assessment (e.g. PSYC10711 Essay or PSYC10100 Week 4 Quiz). Your form should also be supported with evidence, which is independent and time-specific (for example, a doctor’s note which confirms that you were ill and indicates the period affected). Our Student Support and Wellbeing team can advise you on the information required on the form.
You should inform us of mitigating circumstances as soon as you become aware that they might affect your performance. Typically, mitigating circumstances must be submitted prior to the assessment taking place. In exceptional circumstances, where it is not possible to inform us in advance, you should submit your Mitigating Circumstances application as soon as possible after deadline or scheduled examination, supported by a credible and compelling explanation of why your claim could not be submitted in advance.
Please note, not informing the University of circumstances due to personal feelings, e.g., shame, embarrassment and pride, or having concerns over the confidential treatment of requests for mitigation, are not considered to be credible and compelling explanations as to why the circumstances could not be made known or shown by these deadlines. If the details of the mitigating circumstances are considered to be highly confidential, you can discuss with the wellbeing team shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk the best way to submit an application. The committee handle all requests for mitigation with sensitivity and due regard for confidentiality.
How mitigation is considered and applied
Evidence for personal and medical mitigating circumstances is considered by a mitigating circumstances committee. It is this committee’s role to determine whether there is evidence of mitigating circumstances, whether those circumstances could have had an effect on your performance, and the likely impact. The committee will consider all submissions and, where there is evidence that circumstances have been serious enough to have an effect on one or more elements of assessment, the committee will make recommendations to the exam board.
The exam board, at the recommendation of the mitigating circumstances committee, can take a limited number of actions to apply mitigation. In most cases, acceptance of the mitigation will involve revoking any late submission penalties or allowing for the missed or failed coursework/exam to be taken again as a first sit.
A claim for mitigating circumstances may be turned down for several reasons:
- The circumstances detailed by the student are not regarded as grounds for mitigation under the Policy on Mitigating Circumstances
- The supporting evidence does not cover the relevant period
- The supporting evidence is not supplied by an appropriate (independent) source
- The supporting evidence is deemed insufficient to support the student’s claim of the seriousness of impact on their assessment performance
- The wording of the evidence supplied does not support the student’s claim e.g. the material does not provide a medical diagnosis
- No evidence is provided, and the student has not given any explanation as to the reasons why nor indicated when evidence could be available
- The evidence relates to a chronic condition which the student is already in receipt of support from the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS). This does not include instances where the student has an acute flare up of a pre-existing condition which may be accepted if properly evidenced and confirmed by DASS
- The deadline for submitting mitigating circumstances has been missed, without a credible and compelling reason
- The claim relates to an ongoing condition or circumstance previously used to claim mitigation where the Panel, on the earlier occasion, instructed the student that this mitigation could not be used again and may have instructed the student to access support from the Disability Advisory and Support Service
General Statements which apply across all Levels
At every level you should apply presentation guidelines as set out in the programme handbook/guidelines for the assessment.
At every level you should adhere to the recommended method of referencing as set out in the programme handbook.
At every level you should demonstrate (as a minimum) knowledge/awareness of acceptable standards of practice.
At every level you are required to address the aims of the assessments as set out in the assessment guidelines.
You are advised to stay within the recommended word limit for assignments +/- 10%. The penalty which may be levied for words in excess of this limit will be a ratio of 1% per 100 words.
The Division uses one set of generic marking criteria to mark all assessments. The marking criteria are structured on 9 themes:
1. Transferable skills
2. Learning outcomes and assessment criteria: adherence to the criteria for assessment in the question.
3. Structure, planning and organization.
4. Evidence of reading that is appropriate, relevant, broad, and accurately recorded.
5. Use of research to support the discussion
6. Knowledge and understanding of the topic, the main issues and the concepts
7. Application of theory to practice
8. Reflection on practice which identifies professional development and responsibility
9. Arguments: the understanding of the topic and associated issues/debates
The level descriptors increase incrementally each year of the programme according to the academic level. All marking will reflect the descriptors and marks will be allocated from 0-100%.
The full marking criteria are available in the Assessments area of SharePoint. You are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the descriptors to gain a better understanding of the academic level required of your assessments for each year of the programme, as well as understand how marks are awarded according to the descriptors.
ACADEMIC APPEALS, STUDENT COMPLAINTS, CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE
Academic Appeals
- For the most up to date information regarding appeals, students should refer to the University’s general support pages, since the pages are updated to reflect changes in policy and guidelines.
- Students have a right of appeal against a final decision of an Examination Board, or a progress committee, or a graduate committee or equivalent body which affects their academic status or progress in the University.
- Students thinking of appealing should first discuss the matter informally with an appropriate member of staff, in order to better understand the reason for the result or decision and to determine whether the matter can be resolved informally by the School prior to making a formal appeal.
- Should you wish to proceed to a formal appeal, this must be submitted within the timeframe outlined in the Academic Appeals Procedure to the Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team electronically by e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).
- The Academic Appeals Procedure (Regulation XIX) and associated documents, including the form on which formal appeals should be submitted, can be found at http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic/basic-guide-academic-appeals/
Student Complaints
- The University’s Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associated documents, including a complaints form, can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic
- The University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation – see https://www.reportandsupport.manchester.ac.uk/
- Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first (see the procedure). Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team electronically by e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).
Conduct and Discipline of Students
- General University information on the conduct and discipline of students can be found at https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/academic-appeals-complaints-and-misconduct/conduct-and-discipline-of-students/
- Faculty policies for students on communication and dress code, social networking and drugs and alcohol can be found at:
- http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29038 (Communication and Dress Code)
- http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29039 (Drugs and Alcohol)
- http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29040 (Social Networking)
- Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-to-students-on-plagiarism-and-other-forms-of-academic-malpractice/
- In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes, ‘All typed summative assessment, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software, where appropriate’.
- The University of Manchester guidance on presentation of taught Masters Dissertations is available at:
Guidance for the presentation of Taught Masters dissertationsThe guidance explains the required presentation of the dissertation, and failure to follow the instructions in the guidance may result in the dissertation being rejected by the examiners.
The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice at:
https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/training/my-learning-essentials/online-resources/
3. PRACTICE LEARNING
Practice learning accounts for fifty percent of your programme and equates to at least 2,300 hours of practice. This will be captured through practice learning, practice on campus weeks / simulated learning.
You are required to have the opportunity to experience a range of practice learning environments to enable you to meet the NMC (2018) standards and competencies for progression through the programme and for registration. Throughout the programme you will be allocated via a placement process to a range of practice learning environments that will offer a range of learning experiences, including the NHS and Private Independent and Voluntary organisations. These will be across a variety of inpatient and outward facing settings.
The maximum expected travel time to your learning environment is normally 90 minutes each way. In an effort to minimise travel time where possible every effort will be made to ensure that you will be allocated to learning environments in accordance with your term-time postcode and field of nursing study. A copy of the map which details the Greater Manchester footprint for learning environments can be accessed via Blackboard (Under Allocations, in the Practice Learning Gateway).
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The criteria for selecting, monitoring and enhancing the practice learning environments has been developed in partnership with practice and University colleagues and is based on the Health Education England Quality Framework (2017-2018).
All practice learning environments are audited by an allocated academic who works in partnership with the learning environment and Practice Education Facilitator (PEF). The audit focuses on standards to ensure that the learning environment provides a high quality safe learning environment in line with North West regional network standards.
Your feedback on your practice learning experience is essential as part of this ongoing commitment and quality improvement.
HOW WILL I FIND OUT ABOUT MY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ALLOCATION?
You will be notified of your allocation to a learning environment at least 4 weeks prior to commencement. Notification is provided via your university e-mail.
You must ensure that you plan your travel to meet the shift pattern requirements for your learning environment. Your learning environment will normally be within the Greater Manchester footprint, but please note that depending upon availability and capacity your learning environment may be outside of this footprint.
You can find further information and contact details, as well as links to Google maps, the GMPTE route finder and Trust / Organisation websites via the Practice Learning Gateway in Blackboard.
You must contact your learning environment area 2 weeks prior to your start date to discuss arrangements for arrival.
HUB AND SPOKE MODEL
The hub is your allocated learning environment area. In discussion with your Supervisor you can identify spoke opportunities to enhance your learning experience. These must be agreed with your Practice Supervisor/ Assessor and contribute towards the learning outcomes outlined in your Practice Assessment Document (PAD) for that learning period.
WHAT DO I NEED TO Do IN PREPARATION FOR MY LEARNING EXPERIENCE?
Practice Assessment Document (PAD)
Prior to starting your practice experience you will need to be familiar with your Practice Assessment Document (PAD). Your PAD will be accessed using an online system called PARE https://onlinepare.net. The Online Practice Assessment Record and Evaluation (PARE) tool is a Health Education North West initiative supported by a team of Academics, developers and administrators from across the region. Early in the programme, you will be provided with information about PARE including full training and guidance on how to register access and interact fully with the system.
PARE enables you to interact with your Supervisor/Practice Assessor/Academic Assessor/Academic Advisor online and record the practice hours you complete using an online timesheet. There is the facility and refer back to previously completed learning experiences when required by your Practice Assessor and Academic Assessor.
Once you have accessed PARE you will need to complete an individual reflection and self-assessment prior to an initial meeting with your Supervisor and/or Practice Assessor.
- Your nominated Practice Assessor will normally be allocated before or at the beginning of each practice learning experience
- You will practice under the support and guidance of a supervisor(s) who will ensure that students are appropriately supervised at all times during practice learning, including while on spoke learning experiences
- Appropriate risk assessments must be available to ensure student safety needs are met.
- Students remain supernumerary during all practice learning experiences.
- If students have identified additional learning needs in the practice learning environment they will be supported through the Division’s Reasonable Adjustments for Practice learning strategy, and completion of an Individual Student Support Plan (ISSP) if appropriate, supported by your Academic Advisor and/or Academic Assessor. Copies of both documents and further information are available in the Practice Learning Gateway.
PARE also allows you to provide feedback and evaluation of your experience in your learning environment in an easy and timely manner. The feedback that you provide is essential to ensure that practice learning experiences are enhanced and supported for all learners in practice.
Professional Portfolio
The NMC require that all Registered Nurses maintain a Portfolio to maintain NMC registration via the process of revalidation. As a student you will be given the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to build up your portfolio. The portfolio will allow you to collate evidence of your growth and development as a practitioner over the programme and beyond.
You will be provided with information about your e-Portfolio on BNurs Student Gateway and you are required to engage in the development of your e-Portfolio as you progress through the programme. It is your responsibility to ensure that you make your e-Portfolio available to your Supervisor/Practice /Academic Assessor and Academic Advisor as requested.
Your Academic Advisor/and or Academic Assessor is available for you to discuss your portfolio development and practice learning progress.
WHO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT ME DURING MY PRACTICE LEARNING EXPERIENCE?
(See also: Programme Staff Roles)
You will receive preparation for your exposure to practice through timetabled sessions with programme staff, practice colleagues and with your Academic Assessor/ Advisor prior to commencing your practice learning experience.
The NMC (2018) Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SS&A) have identified three key roles to help support your development. The purpose of this tripartite arrangement is to ensure there is a collaborative approach to your progression and that it is based on an understanding of your achievement across theory and practice and embeds a greater degree of objectivity into the process.
1. Practice Supervisor
2. Practice Assessor
3. Academic Assessor
An outline for the roles is detailed below:
Practice Supervisors (PS)
Registered nurses, midwives or other registered health or social care professionals. They have current knowledge and experience and are appropriately prepared for the role in which they;
- Ensure safe and effective learning experiences
- Facilitate independent learning
- Provide co-ordination and continuity of support and supervision
- Ensure observation on your conduct, proficiency, and achievement of programme outcomes are shared with key staff , for example other Supervisors
- Contribute to assessment and records regular feedback
They have responsibilities for overseeing your progress during your learning experience and may undertake your initial interview supporting you to identify your learning needs, discussing the learning opportunities and completion of your learning plan.
Supervisors have an important role in contributing to your assessment and giving you regular feedback collaborating with other Supervisors and your nominated Practice Assessor. You may, depending on your allocated learning environment, have several Supervisors supporting your development.
Practice Assessors (PA)
Registered nurses with current knowledge and expertise and are appropriately prepared for the role in which they;
- Conduct assessments, informed by feedback from Practice Supervisors
- Make and record objective decisions, drawing on records, observations, student reflection and other resources
- Periodically observe you in practice (by objective evidence based assessment)
- Gathers and coordinates feedback from Practice Supervisors and other relevant people
- Schedules communication with Academic Assessors at relevant points
- Will review assessment documentation in your PAD that has been completed by your Supervisor and a range of other health or social care professionals who have contributed to your development
- Will assess your conduct, proficiency and achievement of learning outcomes and will complete the mid-point and final summative interview and confirmation of proficiencies at the end of the time in your allocated learning environment in the first and second semester.
As well as undertaking the required supervision and assessments, the role of the Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor also includes identifying relevant learning opportunities and creating learning and development plans with the student.
Academic Assessors
Registered nurses, on the university programme team, that are nominated for each Part of the programme and are appropriately prepared for the role, which includes;
- Working in partnership with the Practice Assessor to evaluate and recommend you for progression for each part of the programme. In this context a part refers to the end of each year
- Undertake scheduled communication between Academic and Practice Assessors
- Understands your learning and achievement in practice
- Undertake scheduled communication and collaboration with your Practice Assessor
- Collate and confirm your achievement of the proficiencies and programme outcomes based on assessment and information that is objective and fair
You will be allocated an Academic Assessor for each Part of the programme), and within each part there are different levels of performance that you need to demonstrate.
Academic Assessors will collate and confirm your achievement of the proficiencies and programme outcomes. They will review your progress throughout the year and complete the final assessment in collaboration with the Practice Assessor, having considered your progress and all the evidence.
If there are any development needs in relation to your performance, they will work with the Practice Assessor in agreeing an action plan.
Your Academic Assessor will complete your Ongoing Record of Achievement (OAR) in the online PARE system detailing any particular recommendations, points to consider or exceptional practice for your next Academic Assessor and all relevant people.
Your Academic Assessor in the final allocation to a learning environment in year three (part 3) will review and confirm overall achievement in collaboration with your Practice Assessor to recommend progression to registration in your Ongoing Record of Achievement (OAR) in PARE.
Practice Education Facilitator (PEF)
A PEF is a placement provider employee whose role is to facilitate learning in practice for all undergraduate healthcare students, with a particular focus on quality assurance and inter-professional learning. The PEF has an overview of your, and is a point if contact if needed. Please refer to the Practice Gateway for further information.
University Link Lecturer (ULL)
An ULL acts as the primary link between the university and practice,
The ULL role includes:
- working effectively as a team with PEFs, taking a risk assessment approach, to ensure the provision of appropriate learning environments, and to provide student, Supervisor and Practice Assessor support
- working collaboratively with all stakeholders and ensure that good channels of communication are in place.
A list of ULLs is located in the Practice Learning Gateway within Blackboard.
INTEGRATION OF LEARNING: THEORY AND PRACTICE
The schedule for practice learning is consistent and equal to theory for each year of the Programme. You can access more detail on your Programme Overview via the BNurs Community Gateway in Blackboard.
PRACTICE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: SUPERNUMERARY STATUS
During the three-year course of study, when in practice you are supernumerary. This means you are not part of the workforce numbers, but are part of the team. This does not mean you are unable to undertake any practice. You will be expected to observe and participate in practice activities contributing to the team and practice with supervision, as appropriate to your level and abilities.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS DURING YOUR PRACTICE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Shift Working whilst in your allocated learning environment
The Nursing and Midwifery Council state that students must “experience the range of hours expected of registered nurses…” (NMC, 2018).
Whenever you are in practice you must start the shift at the scheduled start of shift and finish at the scheduled end of shift. Depending on the learning environment students may work a range of shift patterns. The shift patterns may comprise of:
- Early shifts
- Late shifts
- Long days
- Night shifts
- Weekends
Shift patterns should primarily reflect the requirements of the NMC, that you experience care delivery throughout the twenty-four hour period, as well as the educational needs of the student. It is anticipated that in general, both students and supervisors will be able to negotiate and plan appropriate shift patterns individual student needs (for example, occupational health recommendations).
For more detailed guidance regarding shift working (i.e. shift lengths, breaks, gaps between shifts, weekend work and bank holidays) please refer to the ‘Guidance for Shift Working’ document available within the Practice Learning Guidance section of the Practice Learning Gateway within Blackboard. Guidance on self-care, including sleep, hygiene, preparing for changes to shift patterns and getting home safely is also provided within this document.
Reasonable Adjustments in Practice Learning Environments
As previously noted, there is an expectation that you will work a shift pattern which is of an educational advantage to you and suitable for the learning environment. If however you have a disability, learning difficulty or long-term condition with specific requirements in terms of reasonable adjustments in your allocated learning environment, this may be accommodated. Communication with your Supervisor/Practice Assessor is important to ensure a collaborative decision can be made regarding adjustment to working patterns. Practice Supervisors, Practice Assessors and Academic Assessors have an important role in supporting and guiding you through your learning experience. This includes facilitating any reasonable adjustments you may require to achieve the maximum benefit from your allocated learning environment.
For more detailed guidance regarding disclosure of disabilities, learning difficulties or long-term conditions please go the Practice Learning Guidance section of the Practice Learning Gateway within Blackboard.
What do I need to do if I am unable to attend the Learning Environment?
If you are unable to attend your practice learning experience, you should inform your Supervisor /learning environment manager of the reason on the first day of your absence. You can report this yourself or you can ask someone else to report it on your behalf if necessary. You should also notify your academic adviser of any sickness or absence affecting your attendance.
If you are unable to attend your learning environment for any reason it is important that:
- All relevant people are informed in the interest of professionalism and safety
- Your absence is noted on your PARE timesheet
If you are a member of a University activity group that meets on a Wednesday afternoon, you can discuss this with your Supervisor/Practice Assessor in your learning environment.
Please note that due to NMC regulations, all absences including authorised absences must be made up to complete the programme. You can find guidance on making up missed practice hours on the Practice Learning Gateway in Blackboard.
Falsification of hours whilst in practice is viewed extremely seriously by the Division as it is a fundamental breach of the NMC (2018) Code and will result in an immediate referral to Health and Conduct Committee.
What do I need to do if I have concerns about my Practice Learning Environment?
Should you have any areas of concern relating to your learning environment you can discuss these with your Supervisor /Practice Assessor, PEF, Unit Lead or Academic Assessor or Academic Advisor as soon as is reasonably practicable and in keeping with the NMC (2018) Code. The Division, in partnership with practice colleagues, has developed student guidance to help you understand the process you need to follow if you have concerns regarding your learning environment or if you witness or are involved in a critical incident or near miss.
Guidance for escalating concerns regarding practice can be found within the Practice Learning community gateway within Blackboard (under Practice Learning Policies and Guides).
ASSESSMENT IN PRACTICE
Your practice assessment document (PAD) has been developed to ensure that student nurses are prepared to successfully meet the Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses (NMC 2018) at the point of registration. The NMC standards specify the knowledge and skills that registered nurses must demonstrate when caring for people of all ages and across all care settings and comprise seven platforms and two annexes.
Practice learning accounts for fifty percent of the nursing programme and equates to at least 2,300 hours of practice. This is captured through practice learning environments, Practice on Campus weeks and simulated learning opportunities.
What will I be assessed on?
Outcomes will vary for each learning environment and will meet the programme outcomes and the seven platforms and two annexes as defined by the NMC (2018) where appropriate. This will enable you to demonstrate that you can provide care for people who have complex mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural care needs across a range of settings including people’s own homes, in the community or hospital or any health care setting.
The platforms are:
- 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
- Coordinating care
Annexe A: Communication and relationship management skills
Annexe B: Nursing procedures
Assessing level of competence
Within the PAD three key statements have been developed to reflect the level of performance that the student is required to demonstrate at the end of each Part, as well as the level of assistance that may be required at each stage where the student by the end of the Part 3 is practising independently, competently and confidently. The following three levels of performance are to be met by the end of each Part:
| By the end of Part 1 | Guided participation in care and performing with increasing confidence and competence |
| By the end of Part 2 | Active participation in care with minimal guidance and performing with increased confidence and competence |
| By the end of Part 3 | Practising independently with minimal supervision and leading and co-ordinating care with confidence |
In addition to achieving the required level of performance at the end of the Part, the student is assessed against a specified set of criteria related to knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for each component of assessment within the PAD. These criteria are used to assess the student on different in your allocated learning environments across the year as they work towards the overall performance level to be achieved by the end of the Part.
If the student’s performance gives cause for concern at the mid-point interview or at any point during the experience feedback must be given and an action plan written to enable the student to address these concerns prior to the final interview. The Practice Assessor must communicate with and involve the Academic Assessor in developing this action plan.
Who will assess me?
You will receive ongoing feedback from your supervisor(s) and a range of registered health and social care professionals who will also contribute to your assessment formatively. For the most part this will be documented in your PAD on a regular basis.
Your nominated Practice Assessor for each allocated learning environment will review the evidence within your PAD document and liaise with your Practice Supervisor(s) on your performance.
In addition your Practice Assessor will undertake objective evidence based assessments of their own, to inform their overall decision on your attainment of the proficiencies and programme outcomes. They will also collaborate with your Academic Assessor who will review your progress during each learning experience
On your final practice learning experience each year your Academic Assessor will make the recommendation for progression with a nominated Practice Assessor having reviewed your progress over the year.
Your Academic Assessor will complete your Ongoing Record of Achievement (OAR) in the online PARE system detailing any particular recommendations, points to consider or exceptional practice for your next Academic Assessor and all relevant people.
In year three (Part 3) in your final allocated learning environment your Academic Assessor following consultation with your Practice Assessor will review all the evidence and confirm overall achievement to recommend progression to registration in your Ongoing Record of Achievement (OAR) in PARE.
Structure of your support in practice
You will have at least three formal meetings during each time in your allocated learning environment
It is important that you take an active part in these interviews and are able to assess your own development and identify where further learning is required.
| Initial Assessment | Identify learning needs and opportunities |
| Interim Assessment | Review progress, identify areas of achievement and where support is needed |
| Final Assessment | Discuss overall performance and whether the practice outcomes have been achieved. |
Your PAD has been designed around the following Components of Assessment and Feedback:
- Initial, Mid-Point and Final Interviews
- Professional Values
- Proficiencies
- Episode(s) of Care
- Medicines Management
- Patient/Service User/Carer Feedback Form
- Record of working with and learning from others/inter-professional working
- Record of communication/additional feedback
- Record of peer feedback – Parts 2 & 3
During the time in your allocated learning environment, you will be expected to take responsibility for your own learning. This means that you will need to:
- Plan how to achieve the outcomes and competencies required.
- Gather evidence to present to your Supervisor/ Practice Assessor showing how each outcome has been achieved
- Maintain a diary of significant learning experiences. In this you should be able to demonstrate how practical experiences have influenced the way your nursing practice is developing in relation to specific outcomes and competencies.
Evidence of Progression
Your Practice Assessor/Academic Assessor will make a judgement on the proficiencies and programme outcomes to be achieved and this will be recorded as:
| P | Pass | You have met the required criteria
Refer: You have failed to achieve some/all of the learning outcomes |
| D | Defer | You have had adequate opportunities but have not reached the required standard of achievement in meeting the outcomes/practice skills. |
Failure to achieve in practice
You are expected to achieve all the standards or competencies and practice skills specified in the PAD.
If at any time a Supervisor /Practice Assessor feel that you are not progressing, they must inform you at the earliest opportunity. The outcome of the meeting must be documented within the PAD in the action plan section. The Practice Education Facilitator should be contacted for help and support and your Academic Advisor must be contacted.
If you fail to achieve any of the practice outcomes at the first attempt in practice, a second attempt in the form of a learning contract is implemented. A third final attempt may be granted, by the Examination Board, subject to mitigating circumstances, to enable you to progress on the programme.
If an Examination Board has documented evidence that (a) your work or attendance or both have been unsatisfactory, and (b) you have been formally warned of the unsatisfactory work or attendance but have not shown significant improvement acceptable to the Board, then the Board has the right to refuse you reassessment.
At the end of a practice learning experience if you been notified by your Practice Assessor / Academic Assessor that you have failed to achieve the practice outcomes for a unit, in part or full, you will be invited to attend a meeting with the Academic Assessor to discuss a learning contract. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the failure to achieve in clinical practice, you may have the following options open to you:
If you have failed the PAD you will be referred to the Programme team who in liaison with the appropriate Unit Lead will develop an appropriate Learning Contract. This is normally implemented in the first five weeks of the next practice learning experience providing the learning outcomes can be achieved in that learning environment. If the Learning outcomes cannot be achieved in that learning environment, you may be offered the opportunity to undertake your learning contract in the first weeks of the summer vacation period.
Or
In the event that the above is not appropriate, you will be offered the opportunity to interrupt your studies. You will then be invited to return to the programme at the commencement of the Unit in the following academic year or at an appropriate point, to have a second attempt at the practice learning experience
At this meeting, an action plan will be devised to assist you to succeed at the second attempt. The contents of this Learning Contract will be conveyed to your Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor either in a new clinical area or on the same clinical area, whichever is most appropriate. With the Learning Contract in place your Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor can then tailor the clinical experience to meet your individual learning needs. Collaboration both the Academic Assessor may also facilitate this.
It is the learning environment Practice Assessor’s responsibility to deem whether you have passed or failed the practice element of a practice-based unit of study and to collaborate with the Academic Assessor at the end of each year; part.
They may ask others for their opinions to help clarify any ambiguity or doubt e.g. Supervisors and your Academic Assessor but the final decision regarding whether you pass or fail is the Practice Assessors and Academic Assessors (at the end of each year).
This decision will be final and will not be overruled unless due process has not been followed in terms of you and your Practice Supervisor/Practice Assessor/Academic Assessor not having documented issues as they have arisen as part of the practice learning experience process during the preliminary intermediate or final interview as appropriate to the issue or need that required identifying.
It is your responsibility to ensure that documentation is completed. You will be able to access previously completed PADs via PARE for your portfolio.
Making up hours
During each practice learning experience you are required to maintain a record of the number of hours undertaken using the timesheet on PARE. This will then be signed at the end of the week by the identified Practice Supervisor / Practice Assessor who is able to verify the hours in practice. The timesheet (Record of Practice Hours) will be used to determine whether you have completed the appropriate number of hours (2,300) in practice at the end of the programme.
An audit of hours completed will form part of your annual progression. You will not normally be able to take a deficit of hours past each annual progression point. This is to ensure that you commence the next academic year with no hours outstanding.
As stated previously, you may be expected to work various shift patterns throughout the 24-hour period depending on your year of study on the programme.
You are responsible for ensuring you undertake a reasonable and appropriate shift pattern. If you have concerns regarding your shift pattern you should contact your supervisor / practice assessor in the first instance and your PEF / academic assessor/ academic advisor if needed.
The front loading of hours should not occur. If you are found to be doing this, you will be referred to the Academic Lead for Practice Governance and Programme Director. The Practice Education Facilitator will also be informed.
Practice Learning Assessment Summary
- Like Academic assessments, all practice learning assessments need to be passed for an award to be conferred.
You will have access to
- Supervisor(s) in practice
- a Practice Assessor
- an Academic Assessor for each year (each part)
The Supervisor will give verbal and written comments on your progress in achieving the desired outcomes and practice skills. This will be assessed continuously as you move through the practice learning experience by the Supervisor / Practice Assessor and specifically both midway and at the end of each time in your allocated learning environment. Your Academic Assessor will also review your progress.
It is your responsibility to ensure that these meetings occur. The Practice Education Facilitator / Academic Assessor should be contacted if you encounter difficulty in being able to organise these meetings.
Supervisor(s), Practice Assessors and you need to be familiar with the documentation on PARE before any entries are made. Should there be any problems associated with the understanding of this documentation the Academic Assessor should be contacted.
- You are expected to achieve all the outcomes and practice skills specified for each year
- Failure to achieve one of the outcomes specified for each year or learning experience (unless it is not applicable) will constitute a fail grade being awarded.
- Should you not be making satisfactory progress at any time you should be informed by your Practice Supervisor. This must be documented by the Practice Assessor in the PAD and discussed with your Academic Assessor. An action plan will be developed in conjunction with you, your Academic Assessor and Practice Assessor.
- Details of submission dates for completed PAD documents can be found in the Examinations area on the BNurs SharePoint student community area.
- In the event of sickness you will be contacted to discuss your return to your studies.
4. STUDENT PROGRESSION
ATTENDANCE MONITORING AND STUDENT WELLBEING
You are expected to attend 100% of all theory and practice sessions. However we know that sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, you may miss a session. We have a process for you to make up work which is detailed below.
We monitor attendance for all synchronous teaching, whether in-person or online.
In keeping with Regulation XX – Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students, the University records and monitors your attendance to:
- support academic attainment and progression;
- ensure student wellbeing; and
- satisfy external reporting/accreditation requirements.
As a student on the BNurs/MNurs programme you are required to attend both the University (for theoretical aspects of the course) and clinical placement (for practice-learning). In accordance with the NMC Stands for education, you will need to complete 4600 hours of learning over the course of your BNurs programme, 50% of which takes place in practice. For students on the MNurs programme you will need to complete 6000 hours of learning over the 4-year programme, 2300 hours in practice and 2700 hours in theory.
You are expected to engage fully with all both theory and practice components of the programme. This includes attending/completing 100% of University timetabled teaching activities (synchronous and asynchronous lectures, seminars, skills teaching, Academic Adviser meetings, etc.), practice hours for each clinical placement, and completing independent study as indicated on the timetable.
Students are expected to attend all scheduled teaching and learning sessions in every year of study, unless alternative arrangements or flexibility in attendance has been agreed for individual students, if unavoidable circumstances such as illness prevents you from attending or if absence has been authorised. This includes both on-campus teaching as well as online/blended, distance or remote learning modes of delivery.
Making up hours (theory)
If you miss a synchronous session, you are asked to complete a Reflection on Learning template which you will find in your Portfolio. You can download a copy using the link below and then upload to your Portfolio. This will then provide evidence that you have taken responsibility for making up any learning that you have missed.
You will find the area in your portfolio by scrolling down the contents on the left hand side of your PebblePad portfolio as in the image below:
Making up hours (practice)
Your AA can support you if you need to make up Practice hours. Speak to them about the circumstances and as long as Practice can accommodate an extension, this can generally be arranged. Further information can be found here: Making Up Practice Hours Guidance
If you are unable to attend a teaching session you should inform the lecturer/instructor in the first instance to catch up on missed learning and for support with teaching materials. For absences of 1-2 days, you do not need to tell the Student Support and Wellbeing Team.
If you expect to miss one or more full weeks of teaching, you must notify the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk, as well as your Academic Advisor. Please provide a reason for this to help the team provide appropriate guidance and signposting as required.
If your attendance is deemed to be too low, someone from the Student Support and Wellbeing team will be in touch to check in with you and make sure that you are ok. If the poor attendance continues without a valid reason, your Academic Advisor will be informed. If there is still no improvement in your attendance, you will be asked to a meeting with your Programme Director. This is in line with the university policy on monitoring attendance.
Tier 4 Visa Students
As a part of your visa requirement, your attendance needs to be monitored with regular in-person check ins on campus. You will need to attend the SHS Hub (Ground Floor, Jean McFarland building) twice a week on your assigned days to scan your student ID card.
Reporting Absence
It is important that you are aware of attendance expectations and keep the Division appropriately informed of any issues affecting their ability to attend either theory or practice. If you are unable to attend you must notify the Division at the start of your period of absence. This can be done by submitting a Self-Certification of Illness Form or a Notification of Absence Form; in exceptional circumstances you may email shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk
You should detail the reason for the absence (for example: sickness, childcare) and the anticipated length of the absence. If you are absent on placement days should also contact your clinical placement to inform them of your absence – an important professional responsibility. You should also notify your academic adviser of any sickness or absence affecting your attendance.
The Division differentiates between authorised and unauthorised absence from the programme. Absence from the programme can be authorised due to documented sickness, or by an Academic Adviser or Year Lead for other reasons. Please note that due to NMC regulations, all absences including authorised absences must be made up to complete the programme. You can find guidance on making up missed theory hours on the BNurs Student Gateway
Absences due to sickness of between 1 and 7 days can be self-certified by returning a Self-Certification form (completed within 7 days of your absence). Sickness absences of more than 7 days can only be certified by a doctor’s note. Absences due to other reasons such as carers leave, compassionate leave or attendance at an interview or conference can be authorised by an Academic Adviser who will complete an authorised absence form which is submitted to the Programme Office.
Links to both Self-Certification and Absence Notification Forms can be found on SharePoint.
Trigger points
To support academic attainment and monitor wellbeing, Academic Advisors will be given regular updates of their Advisees’ attendance profiles. Students who reach trigger points (detailed below) will be flagged to the Programme Manager / Academic Advisor for follow up.
The role of the Programme Manager / Academic Advisor in attendance monitoring is a supportive one, to ensure that you are well and engaging with the programme. Academic Advisors will treat cases of poor attendance on an individual basis, but would normally complete a ‘poor attendance interview’ and agree a range of actions with you. These may include regular meetings, referral to Occupational Health or revisiting guidance on the attendance requirements.
| Trigger point | Detail | Action |
| First | 20% of theory hours of unauthorised absence | Programme Manager contacts student to ensure they are aware of absence notification procedure, reminds of how to make up missed session in Portfolio and encourages student to seek support from AA if there any issues affecting attendance (AA copied in). |
| Second | 20% of theory hours hours of unauthorised absence
OR Ongoing problems with attendance relating health or personal difficulties |
Academic Advisor informed and student invited to a meeting to discuss their attendance; practice attendance will also be reviewed. A plan for making up missed theory and/or clinical hours agreed. An informal warning may be issued, with requirement to improve attendance. |
| Third | 20%of unauthorised absence
OR Ongoing problems with attendance relating health or personal difficulties |
As above.
A formal warning may be issued, with requirement to improve attendance. |
Consequences and sanctions
Academic Advisors aim to support students to full attendance. If you do not meet the attendance requirements despite supportive measures you may be compelled to interrupt the programme or be invited to the Fitness to Practice / Health & Conduct Committee. Sanctions of the Fitness to Practice / Health & Conduct Committee in matters of poor attendance include formal written warnings, requiring you to repeat their year of study, discontinuation from the programme and referral to the Faculty of Biology, Health & Medicine Fitness to Practise Committee. The guidance on Managing Attendance and Reporting Absence can be found in Appendix II and in the BNurs Student Gateway.
If you are absent without explanation or contact for an extended period you will be asked to formally clarify your intentions regarding the programme. Failure to respond to this will lead to discontinuation from the programme, using the last known date in attendance.
Advice & Support
You are encouraged to be proactive in seeking support and managing any issues that impact your attendance or wider ability to engage with the programme. Academic Advisors are the primary source of pastoral support within the programme, but you may also access support from the Senior Academic Advisor, Year Lead and Student Support Office within the Division, as well as University services including Occupational Health, the Disability Support Office and the Counselling Service.
See also: Student Support.
PROGRAMME CHANGES, INTERRUPTIONS AND WITHDRAWALS
It is the expectation that you will pursue your studies on the BNurs (Hons) programme on a continuous basis for the duration of your programme, and complete within 3 years of commencement.
If you are experiencing uncertainty about your position on the programme should contact your Academic Advisor for advice and support in the first instance. The Year Lead or Senior Academic Advisor are also able to offer you support.
Programme Changes
Due to commissioned numbers, there is not normally facility to apply to change to a different field of nursing. If you are concerned about your choice of field should contact your Academic Advisor or Year Lead. Field Leads may also be able to offer you support.
If the Programme Management Team are able to offer additional spaces in a particular field of nursing, you will be advised of the application process and deadline. Due to the field-specific curriculum content in Year 1, applications to change field would not be accepted after the end of Semester 1 in Year 1 of the programme.
WITHDRAWALS
If you decide that you are unable to continue your programme, you can withdraw from your studies. You will need to be aware of the below implications when considering withdrawing from the programme, so we would always advise discussing any queries you may have with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team/Programme Director/Year Tutor/Academic Advisor.
- Tuition Fees
- Accommodation (if living in UoM halls)
- Future career prospects
If you then wish to withdraw from the programme, either via email, during a welfare meeting, or following a meeting with an AA, you will need to complete a SHS Withdrawal Request Form, which can be obtained by contacting the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk
Students need to complete and sign the form, returning it back to the shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk email address. No supporting evidence is required for a request to withdraw. The form will then be sent to the relevant member of academic staff for approval (this may be the Programme Director, Year Tutor or Academic Advisor)
Once the Student Support and Wellbeing Team has received the form which has been approved by the relevant member of staff, a standard confirmation letter will be sent to you confirming the details of the withdrawal.
Policy for Pregnant Students
If you become aware that you are pregnant you should initially inform your Academic Advisor. You should arrange to meet with your Academic Advisor to secure a referral to Occupational Health and to discuss your plans for maternity leave. You should also examine with them the implications for your studies in relation to sharing information with clinical colleagues if on placement and also the need to secure a formally agreed authorised absence from your studies via the interruptions policy as extant within undergraduate programmes.
In all instances you are required to inform the School of your pregnancy and to secure an appointment with Occupational Health to ensure that all necessary support mechanisms and reasonable adjustments are in place to protect yourself.
Prior to any period of interruption you will need to meet your Programme Director and Academic Advisor to formalise and agree the interruption. At this interview you should complete a Request for Interruption Form and agree the date of interruption and a provisional return date. It is your responsibility to contact the school 15 weeks prior to your return to confirm your intentions.
If you would prefer to take a shorter period of leave you should meet with your Academic Advisor and Programme Director to agree the date of the interruption and a provisional return date, and to discuss how any assessment or time away from practice would be made up following a return to the programme.
You are required to provide the University with some form of confirmation of the pregnancy before commencing maternity leave, for example, a MATB1 form, which is available from a GP or midwife. This form is usually provided once a pregnancy has been established for 20 weeks.
If you are in receipt of the Learning Support Fund (LSF) – Training Grant, Parental Support and Exceptional Support Fund – you may be considered for continued payment up to the last date of the payment term in which you began your authorised period of leave. There are 3 terms in the LSF payment year; November, March and May. No further LSF payments will be made until you return to the programme.
Please self-refer to Occupational Health in the first instance if you experience any problems with your pregnancy that you feel impacts on your programme of study.
Pregnant Students and Practice Placements
For students engaging in clinical practice a Risk Assessment will be required:
Students must inform the placement manager of their pregnancy on each placement so that a risk assessment specific to the area can be undertaken and recorded. Likely areas to be considered may include:
Participation in manual handling procedures
Exposure to radiotherapeutic investigations
Sequencing and length of shift patterns
Exposure to infectious disease
Working in Theatres
Preparation and administration of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents
Exposure to hazardous waste
Provision of Uniforms
Access to rest areas
Students who are non-responders to Hepatitis B vaccination, may require restrictions to practice based on risk assessment.
Students Returning to Study
You will be informed that you must take at least two weeks compulsory leave following birth by law: Pregnancy and Maternity Rights.
It is your responsibility to contact the school 15 weeks prior to your return to confirm your intentions.
You will be required to have a review with Occupational Health prior to your return to secure clearances to recommence your programme of study.
INTERRUPTIONS
If at any point in your studies you feel that you need to take some time away from your degree, you can interrupt your studies and return once you are ready. You need to be aware of the below implications when considering taking an interruption, so it is best to discuss any queries you may have with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team/Programme Director/Year Tutor/Academic Advisor.
There are a few important things to think about when deciding to interrupt:
- Primarily, your wellbeing. If an interruption is the best decision for you, it should benefit your present and future wellbeing and support you completing your degree to the best of your abilities.
- Tuition Fees
- Accommodation (if living in UoM halls)
- Possible changes to course content on return
- Tier 4 students MUST be referred to the Student Immigration Team in SSC to discuss consequences of interruption (3.2 Policy on Interruptions to UG and PGT Programmes of Study)
If you then wish to request an interruption to study, either via email, during a welfare meeting, or following a meeting with an AA, you would need to complete an SHS Interruption Request Form, which can be obtained by contacting the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk. It is helpful to know at this stage how long you expect to interrupt for and when you might return.
You need to complete and sign the form, returning it back to the shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk email address with any appropriate supporting evidence. The form will then be sent to the relevant member of academic staff for approval (this may be the Programme Director, Year Tutor or Academic Advisor).
*Please note that students will be contacted by the Student Support and Wellbeing Team prior to their return to study/return from interruption*
Approval of Interruption
To ensure consistency, all interruptions will be formally noted for audit processes by the Director of NHS Contracts and Division Information Manager after being approved by the Programme Director. Approval may include consultation with appropriate members of programme staff, including:
- Programme Director/nominated deputy or Year Lead with knowledge of programme-specific issues
- Exams Officer or Exams Manager, to review academic profile and suitability of return plan
- Senior Academic Advisor, Student Support Officer (or nominated deputy) to provide guidance on student support or pastoral issues
The Programme Director will normally give provisional approval for your interruption request at your meeting with them; final approval will be confirmed in the interruption letter which you should receive within 5 working days of the meeting.
Returning from Interruption
Once on interruption, it is your responsibility to keep in contact with the Division and confirm your intention to return to the programme. You will be given specific instructions for confirming your intention to return in your interruption approval letter, but will be required to give adequate notice for the Division to make administrative arrangements for your return. Returning from interruption may be subject to conditions set by the Programme, including academic progress or health clearance on approval by Fitness to Practise Committee. Where a return from interruption is conditional, this will be clearly indicated in the interruption approval letter.
Interruption by Student Request
If you feel that you would benefit from a leave of absence from the programme for any reason, you should initially discuss this with your Academic Advisor. You are encouraged to be proactive in accessing support, advice and guidance from your Academic Advisor, Year/Field Lead, Occupational Health, the Disability Support Office and Student Support Office as may be beneficial.
Formal requests for interruption are made by meeting with your Programme Director or Cohort/ Year Lead (or their acting deputy) to complete an Interruption Request Form. If you are requesting interruption should provide third-party evidence of your circumstances to enable the programme to fully consider whether an interruption is the best course of action for the you. Documentation submitted in support of an interruption may be shared with the Examinations Office to apply the mitigation circumstances policy to assessments affected by the circumstances leading to your interruption. Once used, evidence will be treated confidentially and kept on your file.
As the interruption meeting will include advice and guidance on the practicalities of interrupting and a personalised return plan it is anticipated that the request form would be completed during the meeting. In exceptional circumstances only this may be completed remotely. Final approval will be confirmed in the interruption letter which you should receive within 5 working days of the meeting.
As stated above support and guidance on the interruptions process is available via a number of means including Programme Directors, Academic Advisor, Student Support and Cohort/Year Leads. It is important to ensure that all cases for interruptions are dealt with in an efficient and proactive manner as future tuition fee and bursary funding may be affected.
Interruption by Divisional Committee
In rare cases, the Division may require a student to interrupt your programme. You would normally interrupt the programme as soon as it became apparent that either:
- You are in breach of the professional progression requirements of your programme
- You are not fit for study on the recommendation of Occupational Health
- You have failed to meet the attendance requirement of your programme as detailed in the relevant programme handbook
- The Programme Director judges that you will be unlikely to be able to meet the professional progression requirements and it in your best interest to commence a period of interruption immediately.
This regulation is designed to protect you by minimising the amount of time that student’s repeat, which will impact funding.
Financial Support
Such a change in circumstances may have implications for your student finance and accommodation so we strongly recommend that you contact your Student Finance company and the University’s Student Services Centre (ssc@manchester.ac.uk / 0161 275 5000) for full details of how you will be affected. Further guidance can also be found here: http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/finances/a-z/student-finance-change-of-circumstances/.
If you are in receipt of a student loan it is your responsibility to contact Student Finance UK to suspend your student loan.
Tuition Fees:
If you receive a tuition fee loan from Student Finance, the amount you borrow depends on the date you interrupted:
| Liability Dates for 2021/2022 | Amount | |
| 2nd October 2023 | 14th January 2024 | 25% |
| 15th January 2024 | 14th April 2024 | 50% |
| 15th April 2024 | 7th June 2024 | 100% |
You will not be charged fees during your interruption. If you are self-funding, and have overpaid fees i.e. for a period longer than your interruption date, you can request a refund or have the portion saved for next year. You should speak with the Student Services Centre for further information funding@manchester.ac.uk
Student Finance Maintenance Loans
We will inform Student Finance that you have interrupted your studies. They will recalculate your entitlement of maintenance loan and grant based on the date you last attended. This could mean that you have received more than entitled to, and they will ask you to pay back any overpayment of maintenance grant. If you have interrupted for health reasons, with your permission, we can ask Student Finance to pay an additional discretionary 60 days allowance of funding. More information can be found on the Money Advice Team Fact Sheet: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=25907
Access
As you are not a registered student, your access to University premises will be the same as a member of the public; you will lose onsite IT and library access. However, you will retain access to My Manchester, your student email account and the Careers Service. You will lose access to some resources in Blackboard so download any materials that you will need. You can access:
Lecture podcasts via https://video.manchester.ac.uk/lectures
Blackboard archives via https://online.manchester.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/xid-380106_1
Visa:
UKVI will be notified of your interruption and your visa will be cancelled; you will need to return home within 60 days. If you need advice about the implications your interruption will have on your immigration status, please contact the Student Immigration Team at the Student Services Centre (contact details below).
Interruptions Procedure: Interruption by student request
If exceptional circumstances prevent a student from attending an interruption interview in person, the request form may be completed by the student and sent to the Programme Director.
If an interruption request is being completed remotely, forms must be returned within 10 working days of a student being absent. Students who are absent without explanation will be treated in line with their programme’s attendance policy, and may be asked to clarify their status or face discontinuation.
If you decide to make a formal request to interrupt, you will meet with your Programme Director (or their nominated deputy such as a Cohort/Year Le ad) to complete an interruption interview and the interruption request form.
The interruption interview will discuss:
- Your current academic profile and its implications for progression and returning
- Your reasons for requesting interruption and any supporting evidence
- Possible return plans
- Any conditions set on returning to the programme
- Implications of interruption for financial support, administrative arrangements and visas (if applicable)
- Administrative arrangements for interruption and return from interruption
If you are considering interrupting your studies, it is re commended that you speak initially to your Academic Advisor, who will be able to signpost additional advice and guidance.
Interruption is supported by Programme
Interruption request and return plan is considered by the student’s Programme Director. The Programme Director may consult with an appropriate panel of staff including:
- Programme Director, or nominated deputy with knowledge of programme-specific issues
- Exams Officer or Exams Manager, to review academic profile and suitability of return plan
- Senior Academic Advisor, Student Support Officer (or nominated deputy) to provide guidance on student support or pastoral issues
Interruptions Procedure: Interruption by student request
Return from Interruption
Student Finance:
If your return date is in the next academic year, Student Finance will not automatically carry over your loans so ensure you re-apply.
If you interrupted for health reasons:
Before you return, you must submit evidence from a medical professional that you are now well enough to resume your studies. We may refer you to the University Occupational Health Department so this can be confirmed and we will arrange this before your return date. We will also arrange for you to meet with the Senior Adviser to discuss ongoing health needs. We may also refer you to the Disability Advisement and Support Service (if you are not already registered with them) if your condition is ongoing.
Under our regulations, long-term conditions will not normally be considered by the Faculty more than once. This means that you are unlikely to be able to apply for mitigation for the same reasons in the future unless there is a major change or exacerbation in your situation.
If you are re-starting the year or semester:
You should be aware of the dangers of self-plagiarism especially in relation to your dissertation. Self-plagiarism is essentially re-using a piece of your own work that you have already submitted for as a coursework assignment; e.g. if you submitted an essay to your academic adviser for a tutorial assignment and then used part or all of that essay in an assignment for a lecture unit, you would be guilty of self-plagiarism. The same is true if you submit a piece of work that you completed LAST YEAR for an assignment during the CURRENT academic year and also if you submit it for an assignment in the same unit.
Visa:
Please email supportoffice.sbs@manchester.ac.uk 2-3 months before your return date to request a new CAS.
COMPLETIONS WITH THE NMC / APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION
A personal identifying number will be allocated to you prior to completion of the course. This number does not permit you to work as a Nurse in any capacity and is purely for communication with the NMC. Details of this will be sent out to you by e-mail. It is your responsibility to ensure that all personal details held on record are correct.
Following ratification of final results at the Awarding Examination Board details of students who have successfully completed the course will be forwarded to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. A Declaration of Good Health and Good Character is signed by the Programme Director or his/her nominee and sent to the NMC. The Division will receive confirmation that this information has been safely received.
You will normally receive a registration pack from the NMC within two weeks of completion information being sent from the Division. To be entered on the register, the NMC must have received a completed registration pack from you and the Declaration of Good Health and Good Character from the Division.
It takes approximately five weeks from the Awarding Examination Board for you to be placed on the register as a practitioner. It is important that you apply to register with the NMC within five years of your completion date or you will not be able to register with them. If you do not register your qualification within five years, you may have to complete a pre-registration programme again. You may apply for jobs before your registration is live but you must be aware that any employment offer will be subject to successful registration. It is your responsibility to liaise with their prospective employer if there is any known delay to registration. Failure to do this may jeopardise your offer of employment.
5. BEHAVIOUR & PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
You are expected to behave in a professional manner when within the University premises and follow guidelines regarding any matters relating to your health and safety. Any student demonstrating inappropriate behaviour may be asked to leave the premises and may be referred to the Occupational Health Department or to the Fitness to Practice / Health & Conduct Committee.
You are expected to behave in a professional manner when on placement. Any student demonstrating inappropriate behaviour may fail their placement report, may be asked to leave the placement and will be reported to the University.
Inappropriate behaviours include being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, being rude or aggressive to fellow students or staff, smoking in restricted areas or putting students’ or staff member’s health and safety at risk.
See also: Dignity at Work & Study and Regulation XVII Conduct & Discipline of Students and Supporting Trans Staff and Students at the University.
DIGNITY AT WORK AND STUDY
The University seeks to create a study environment which is free of harassment and which protects the dignity of all students irrespective of sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background, religion or disabled status. It regards sexual, racial or personal harassment as most serious and requires all students to observe its policy in this area. Personal harassment takes many forms. It is uninvited and unwanted actions which cause offence and/or embarrassment, fear, stress or tension. It can be an isolated act such as a comment or wilful gesture, or it can take the form of repeated behaviour against a person.
In cases where a complaint of harassment is substantiated, the individual responsible may be subject to disciplinary action under Regulation XVII: Conduct and Discipline of Students
The University Policy Statement on Dignity and Work and Study for Students is available in The A-Z of Student Services. This document contains details of the University Resources, policies and procedures and will be given to all students at registration. If you prefer to access the full university policy on-line it is located at the following web address University Policy Statement on Dignity and Work.
CONFIDENTIALITY
By the nature of nursing, you will be exposed to confidential information about patients/clients and others. Breaching confidentiality may only be appropriate in exceptional circumstances. Inappropriate breaching of confidentiality is a betrayal of trust and is a serious matter and as such may lead to disciplinary action. All students will undertake education and training in Data Protection and Information Governance via the University and our practice partners. Any breach of information governance will result in disciplinary action for the student
All student nurses are expected to abide by the NMC code (NMC 2018) which covers issues of confidentiality.
You must not give information to the Press regarding events which take place in the Division or any of the placement areas. Any enquiries from the Press must be directed to the Chief Executive or the Senior Officer (if in a clinical placement) or Head of School.
If you are requested to make a statement, help and advice should be sought from a tutor within the Division as soon as possible.
Regarding Confidentiality in Assessments please refer to the exams and assessments area on the SharePoint Study Gateway
STUDENT UNIFORM POLICY
Introduction
Wearing appropriate workwear is essential to project a smart, professional image in the workplace. Nursing and Midwifery students of the University of Manchester are required to be well presented at all times in the clinical area, as they are not only representing their profession, but also the University. Patients and clients can be assured of your commitment to best practice in infection prevention and control if your uniform / workwear is clean and you dress according to appropriate standards.
Most Trusts that you are likely to work in will have their own uniform or dress code and you are required to strictly adhere to those policies, in addition to the Division’s policy.
The policy below applies to all Nursing and Midwifery students who undertake placements organised by the Division. This policy supplements the Communication and Dress Code for Students at The University of Manchester available at: http://www. https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=46912
Failure to comply with the uniform policy will be regarded as unprofessional behaviour and steps will be taken to invoke the Division’s procedure regarding discipline if necessary.
University of Manchester Student Nurse Uniform
You will be provided with a maximum of three complete sets of uniform by the University at the beginning of your programme of study as follows:-
- White dress with purple trim and University Logo
Or
- White tunic with purple trim and University Logo and navy blue trousers
Replacement Uniforms
‘Alexandra’ is the only University approved supplier for University of Manchester student Nurse/Midwife uniforms.
You can purchase additional sets of uniform from the University suppliers at the same cost as paid by the University at the time of ordering.
Additional uniforms can be ordered and purchased by students from the supplier at the time of initial ‘fitting’ and any replacement/additional uniforms subsequently required can be ordered via the supplier web site using the unique code which you can obtain from shs.placements@manchester.ac.uk. You are responsible for the costs of any additional and/or replacement uniforms, and any additional delivery costs. Instructions for setting up your account and ordering replacement uniforms are available in the BNurs Gateway.
You must only use the University approved supplier for any additional or replacement sets/items of uniform as these are supplied to a strict specification in line with relevant local and national guidance.
You will be provided with a University name badge bearing your full name, designation (student nurse or student midwife) and the logo of the University of Manchester. These must be worn at all times as part of the uniform in addition to any badge provided by the placement provider.
Replacement University name badges can be ordered from the Student Hub, G.319 Jean McFarlane Building.
Where this Policy Applies
When in placement in clinical / community environments you must wear your University of Manchester uniform, or agreed workwear, at all times whilst at the placement.
Due to the nature of work and specific patient/client groups they serve, some Trust staff will in some clinical areas wear their own clothes. In these instances you will be required to wear your own clothes but these must be appropriate to the work environment, look clean and smart and adhere to any local policies.
Plain, appropriate clothing must be worn and no advertisement logos or slogans should be visible.
University uniform must also be worn when undertaking any clinical skills training sessions in the University or in the Trust. This includes any training undertaken in the clinical skills laboratories at the University such as moving and handling and basic life support training and update sessions.
You must not, as far as possible, wear your uniforms outside of the placement area and must either change into your own clothes upon completion of a shift, or wear a coat that covers the uniform entirely. The Department of Health advises that the public do not like to see hospital staff in uniform away from the workplace because they may perceive this as a risk to hygiene and infection control in the workplace.
Uniform Appearance and Care
A clean uniform must be worn for every new shift. You are responsible for washing and ironing your own uniforms. The Department of Health recommends that uniforms be washed at a minimum of 60° Celsius for at least 10 minutes which is sufficient to remove most micro-organisms. Uniforms / workwear must look clean and neat at all times. If an item gets stained or damaged then a replacement must be obtained as soon as possible (see above for how to obtain replacement or additional uniforms).
Adjustments to the uniform for cultural / ethnic or religious reasons will be considered where possible but must be in line with national and local policies. In relation to the University supplied items of uniform, adjustments to sleeve length are not offered. Any student wishing to wear long sleeves for religious reasons will be required to purchase their own under garments / disposable sleeves.
Black headscarf / turban / skull cap may be worn.
The correct size of uniform must be worn and students must not wear cardigans or other over garments in the clinical areas.
Appropriate shoes must be worn. These must be black, flat soled, full shoes not boots, which cover the entire foot, have a non-slip rubber sole, and be plain (not suede or canvas). It is not acceptable to wear any other type of shoe.
Tights that are black or skin coloured only may be worn, with no embellishments. Only plain black socks may be worn.
Whilst on placements the following will also apply:
- Hair must be tidy and long hair must be tied/clipped back off the face and collar. Protruding hair decorations must not be worn. If required, neutral colour decoration should be used to secure hair.
- Long hair should be firmly tied back in such a way as not to interfere with duties or patient care.
- Beards and moustaches should be neatly trimmed.
- Fingernails should be clean, short and free of all nail polish. Acrylic nails must not be worn at any time due to the risk of infection
- If make-up is worn, this should be discrete and false eyelashes are not acceptable. Perfumes and after-shave should be used sparingly.
- In the interest of infection control and minimising risks to the student and the patient/client NO jewellery other than small, plain stud earrings (one per ear) and one plain band ring is permitted at any time on placement or in the clinical skills labs. Wristwatches and bangles must not be worn when attending to patients.
- Any visible piercings must be removed whilst in the clinical area and / or treating patients or clients.
- Tattoos that may cause offence should be covered accordingly and should adhere to the required dress code described above.
CLINICAL SKILLS LABORATORY: STUDENT CONDUCT
You must follow the regulations below when using the laboratories:
- A clean uniform must be worn in accordance with the Uniform / Dress Code as detailed above
- If you turn up late to a skills session you may be refused entry at the discretion of the facilitator / lecturer (you may have missed important health and safety instructions at the start of the session)
- On entering the laboratory bags, coats scarves and hats are to be placed in the area designated by the facilitator / lecturer
- Mobile telephones must be switched off
- No food or beverages to be consumed in the laboratory, including chewing gum.
- Immediately report breakages or faulty equipment to the facilitator / lecturer
- Immediately report accidents or other adverse incidents to the facilitator / lecturer and complete the appropriate incident reporting form.
RELATIVES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
If you have a relative, partner or close friend in a specific clinical area, either as a patient or a member of staff, it is extremely unlikely that you would be allocated to this area. However should this occur please inform your AA and follow the Placement Change Request Procedure (Guidance available via the practice learning gateway within Blackboard). There are potential problems regarding conflict of interest by all concerned in these circumstances. Should the Practice Learning Unit be made aware of such a situation, they will not establish such an allocation. We would not wish you or any student to be disadvantaged by such a situation, or indeed for a Supervisor to be placed in a potentially difficult position. Individual Trusts’ policies regarding partners/relatives working together may not mimic our guidelines, and it is often the case that related persons work alongside each other. However, those are employment situations and do not relate to students.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
In addition to the NMC Guidance the Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health have produced the guidance below for healthcare students about the benefits and potential dangers of social networking and suggests ways in which their personal and professional interests, and those of others, can be protected while in the online environment. Students on professional courses must be extra careful about what is posted on social media accounts and who can have access to their accounts. If a student is found to be using a social media account in a way that brings the Nursing profession into disrepute, then disciplinary action will follow.
Guidance on Social Networking for Healthcare Students
What is the purpose of this document?
This document provides advice and guidance for healthcare students about the benefits and potential dangers of social networking and suggests ways in which their personal and professional interests, and those of others, can be protected while in the online environment.
What are social networking sites used for?
Social networking is a popular online activity: millions of people of all ages and backgrounds use social networking sites every day, Online social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are used:
- To keep in touch with friends, both in words and through sharing music, video and other types of files (YouTube is also used for sharing videos, and Flickr for sharing images, online).
- For educational and professional benefit, through sharing information about the latest developments in treatments and practice, problem-solving, encouraging participation, and community building.
- To forge new relationships based on common interests.
- To make their views and opinions known.
- To take part in discussions on virtually any subject.
People often interact with social networking sites over long periods of time and, occasionally, excessive activity of this nature may have detrimental effects on their work or study.
What is the social networking environment?
It is important to remember that social networking sites are public and therefore, in theory, accessible to anybody. In many cases, ownership of the material posted on them belongs to the site, not the person who posted it, and so sites such as Facebook are free to use it in any way they see fit. Material posted online remains there permanently, if not as part of an active page then as part of easily-accessible ‘cached’, i.e. historical versions
Who visits social networking sites, and why?
Anybody can visit social networking sites and gain access to the information that is uploaded to them. These people include:
- Your intended audience, i.e. your friends, colleagues and others, to share information and to keep in touch.
- Potential employers, who are, increasingly, using social networking sites to gather information about people who have applied for positions within their organisations.
- Criminals, including sexual predators who could use information about you to compromise your safety or wellbeing, and fraudsters, who could steal information about you and impersonate you online, to your potential cost.
- The police, as part of investigations into illegal activities.
- Professional healthcare bodies such as the General Dental Council, General Medical Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, Health Professions Council, and Nursing & Midwifery Council, who may access information directly or be asked to investigate material referred on to them by other people.
- Patients, clients and other service users, who may be looking for healthcare information in general, or for your views and comments in particular. Your professional relationship with your patients, and your career, could be compromised at any time by indiscriminate posting of details about patients or inappropriate information about yourself.
What precautions should be taken when social networking?
The same ethics, morals and penalties apply to online social networking as to any other activity. This is particularly true for healthcare students and professionals, who are expected by the University of Manchester, their professional bodies, and by the public generally, to meet the same standards of behaviour both in and out of their professional settings. Healthcare students from Divisions in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences should therefore conduct themselves appropriately online, and take reasonable precautions to ensure that the information they upload cannot be used in a way that could place them, or others, at a disadvantage, either personally or professionally, now or at any time in the future.
The following pointers may be helpful:
- Do everything that you can to limit access to your posts to those for whom they are intended. Change security settings if possible to restrict unwanted access.
- Consider the language and terminology that you use when you are online and make sure that it is appropriate.
- Avoid posting personal information such as phone numbers or personal addresses, of you or anybody else, since these may fall into the hands of criminals.
- Use your common sense. If you feel that a post, a picture, or a video that you are about to upload might have repercussions for you later, or might not be in good taste (e.g. it relates to sexual activity or inappropriate behaviour, or it expresses inappropriate views), then simply do not post it. Once it is online it is there for good.
- Make sure you are thinking clearly before you go online. If, for any reason such as the effects of medication, stress or inebriation, your judgement might temporarily be impaired, you may be tempted to post something that you otherwise would not.
- Do not post material that might be considered offensive and/or derogatory, that could cause somebody else to feel bullied, harassed, or that could harm somebody’s reputation. If you have a grievance about an individual related to your programme, follow it up through the recognised channels in the Division, Faculty and/or the wider University.
- Avoid posting confidential information about patients, clients and service users that could violate professional codes of conduct.
- It is imperative that if you post anything about somebody else, including any images of them, it is done with their knowledge and consent. It might seem inoffensive to post images of friends, relatives, staff or other colleagues, but it might easily cause offence that you had not intended or could not have foreseen.
- Try to make sure that the people to whom you give access to your information use it sensibly, and also that they themselves do not upload potentially incriminating material about you, which can be just as damaging.
- Avoid joining any groups that could be seen as discriminatory or judgemental in nature.
Are there any related policies and guidance in the University?
The University’s Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulation XVII) document states that a student may be liable to disciplinary action in respect of conduct which, amongst others:
“involves violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening or offensive behaviour or language (whether expressed orally or in writing, including electronically) whilst on University premises or engaged in any University activity” and “involves distributing or publishing a poster, notice, sign or any publication which is offensive, intimidating, threatening, indecent or illegal, including the broadcasting and electronic distribution of such material”.
Regulation XVII also states that:
“the conduct covered (above) shall constitute misconduct if it took place on University property or premises, or elsewhere if the student was involved in a University activity, was representing the University, was present at that place by virtue of his or her status as a student of the University or if the conduct raises questions about the fitness of the student on a programme leading directly to a professional qualification or calling to be admitted to and practise that profession or calling.”
The University of Manchester’s Dignity at Work and Study Policies and Procedures give information about the nature and consequences of acts of misconduct while social networking, such as discrimination, bullying and harassment[2], and the penalties that they may incur. These policies should be read in conjunction with this guidance. The University’s Dignity at Work Procedure for Students states:
“Any cases of harassment, discrimination and bullying will be taken very seriously by the University and, where necessary the appropriate procedure will be used to investigate complaints. Similar arrangements will be used in dealing with complaints made by members of staff or by visitors to the University.”
“Cases of proven harassment, discrimination or bullying may be treated as a disciplinary offence where it is not possible to reach a compromise or resolution. Some cases of harassment, discrimination or bullying if proven could result in dismissal for staff members or expulsion for students.”
In addition, the University’s A-Z of Student Services states that:
“The University expects its members to treat one another with respect. There are established procedures to use if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the University’s facilities and services, and you are encouraged to use these procedures to bring such matters to the University’s attention. Inappropriate or defamatory comments about either the University or its members in any media (print, broadcast, electronic) contravene the University’s regulations and offenders may be liable to disciplinary action.”
What do the Professional Bodies say?
Professional body codes and guidance also explore the potential consequences of social networking activity:
General Dental Council: ‘Standards for Dental Professionals’
Paragraph 4.2, ‘Protect the confidentiality of patients’ information’:
“(You must) not post any information or comments about patients on social networking or blogging sites. If you use professional social media to discuss anonymised cases for the purpose of discussing best practice you must be careful that the patient or patients cannot be identified. “
Paragraph 9.1, ‘Be trustworthy’:
“(You must) ensure that your conduct, both at work and in your personal life, justifies patients’ trust in you and the public’s trust in the dental profession”.
General Medical Council: ‘Good Medical Practice’
Paragraphs 65 to 69, ‘Act with Honesty and Integrity!
“You must make sure that your conduct at all times justifies your patients’ trust in you and the public’s trust in the profession”.
“When communicating publicly, including speaking to or writing in the media, you must maintain patient confidentiality. You should remember when using social media that communications intended for friends or family may become more widely available.”
Nursing and Midwifery Council: ‘Your Code of Conduct applies to your Personal Life’
“Nurses, midwives and nursing associates may put their registration at risk, and students may jeopardise their ability to join our register, if they act in any way that is unprofessional or unlawful on social media”.
What conclusions can be drawn from all of this?
If the way you conduct yourself online breaks laws, or goes against the codes of practice set down by your professional healthcare body, then you risk the same penalties as you would in any other setting. These include referral to the Faculty Fitness to Practise Committee and potential damage to your career, fines, and even imprisonment.
FITNESS TO PRACTISE COMMITTEE
The University is required to ensure that students on any programme, which includes practical training in a professional role and leads to the right on completion to practice as a registered professional, are of good health and good character. It is a requirement of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) that, when a student completes the programme and applies for registration, the University confirms that the student is of good health and good character. Further information on health and character as a nursing or midwifery student can be found here: https://www.nmc.org.uk/education/becoming-a-nurse-midwife-nursing-associate/guidance-for-students/
The University has a duty to safeguard present or future patients, clients and/or service-users, staff, the student, other students and/or members of the public; protect the health and wellbeing of the student; comply with the requirements of the NMC and uphold the reputation of the profession. If during the programme there are concerns about a student’s character or health, that give rise to concerns about the student’s fitness to practise, professional behaviour and/or suitability for the programme and/or registration with the NMC, a referral may be made to the School of Health Sciences Fitness to Practice Committee or the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Fitness to Practice Committee. The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Fitness to Practise Procedure can be found on FFTP Process.
SUMMARY DISCIPLINARY PANEL
It is expected that students maintain good academic practice during their studies at the University. Academic malpractice is a type of misconduct which can be subject to the University’s disciplinary processes http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic-malpractice/.
The University is committed to encouraging and educating students in good academic practice and various courses and support are available to help students maintain good academic practice, this includes the online resource ‘My Learning Essentials’ https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/using-the-library/students/training-and-skills-support/my-learning-essentials/online-resources/.
In cases where an allegation of academic malpractice has been made, a referral may be made to the School of Health Sciences Summary Disciplinary Panel or the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Summary Disciplinary Panel in line with the University’s ”Academic Malpractice Procedure” and “Procedure for Summary Disciplinary Panels”. These documents can be found on SharePoint.
Students on a professional programme of study may also be referred to a Fitness to Practice should the programme judge the act of academic malpractice to raise concerns in relation to Fitness to Practise.
HEALTH CLEARANCE
Continuation on the programme is conditional on continued health clearance: see Occupational Health clearance.
You are expected to be proactive in managing both physical and psychological health issues and seek support from your Academic Advisor or self-refer to Occupational Health if you have any concerns about the impact of health issues on your ability to study.
It is your responsibility to attend agreed health screening, referral and immunisation appointments and specifically to securely retain the vaccination history information provided by Occupational Health at the end of the course of vaccines. Occupational Health recommends that no student commences on clinical placement until they have had an initial health screening appointment. You are encouraged to advise Occupational Health if you have any significant health related concerns that could affect your fitness to for the programme.
Crisis counselling is provided by the Universities Counselling service however Occupational Health can offer support and advice with regards fitness to return to the programme.
Occupational Health will advise the Division if you do not attend a formal appointment and this may impact your progression.
Please note that the Universities Counselling and Wellbeing services offer confidential help with any personal issues affecting work, self-esteem, relationships, sexuality, mental health and general well-being. See also Counselling and Mental Health Service (The University of Manchester)
If you have a disability or an issue such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia then the Disability Advisory & Support Service [DASS] would welcome you registering for advice and additional support. See also: http://www.dass.manchester.ac.uk/
GOOD HEALTH AND GOOD CHARACTER
You must declare any criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings received (either in this country or overseas) that may call into question your good character as soon as possible, as this may impact your continuation on the programme. For each year of your studies, you will be required to complete an annual self-declaration of Good Health & Good Character confirming your continued good character.
PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT
You are advised to think carefully about how you will balance work in theory and practice against the demands of part-time employment and to limit any hours they work accordingly. The Division is not able to provide character references for part-time employment undertaken during a programme of study, but will provide details of your programme of study.
If however you do have a part-time job in a particular clinical area, please inform the allocations department. We recommend that you do not have a clinical placement in the same area as your part-time job, due to the conflict of interests which may arise.
UNIT EVALUATIONS
Since we are encouraging you to develop your willingness and ability to ask searching questions about nursing practice, we expect you to offer equally appropriate criticisms of our work in nursing education. In this respect, we agree to accept your evaluation of our work. You, as new nurses, carry forward our aspirations, and you will help to assure the on-going development of nurse education.
6. STUDENT SUPPORT
STUDENT SUPPORT AND WELLBEING TEAM
The Student Support and Wellbeing Team can support your wellbeing needs through the year. The team is here to support you when you wish to discuss circumstances such as interrupting your studies, financial issues, the submission of details of mitigating circumstances and any personal concerns that are affecting your ability to study and engage fully with your course. It is important to point out that Student Support is not a counselling service; it is a practical support service.
SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY
As a student at the University of Manchester, you have access to a huge range of support services and resources. This includes, but is not limited to, support relating to your studies, finances, health and wellbeing, settling in and making friends, personal safety and planning for your future beyond University.
STUDENTS’ UNION ADVICE CENTRE
The Students’ Union has advisers who can help with any matter ranging from finances to housing and beyond. The Advice Centre is on the first floor in the Student Union Building, and is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm, term time and vacation. See http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/.
SUPPORT OF CARE EXPERIENCED AND ESTRANGED STUDENTS
The University of Manchester recognises that care experienced students, and those that become estranged from their families often require additional support. This may take the form of, amongst other things, financial support, help with accommodation, provision of quiet study are as and general support. Please contact shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk for further details on how to access support.
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY AND LONG-TERM HEALTH PROBLEMS
If you have a disability, or have learning support needs, we advise that you register with the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS). They can offer a range of services to help you make the most of your University experience. Where appropriate, they will work with you to develop a support plan which will put in place any support you require for exams, from the library or from teaching staff.
Registering with DASS is particularly important for students where ongoing or recurring difficulties may impact their academic performance. The University’s Policy on Mitigating Circumstances (see section 6) does not allow students to make repeated claims for the same condition, because to qualify for mitigation, the circumstance must be ‘unforeseeable’. However, the Mitigating Circumstances Committee can award further mitigation where DASS support your claim; for example, by advising the committee that your condition is associated with ‘flare-ups’ (which are unforeseeable).
You find more information and how to register with DASS here: http://www.dass.manchester.ac.uk/
SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Manchester has a thriving International student community and you will have lots of opportunities to engage with students from all over the world. The International Society (http://www.internationalsociety.org.uk), based on Oxford Road, organises trips, events, activities and community projects which are open to both International and British students. The Language Centre also provides support to International students who have concerns about their English skills (http://www.languagecentre.manchester.ac.uk/).
UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER COUNSELLING SERVICE
The Counselling & Mental Health Service works in partnership with other support services within the university and are here to provide support for you should you feel you need help with your mental health.
The Counselling & Mental Health Service offer a range of workshops, groups, 1-1 appointments and other resources to help you. For more information and to book an appointment click here: Get Help
You can also phone for advice on 0161 275 2864 between 9.00am – 4.30pm (Monday – Friday).
STUDENT SUPPORT AND WELLBEING CONTACT DETAILS
shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk – for information and guidance on mitigating circumstances and extensions, including sending evidence and receiving outcomes of applications.
shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk – for queries related to attendance monitoring.
shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk – for support and signposting to university wellbeing resources, as well as making a wellbeing appointment with an advisor.
shs.dc@manchester.ac.uk – for Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) enquiries.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Web: http://www.occhealth.manchester.ac.uk/
Email: waterlooocchealth@manchester.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 275 2858
On-going support for all students is provided by the Occupational Health Department. The aim of the service is to promote the health and wellbeing of all students and the prevention of illness and injuries at work. This is achieved by ensuring students are offered at commencement an initial health screening appointment where key health related information is provided and appropriate immunisation provided.
CAREERS SERVICE
Web: http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/
Email: careers.info@manchester.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 275 2829
The Careers Service aims to improve the employability of students by providing them with key skills and knowledge. To help students formulate and implement well-informed choices about their careers they deliver and manage numerous services, projects, courses and events. The Careers Service work in partnership with colleagues across The University of Manchester and with organisations across the UK.
IT SERVICES AND E-LEARNING
Details of what IT support is available and how to access it can be found on the FBMH eLearning Support page.
Login to the Support Centre online to log a request, book an appointment for an IT visit, or search the Knowledge Base.
Telephone: +44 (0)161 306 5544 (or extension 65544). Telephone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In person: Walk-up help and support is available at the Joule Library, Main Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons
Use Support Centre online for support with eLearning, from where you may make a request or search the Knowledge Base.
For IT and eLearning support visit: https://elearning.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/
BLACKBOARD
Blackboard, the University’s ‘virtual learning environment’, will be used for online teaching.
What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a web-based system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. By using Blackboard you can:
- view course materials and learning resources,
- communicate with lectures and other students,
- collaborate in groups,
- get feedback
- submit assignments
- monitoring your own progress at a time and place of your own convenience.
Training in the use of software
The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students. The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on YouTube:
The recording is just over seven minutes long and covers most of the commonly used tools in Blackboard.
ONLINE SKILLS TRAINING RESOURCE
The Faculty has developed a skills training resource to support you through your postgraduate taught programme. This online material should supplement the assessed learning material and activities undertaken in your taught programme.
Accessing the online skills resource
You can access Blackboard through the My Manchester portal (http://my.manchester.ac.uk). The skills training resource is available in an academic community space available to all registered PGT students in the Faculty through Blackboard.
If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard, please contact your Programme Administrator.
Content
Full details of all these resources can be found in the introduction to each unit. These resources have been designed to give you formative feedback on your progress through them. If you experience any problems and would like to talk to someone, please contact your Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it applies to your own work, please contact your Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/module lead.
| Research Methods* | This course is spilt into 2 units that cover introductions to study design and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge. |
| Introduction to Statistics* | The course provides a valuable foundation for understanding and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the fundamentals of quantitative analysis. |
| Presentation Skills | This short interactive unit is designed to help you enhance your presentation skills. Regardless of whether you are presenting in public, preparing for conferences, an oral examination or more informal settings this unit will give you the tops tips to improve your delivery. The course also includes a unit on influencing effectively, alongside the presentation and poster information. |
| Qualitative Research Methods* | This unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research. |
* NOTE: the material in this online resource is for reference and formative learning purposes only. In some of your taught programme you may be required to undertake assessed course units for Research Methods, Qualitative Research or Statistics. If your programme involves taught units then you should refer to the Blackboard material relating to that course unit. Please contact your Programme Administrator if you are unsure which material relates to your assessed work. You will still be able to refer to the online skills resource in later years.
STUDENT REPRESENTATION AND FEEDBACK
Each programme will choose a number of student representatives at the start of each academic year. You will be able to apply for this role, and will be informed of who is chosen so that you can feed back any issues or areas for improvement you may have identified within your programme.
The representatives are invited to the Staff Student Liaison Committee, where they can feedback anything which they have heard from their fellow students. The Programme Team then respond to these, and these responses and any action taken are fed back to staff and students via a newsletter.
Role of a Student Representative
The role of student representatives is to represent the views of students on a particular course to the academic staff at various meetings of the Division. This ensures that students have a voice and are participating in developing learning and teaching within the Division
Responsibilities include:
- Identifying student issues and needs. When necessary referring them on to the relevant people who can assist them.
- Providing another layer of support for new and existing students.
- Attending and participating in various meetings held at the University.
- Consulting, involving and reporting to students.
- When arranged, attending Student Representative training sessions.
- Providing a link between the staff and students at the Division.
- Keeping informed of developments within their programme of study.
- Promoting equal opportunities.
- Contributing to the growth and development of the Staff Student Liaison Committee by providing ideas and suggestions.
Benefits of Being a Student Representative
By committing time and effort student representatives reap many benefits and develop transferable skills. These include:
- Increased involvement in their educational experience at the Division. Knowing that students can make a positive impact on the lives of present and future students.
- Involvement in an extra-curricular activity.
- The opportunity to meet other students across the Division and University.
- Representation and advocacy skills.
- Listening and communication skills.
- Organisation and time management skills.
- Negotiation skills.
- A certificate from the Division to evidence the activity in professional profiles.
The Division also benefits through:
- Consultation with students.
- The opportunity to improve the quality of its courses and student satisfaction.
- Enabling students to understand the Division’s policies and processes.
- Promoting an increased sense of belonging to the Division amongst students.
- Having an active staff-student dialogue outside of the realms of teaching.
Meetings to Attend
All representatives will be required to regularly attend the previously mentioned Staff Student Liaison Committee which discusses cross-programme issues and is held five times per academic year (the first meeting is a student representative training session).
In addition, representatives attend their own Programme Committee. Programme Committees are responsible for the review procedures of their respective programmes. The Programme Committee manages programme development, assessment of individual units, student related matters and any other matter relating to the Programme. Each Programme Committee has student representatives from each year group.
Representatives may also be invited to participate in other committees, working groups, workshops and reviews related to academic programmes. Cohorts and years should have representation at all meetings. However, as there will be several representatives for each year /cohort you are encouraged to work as a team to facilitate this.
Although student representatives will receive an authorised letter of exemption (from lectures and clinical areas) to attend them, it is understood that as students it is not possible to attend all meetings. Therefore, apologies can be emailed a week in advance of the meeting, including any issues, ideas/suggestions that can be read to the meeting. Email is the main mode of communication between student representatives and University staff.
National Student Survey
In the final year of any undergraduate programme, you will be invited to complete the National Student Survey (NSS). This independently administered survey asks for your feedback on your whole degree, as well as your broader University experience. The results are published to help prospective students make informed decisions about where and what to study. The NSS also provides us with useful data for benchmarking ourselves against other universities.
PEER ASSISTED STUDY SESSIONS (PASS) AND PEER MENTORING
All first year students are placed in a PASS group which is led by two leaders who are current year 2 or 3 students. PASS utilises the experience and expertise of the higher year, volunteer students (PASS Leaders) who have been trained as facilitators, not teachers or tutors, to support their group of students in finding solutions to their problems themselves, through discussion and guided questioning.
PASS leaders will introduce themselves to their group through activities in Welcome Week and continue to support their group throughout the academic year in a series of compulsory timetabled sessions. The agenda for the sessions is led by the group who indicate to the PASS leaders the topics and /or skills that there would like to be addressed. The leaders then plan interactive tasks and activities. The PASS leaders are supported by the Student Support Manager and the Year 1 lead. Information on PASS can be found in the Student Support pages on SharePoint or by contacting shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk.
Optional peer mentoring groups for year 2 students may be offered by 3rd year students in Semester 1 to support the 2nd year students as they settle into year 2 and adjust to their new NHS Trust sites.
7. LEARNING RESOURCES
LIBRARY FACILITIES
The University of Manchester Library consists of the Main Library, Alan Gilbert Learning Commons (AGLC), and several site libraries, and provides you with the resources and support you need throughout your BNurs programme. The two most relevant locations for you are the Main Library and the AGLC. The Main Library houses all of the essential text books whilst the AGLC provides a 24/7 learning environment..
As the third largest academic library in the country, and one of only five national research libraries, the Library has an extensive collection of resources, including eBooks, databases and journals available online.
The ‘My Home’ tab in MyManchester contains your library summary, including current loans, reservations and charges and links to the resource bank. Other Library services can be access via ‘My Learning’ within MyManchester.
Getting Started
You will need your student card to access all library sites around campus. Many of our services and resources also require you to confirm that you are a registered student. This authentication can be your student card, the ID number on the card, your Library PIN, the central username and password you use to log on, or a combination of these.
There is a subject guide for Nursing and Midwifery students giving all of the latest information on resources and services available to you. This is a good starting point if you are looking for any library resources or information related to your course.
My Learning Essentials is the name of the Library’s study skills programme. As part of this programme we provide face-to-face workshops and online tutorials covering a wide range of subjects from presentations skills to referencing.
Each course module in Blackboard includes an online reading list, so you can quickly check availability and directly access e-books, digitised chapters and e-journals or articles.
The Main Library
The Main Library holds the principal collection of Nursing books and journals. Nursing textbooks are located on Floor 2 of the Blue Area, together with books in other related subjects. Nursing journals held in print are on Floor 1 of the Green Area in the Clinical Sciences sequence; further relevant periodicals are shelved in other areas of the Main Library. Library Search is the name of the Library’s catalogue. You can use Library Search to find out what items are available and where to find them, including eBooks and online journals. One of the great features of Library Search is that you can search down to the article level in journals (and databases) without having to go to the journal homepage.
The Main Library offers group study rooms, individual study space options and computer clusters. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building and a cafe lounge can be found on the ground floor. The Library has long opening hours and extends these during exam periods. Please check Locations and Opening Hours for full details on opening hours and facilities.
The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons
The AGLC is a state-of-the-art learning environment with 24/7 opening hours throughout term-time. The Learning Commons has flexible open learning spaces with multimedia facilities, computer clusters and 30 bookable group study rooms with whiteboards and media screens.
IT FACILITIES
University Computer Facilities
Students at the University have access to a wealth of resources including research support services, PC clusters, email and Internet access, wireless access, Microsoft applications, printing facilities, network document storage, student portal, eLearning environment and the extensive electronic resources managed by The University Library.
As a new student you will be introduced to the University’s IT facilities at your induction. In addition to your Faculty and Division IT provision, you will find IT facilities in areas of high student use, such as Jean McFarlane Building (George Kenyon cluster), John Rylands Library and the Joule Library. The two libraries also house the IT Service Desks where you can get help and information.
You will find the most up-to-date information about IT services on the IT Services website. Packed full of information, the website provides details of the services available to users including useful information about day-to-day help and support and information about protection from the latest viruses etc. We recommend you visit the ‘Getting Started’ section of the site first.
University PC Clusters
The University’s Public PC Clusters are available for any staff or student to use. Operated on behalf of the University by the IT Services division, they are present at various locations on campus and also in some Halls of Residence. Opening times for each cluster will vary but at least one cluster operates 24/7 and two clusters operate extended opening times including weekends.
Some clusters will be booked for teaching and learning purposes at various times, therefore you are advised to visit the website: Cluster list (The University of Manchester) or the Central IT Service Desk for the latest opening times and PC Cluster information.
Student IT Support Helpdesk
Tel 0161 306 5544
E-Mail: it-servicedesk@manchester.ac.uk
Divisional Computer Facilities
Computing facilities for the Division are available on the 1st floor of the Jean McFarlane Building and further workstations are available on the 2nd floor breakout space.
The facilities provided have nursing specific applications and there are 40 computers. Access to the Internet is provided by Microsoft Internet Explorer only. Students can access the full range of online resources available including Blackboard and the University Library electronic resources.
Printing has to be paid for, via print credits purchased from the Manchester Computing Shop or print robots situated around the University’s campus.
Access to the computers is via a standard University username which is obtained from any of the main campus computers displaying the standard log in screen or from the registration computers at Jean McFarlane Building, by answering the questions when prompted students can gain access to and receive their username and password. This will enable them to use any of the computers to which any student has access.
STUDY SKILLS
Each student will start their programme with a mix of different skills. We have identified a number of Study Skills that are vital for you to master early in your study, to achieve your full potential on the programme. These include academic writing, Harvard Referencing, Using IT software, Numeric and Literature skills.
The Study Skills Unit is available in your programme Gateway on SharePoint – select ‘On Your Programme’ section and the link to ‘Study Skills Support’.
Each programme of study will provide an introduction to relevant study skills during enrolment. If you feel that you may have a learning disability further assistance may be available, please see your Academic Advisor or the Disability Support Officer at the Jean McFarlane Building.
SOCIAL & WORKING SPACES FOR STUDENTS
The Jean McFarlane Building has a central atrium which provides comfortable and flexible spaces for students to meet or work. Wi-Fi is available in the atrium. Additional flexible working spaces are available on the 2nd floor where PCs are provided for individual / group work.
8. APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Division of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work Student Charter and Conditions of Practice Experience
  |
Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
School of Health Sciences
Conditions of Practice Experience
The University of Manchester Student Charter has been developed jointly by the University and the Students’ Union; the Division of Nursing Midwifery and Social Work endorses this charter. It establishes clear and mutual expectations for the experience of all students: undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research. It sets out what you can expect from the University and what the University expects of you as partners in a learning community under the following headings:
- Our learning experience
- Personal and academic development
- Communicating and interacting with each other
- Respecting and valuing each other
- Being part of our community
As a health/social care student you will have additional responsibilities under the heading of Developing Professional Practice. These responsibilities to service providers and users are detailed in the Conditions of Practice Experience below.
Conditions of Practice Experience
You should apply the guidance given by your professional body at the links below in both your academic and practice work and behaviour:
NMC Code of Conduct – https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics – https://www.hcpc-uk.org/resources/standards/standards-of-conduct-performance-and-ethics/
Standards of Proficiency – Social Work (https://www.hcpc-uk.org/resources/standards/standards-of-proficiency-social-workers-in-england/)
Developing Professional Practice
Together we will:
- be guided by the University’s and Providers’ policies and procedures
- perform all activities with guidance from and reference to the standards of professional bodies and current and relevant legislation in order for you to become a professional who is fit for award, employment and purpose
- ensure a safe environment where there is respect and dignity, and within which it is possible to raise and escalate concerns encountered during the practice experience in a timely way
- provide opportunities for you to develop your evidence base for practice where this is required
As a student I will:
- Maintain my health and good character by ensuring that I:
- attend all required Occupational Health Service appointments
- notify the Division of any situation which might result in the receipt of a police reprimand, caution or conviction
- complete the annual declaration of Good Health and Good Character
- ensure I access all placement experience information in a timely way and contact my practice experience provider before the placement begins
- engage with the activities of the practice experience under the supervision and guidance of an appropriate member of the provider’s staff
- maintain confidentiality with all forms of information I may have access to, see or hear
- ensure I present myself professionally at all times taking note of any regulations relating to uniform and personal appearance
- ensure I complete all patient/service user documentation in a timely, accurate and understandable way and obtain a staff signature where it is required to do so
- understand that my practice documentation is my responsibility and ensure it is available to practice area staff when I am there
- liaise with my Practice Assessor / Supervisor(s) to ensure that any practice experience documentation is completed in an honest, timely and appropriate way
- submit all practice documentation following University guidelines and deadlines
- engage in the assessment/feedback processes designed to support my practice development
- take part in evaluative processes which facilitate the development of practice experiences for all students take responsibility for my personal money or property whilst on Providers’ premises
As a University, and in negotiation with Providers, we will ensure your practice experience:
- is prepared and audited in line with professional and University guidance
- has sufficient appropriately trained staff to support your development of practice based skills
- is appropriate to your stage in the programme
- is communicated to you within the timeframe set out by the University
- is supported by allocations procedures to ensure your practice experiences facilitate development of your professional practice
- provides you with a supportive framework to resolve any challenges you may encounter
I acknowledge that I have read the Student Charter and the Conditions of Practice Experience and agree to fulfil my role as laid out in these documents.
| Student | Academic Advisor
|
| Name | Name |
| Signature | Signature |
| Date | Date |
Appendix 2: GUIDANCE ON MANAGING ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE REPORTING
Our NMC validated curriculum (NMC 2009) requires student to complete 100% of their clinical hours and academic learning hours to meet the requirements for registration as a nurse and to develop skilled and knowledgeable nurses. Students who engage well with the learning materials and opportunities provided tend to do well in their studies and their professional development.
In accordance with the ‘University of Manchester Policy on recording and monitoring Attendance’ (UoM 2014), the programme has a policy of recording, monitoring and responding to attendance and engagement issues, with the aim of assisting students to access appropriate support with issues affecting welfare and attendance so they are able to meet the attendance requirements of the programme or to recognise when this is not achievable.
In line with the University policy, if a student does not manage to comply with the required steps to improve their attendance, the Examination Board may refuse them permission to proceed on their programme. The student would have the right to appeal any such decision and would be notified of the timeframe for this process.
As completion of the whole programme is required (NMC 2009), students who have outstanding theory or practice attendance requirements at the end of the final year will need to continue on the programme until all hours (theory & practice) have been completed. The student will need to self-fund this extra time. Students will be encouraged to make up missed time within each academic year to avoid building up a large amount of ‘making up time’ using the ‘making up time in practice policy’ and ‘making up theory time policy’.
Missed Teaching Forms
Missed teaching can be ‘made up’ using the missed teaching form. The student must provide evidence of how they have engaged with the material. Where possible, podcasts and recordings are available in Blackboard to facilitate this process.
IMPORTANT: Missed teaching forms should be submitted by e-mail to the Seminar Lead along with any appropriate evidence; the Seminar Lead will forward the completed form to the Programme Team once approved.
Sessions that cannot normally be made up through private study may include:
- Skills lab or practical sessions.
- Tutorials/seminars involving discussion and interaction
- Inter-professional learning activities involving discussion & interaction
- Special events.
Missed teaching Forms should clearly indicate the session being made up, the date and nature of the session, the number of attendance hours missed and being made up and the work that has been done to catch up the missed material.
Examples of acceptable evidence include:
- Annotated PowerPoint handouts indicating that the student has listened to the podcast and engaged with the material
- Own notes relating to the topics covered in the session.
- Annotated additional reading relating to the topics covered in the session
- Completed quizzes or activities
The amount of evidence required should be in proportion to the length of the session.
Seminar Leads may decline to sign the missed teaching form if the work submitted does not indicate that the student has engaged with the material, eg if the student has simply cut & pasted the lecturer’s PPT slides into a word document.
Forms should be presented in the same year/semester that the unit is being taught. Lecturers may decline to sign missed teaching forms presented outside this period. Students should aim to have all missed session from the academic year caught up by the end of the academic year.
Once approved by the Seminar Lead, missed teaching forms will be sent to the programme secretary who will remove the deficit hours from student non-attendance records.
Students are expected to make up missed theory time through theory-related activity. Attendance at some optional sessions or conferences can be accepted as an alternative way of making up missed theory learning – see Attendance at Conferences Policy on Nursing Gateway.
Attendance at compulsory NHS Core skills practical sessions
Some practical sessions may be identified as compulsory (ie required to be allowed in practice or to continue in practice). These will include sessions linked to on-line NHS Core Skills which are also compulsory. One repeat session can be arranged for those who did not attend. Failure to meet the requirements for attending placement will result in being withdrawn from placement until this can be achieved.
Students will need to seek an alternative opportunity to complete the skills session eg accessing a session in the Trust or joining a different year group or a B.Nurs group.
Making up missed practice hours
Please see the making up practice hours policy on the Practice Learning Gateway
Reporting the reason for absence
If no reason for absence has been given, the absence will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’. Students should therefore indicate the reason for an absence of up to 7 days (theory or practice) in the following ways:
- On all occasions, complete either a self-certification form for all sickness absence of 7 days or less or a notification of absence form for all non-health related absence.
- If you cannot access these forms, you should email shs.attendance@nursing@manchester.ac.uk
- Contact the seminar/unit leader as a courtesy to let them know you will be absent and provide a brief reason for the missed the session.
- Email their Academic Advisor to keep them informed and to discuss any difficulties they are experiencing which are affecting their ability to attend.
- If missing a practice day, the student should contact the placement area to notify their mentor/ward manager/team leader that they will not be attending and also contact their academic advisor to let them know they are not attending.
Absences due to sickness of more than 7 days should be certified by a sicknote, a fitnote, a Dr’s letter or an Occupational Health letter. A copy should be emailed to the Academic Advisor and copied to the programme administrator.
Authorised absences can be agreed by the Academic Advisor. These can be agreed in response to significant personal difficulties, for a period up to 3 weeks. Please note, this time will need to be made up to meet the NMC completion requirements.
Students must not arrange holidays during term time. These are always classed as unauthorised absence. Taking unauthorised leave may result in a referral to the Fitness to Practice / Health & Conduct Committee.
Triggers for action in relation to unauthorised attendance are set out below
First trigger – 10 hours of unauthorised absence
Response: the programme manager will email the student (AA copied in) indicating
- That their attendance is being monitored.
- Reminding them of the full attendance requirements.
- Reminding them of the need to complete unit registers or the relevant online form if they are unable to complete their learning activities if ill or absent.
- Reminding them of how to make up missed sessions.
- They will also be directed to seek support from their Academic Advisor.
Second trigger – 15 hours of unauthorised absence or on-going problems with attendance relating to health or personal difficulties
Response: The Academic Advisor will be notified that the student has hit this second trigger in relation to unauthorised absence. The student will be asked to attend a meeting with their AA to discuss their attendance. At the meeting:
- They should be given an opportunity to discuss any factors making it hard for them to attend and helped to develop an action plan to improve attendance.
- Their practice attendance will also be reviewed.
- Students should be referred to any relevant support services to assist them eg ‘My learning essentials’, student support, occupational health, DASS or the counselling service.
- Students should be reminded of their professional responsibility to attend and the need to meet the programme attendance requirements.
- Students should be reminded of the appropriate ways to make up missed clinical hours and missed theory sessions.
- An informal warning may be issued with a requirement to improve attendance.
Third Trigger – 20 hours of unauthorised absence or on-going problems with attendance relating to health or personal difficulties
Response: The Academic Advisor will be notified that the student has hit this third trigger in relation to unauthorised absence. The student will be asked to attend a meeting with their AA to discuss their attendance. At the meeting:
- As above and
- A formal warning may be issued with a requirement to improve attendance.
Forth Trigger – 25 hours of unauthorised absence or on-going problems with attendance relating to health or personal difficulties
Response: The Academic Advisor will be notified that the student has hit this forth trigger in relation to unauthorised absence. The student will be asked to attend a meeting with their AA to discuss their attendance. At the meeting:
- As above and
- The student may be referred to the Fitness to Practice / Health & Conduct Committee.
The Academic Advisor will discuss with the Programme Director situations where students are struggling to attend due to acknowledged reasons. It may be appropriate to suggest that a student consider interruption if they cannot meet the attendance requirements or their difficulties combined with their poor attendance is affecting their ability to progress on the course.
If a student has not attended either theory or practice for 4 weeks with no communication to explain their absence, they will be written to by recorded delivery, asked to clarify whether they are still on the programme and be invited to attend a meeting with their Academic Advisor and the Programme Director. If no reply is received or the student does not attend to attend a meeting with the Programme Director or their Academic Advisor, they will be referred to the Health& Conduct Committee who may decide to discontinue them from the programme.
Recording Attendance in Practice
You are responsible for documenting your attendance in practice via the P@RE timesheets and for asking your mentor/supervisor to sign to confirm the hours you have worked on a weekly basis. You should ask for the whole sheet to be signed by their Mentor/Practice Assessor at the end of the placement. Leaving timesheets unsigned for a long time may result in the clinical nurse no-longer being available to sign them or to remember what shifts you worked, so these hours may be lost. Therefore it is important to get these signed as soon after completion as possible (NB weekly timesheets may be signed by the nurse via the students log-in).
If you are off sick on a placement day, you must inform your placement area you they are not going to attend. You must also email your Academic Advisor and the Allocations Team to indicate that you will be absent from practice. You should indicate that you were off sick on the P@RE timesheet.
Practice supervisors and practice assessors have a responsibility to monitor student attendance in placement so they can confidently sign the P@RE timesheets and report absent students to the university via the contact number 0161 306 7809 or email Studentabsence.Nursing@manchester.ac.uk or by emailing the student’s Academic Advisor/Academic Assessor (contact details available via the P@RE system).
Recording attendance in relation to case-holding experience
The unit lead will give specific guidance about how you are to record their practice hours for your case-holding work.
Monitoring attendance in practice
You should self-monitor their attendance which requires completion of 22.5 hours in a split week and 37.5 hours in a full practice week. If you are not being given enough clinical shifts to meet these requirements, it is your responsibility to raise this with the placement team and seek support from your AA to ensure you have enough shifts. If you are falling behind in meeting their clinical hours requirements, you should discuss this with your Academic Advisor and where feasible, use the making-up practice hours policy to beginning to catch up these hours so you are on track by the end of the year. Each year you should complete 840 hours of practice learning which should be documented in P@RE.
Your Academic Advisor will review practice attendance at least twice a year at each progression point. Students who are falling behind (eg 40 hours deficit) in meeting their placement hours requirements will be:
- Given an opportunity to discuss any factors making it hard for them to attend and be helped to develop an action plan to improve attendance.
- Referred to any relevant support services to assist then eg student support, occupational health, DASS or the counselling service.
- Helped to develop a Support in Practice Plan in relation to agreed reasonable adjustments if appropriate.
- Reminded of the appropriate ways to make up missed clinical hours and missed theory sessions and helped to develop an action plan to address the deficit.
- Monitored by their Academic Advisor.
Students reaching 100 hours of missed practice time (more than 2½ weeks of full time work) without reasonable explanations about the reason for absence and no evidence of improving attendance may receive an informal warning.
Students reaching 150 hours of missed practice time (4 weeks of full time work) without reasonable explanations about the reason for absence and no evidence of improving attendance may receive a formal warning.
Further on-going absences from practice may result in a referral to the Concerns Review Panel / Fitness to Practice / Health & Conduct Committee.
If there are recognised factors affecting the student’s ability to meet the attendance requirements for practice, they will be supported to maximise their attendance but may be advised to interrupt their studies and return to the programme when they are better able to meet the practice learning requirements.
You will not be able to be presented to the NMC for registration until all theory and all practice hours have been completed and documented. You may need to self-fund any making up time at the end of the programme.
Student Attendance Monitoring Process
- NMC (2018) Standards for pre-Registration Nursing Education ↑
- Harassment is unwanted conduct that may create the effect (intentionally or unintentionally) of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment which interferes with an individual’s learning, working or social environment or induces stress, anxiety or sickness on the part of the harassed person. Discrimination takes place when an individual or a group of people is treated less favourably than others because of their race, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation or other factors unrelated to their ability or potential. Bullying can be defined as repeated or persistent actions, criticism or personal abuse, either in public or private, which (intentionally or unintentionally) humiliates, denigrates, undermines, intimidates or injures the recipient. It should, in particular, be borne in mind that much bullying occurs in the context of a power imbalance between victims and alleged perpetrators. ↑