BACHELOR OF NURSING (HONS) / INTEGRATED MASTERS

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Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health

School of Health Sciences

Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

SEPTEMBER 2024

Version: August 2024

 

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.

This handbook is to be read in conjunction with the SHS Student Handbook.

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, 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

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

Division Website: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/nursing/

Programme Management Team

Head of School Professor Andy Brass Tel: 0161 275 7943

Director of Education Sam Freeman Tel: 0161 306 7873

Head of Division Professor Hilary Mairs Tel: 0161 306 7779

 

 

BNurs (Hons) MNurs Programme Director Laura Green Contact Laura via Teams Laura.green-3@manchester.ac.uk	Year 1 Lead Shelly Allen shelly.allen@manchester.ac.uk
Year 2 Lead Mike Bird Michael.Bird@Manchester.ac.uk	Year 3 Lead Karen Iley karen.iley@manchester.ac.uk
Year 4 Lead Brendan Garry Brendan.Garry@manchester.ac.uk	Adult Field Lead Claire Burns Claire.burns@manchester.ac.uk
Mental Health Field Lead Rob Griffiths Rob.Griffiths-2@manchester.ac.uk	Child and Young Peoples’ Field Lead Michaela Barnard Michaela.Barnard@manchester.ac.uk
Exams Officer Patricia Conaghan Patricia.Conaghan@manchester.ac.uk	Senior Academic Advisor Ruth Heffernan Ruth.Heffernan@Manchester.ac.uk
Academic Lead for Practice Development Kevin Bayley kevin.bayley-2@manchester.ac.uk 0161 306 7818	Academic Lead for Practice Governance Nigel.Henderson@manchester.ac.uk
Practice Learning Unit Officer Lindsay Blanks Lindsay.H.Blanks@manchester.ac.uk	Placements Officer Lindsay Blanks Lindsay.H.Blanks@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

 

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:

1. Nursing Theory and Practice
2. Biological and Social Sciences
3. Leadership and Professionalism
4. Cognitive and Technical Clinical Skills Development
5. 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 or related to your field of practice except for one unit in the 2^nd 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 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 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.

Within this milieu we aim to:

• 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

A. Knowledge & Understanding Students should be able to:
A1.	Demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of the proficiencies that are associated with accountable professional practice within the discipline of nursing and their own field of practice.
A2	Consider and apply as appropriate, the philosophies, models and frameworks for legal, ethical, safe and competent nursing care with specific reference to their own field of practice.
A3	Demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of sociological and psychological sciences to nursing, and an awareness of how health and social care philosophy and policy translate into ethical and evidence-based nursing practice.
A4	Demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of the principles of public health and health promotion both to their own wellbeing and to the wellbeing of service users in the context of the wider determinants of health and ill health.
A5	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of human anatomy and physiology that underpin the assessment of health needs and the planning, implementation and evaluation of person-centred care from conception to death.
A6	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the skills required to effectively lead, manage and co-ordinate evidence-based nursing care across a range of settings and along the spectrum of health dependency as part of an interdisciplinary team.
A7	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the monitoring and quality improvement processes that underpin the delivery of safe and effective nursing care.
A8	Demonstrate the ability to effectively retrieve and appraise a range of data/information that underpins and informs the evidence base for nursing practice with specific reference to their own field of practice.
A9	Based on selection of appropriate optional ‘discovery’ units, enhance specific skills and consider potential application to their own area of practice.
B. Intellectual Skills Students should be able to:
B1			Demonstrate a coherent understanding of the key aspects of nursing practice through critical analysis and synthesis of information/data from a wide range of sources, at least some of which is at the forefront of the discipline of their own field of practice.
B2			Critically apply the knowledge and understanding outlined above (in A1 – A9) to the management and delivery of competent nursing care in a variety of clinical practice settings and across the patient/client dependency continuum.
B3			Critically appraise the evidence base for nursing interventions and consider strategies for further research and/or practice development with specific reference to their own field of practice.
B4			Demonstrate sound decision-making, clinical judgement and problem solving capability across a range of professional and care delivery contexts.
B5			Evaluate and apply strategies to facilitate learning amongst service users, carers and colleagues.
B6			Critically reflect on their own professional development to identify abilities, limitations and opportunities to improve their nursing practice.
B7			Act with professional integrity, respecting diversity and demonstrating fitness to practise, purpose and achievement of the NMC (2018) standards for pre-registration nursing.
C. Practical Skills Students should be able to:
C1		Provide, lead, and manage safe, high quality person centred nursing care with confidence and compassion across a range of health and social care settings and in partnership with the interdisciplinary team, service users and their carers.
C2		Effectively communicate and manage relationships with individuals of all ages with a range of mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges.
C3		Undertake systematic, holistic assessment and accurate recording of the health and social needs of individuals, groups and communities using evidence-based best practice approaches.
C4		Undertake procedures for planning, provision and management of person- centred nursing care using evidence based best practice approaches.
C5		Create and maintain safe environments of care through the effective use of quality assurance and risk management strategies.
C6		Facilitate learning amongst peers, colleagues and service users and carers.
D. Transferable Skills and Personal Qualities Students should be able to:
D1		Demonstrate logical and systematic thinking and the ability to draw reasoned conclusions and sustainable judgements.
D2		Manage both independent study and the demands of professional practice effectively.
D3		Demonstrate effective use of information technology, library, electronic and online resources to enable effective engagement with the programme and to develop fundamental skills for life-long learning.
D4		Demonstrate accomplished verbal, non – verbal and written communication in a variety of settings with a range of individuals.
D5		Demonstrate competent public speaking skills to accurately and reliably communicate information to a live audience that may include peers or practice colleagues.
D6		Work co – operatively and effectively with others as a member of a team.
D7		Reflect on their own academic and professional performance and utilize strategies to improve these.

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 begin to develop a professional portfolio where you will chronicle your learning journey in the form of reflections and a personal development plan. 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. You will be placed in a ‘core group’ with up to five other students from the same field of nursing. The purpose of these groups is to help you develop essential peer support skills, so you can lean on and learn from each other during your time with us.

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 the online Northwest Clinical Skills Framework (100%)	*
	Clinical Placement 2			20	PAD	*
		Clinical Placement 3		20	PAD	*
Professional Development: Portfolio Development and SafeMedicate				0	Completion of Portfolio and SafeMedicate Summative Assessment

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. You will continue to develop a professional portfolio where you will demonstrate your progress in your learning journey in the form of reflections and a personal development plan.

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	Assignment critically appraising evidence underpinning nursing intervention 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	*
Professional Development: Portfolio			0	Completion of Portfolio and SafeMedicate Summative Assessment

Discovery Unit Menu (all 10 credits at level 5)

Unit	Assessment
Mental Health and Mental Ill Health in Children and Young People	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. You will refine and complete your professional portfolio as a student in preparation for lifelong learning and continuing professional development throughout your career.

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%)
Professional Development: Portfolio Development and SafeMedicate			0	Completion of Portfolio and Summative Safe Medicate Assessment

Further information on all BNurs/MNurs units is available via Blackboard : (http://online.manchester.ac.uk).

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:

1. Who to contact
2. Professionalism
3. Academic Advising
4. PARE
5. Attendance / making up hours
6. Exams and assessments
7. e-Portfolio
8. Your wellbeing
9. Newsletters
10. Social Media
11. Policies and Procedures
12. Your feedback

You can access the Gateway using this link

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.

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 be 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 Ruth Heffernan, 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.

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 programme has an assigned Year Lead. Their main duties include ensuring student experience and wellbeing. They act as a point of contact for issues affecting the whole cohort. They are responsible for coordinating welcome week, and other events throughout the year. 

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.

Duration

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:

1. 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).
2. 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.

Assessment

• 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Practice Learning

• 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 (3^rd)

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)

1. 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.
2. The University of Manchester must ensure that you have met all theory and practice requirements before confirming that they have successfully completed the programme.
3. 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.
4. 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’.

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.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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”).
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Essays are the equivalent of examination scripts and as such you should exercise care over your work.
10. 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.
11. 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.

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.

OUTSTANDING RESUBMISSIONS

If you still have any outstanding resubmissions due for the assessments over this year, you will be given dates for resubmission in Sept/Oct, and resubmissions are in November.

Each year we hold Progression Points for your programme, in which your assessments (theory and practice) from the previous year are ratified and you are able to formally progress to the next year. We usually hold these in January so that anyone who has a resubmission in November has had this marked.

•  If you still have outstanding assessments by November of the year before you may be required to temporarily interrupt your studies as you cannot formally progress to the following year.
• This applies even if you have Mitigating Circumstances 

You will hear from the Assessments team in Sept/Oct if this applies to you. If this is the case, you are required to make an appointment to speak with the Programme Director to ensure you are aware of actions required and that you are accessing any additional support you may require. We recognise the potential impact of an interruption to your studies and wish to support you to to avoid this where possible.

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

Roupmatee Joggyah, Teaching Fellow in Mental Health Nursing, Kings College London

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

Clive Tobutt, Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, Kings College London

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.

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 for students living within Greater Manchester to get 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.

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 in your Professional Development Unit, 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?

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:

1. Being an accountable professional
2. Promoting health and preventing ill health
3. Assessing needs and planning care
4. Providing and evaluating care
5. Leading and managing nursing care and working in teams
6. Improving safety and quality of care
7. 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

1. Supervisor(s) in practice
2. a Practice Assessor
3. 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:

1. support academic attainment and progression;
2. ensure student wellbeing; and
3. 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. 

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:

Reporting Absence

8.1 Attendance Monitoring & Student Ill Health (sharepoint.com)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

1. You are in breach of the professional progression requirements of your programme

1. You are not fit for study on the recommendation of Occupational Health
2. You have failed to meet the attendance requirement of your programme as detailed in the relevant programme handbook

1. 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Local Uniform Policy

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.

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.

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.

 

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

 

1. NMC (2018) Standards for pre-Registration Nursing Education ↑
2. 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. ↑