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Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title Practice Module 4b(Intellectual Disability)
Module Code NS4047
School 38
Module Co-ordinatorSemester 1: Martina Conway
Semester 2: Martina Conway
Autumn: Martina Conway
Module TeachersLiz Hartnett
Martina Conway
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 15
Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None
Coursework Only
Array
Description

This module is an opportunity for students to develop their theoretical and practical knowledge at level four.

Learning Outcomes

1. On completion of this module the student will be able to demonstrate competence in domains 1 to 6 below. Domain 1: Professional values and conduct of the nurse competences Knowledge and appreciation of the virtues of caring, compassion, integrity, honesty, respect and empathy as a basis for upholding the professional values of nursing and identity as a nurse.
2. Domain 2: Nursing practice and clinical decision making competences Knowledge and understanding of the principles of delivering safe and effective nursing care through the adoption of a systematic and problem-solving approach to developing and delivering a person-centred plan of care based on an explicit partnership with the person and his/her primary carer
3. Domain 3: Knowledge and cognitive competences Knowledge and understanding of the health continuum, life and behavioural sciences and their applied principles that underpin a competent knowledge base for nursing and healthcare practice.
4. Domain 4: Communication and inter personal competences Knowledge, appreciation and development of empathic communication skills and techniques for effective interpersonal relationships with people and other professionals in health care settings
5. Domain 5: Management and team competences Using management and team competences in working for the person’s wellbeing, recovery, independence and safety through recognition of the collaborative partnership between the person, family and multidisciplinary health care team
6. Domain 6: Leadership potential and professional scholarship competences Developing professional scholarship through self-directed learning skills, critical questioning/ reasoning skills and decision-making skills in nursing as the foundation for lifelong professional education, maintaining competency and career development.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Clinical placement622No Description
Assignment Completion80No Description
Total Workload: 702

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Domain 1:
Professional values and conduct of the nurse competences Knowledge and appreciation of the virtues of caring, compassion, integrity, honesty, respect and empathy as a basis for upholding the professional values of nursing and identity as a nurse. On completion of the final practice placement, the student will demonstrate capacity to: 4.1.1 Practise safely: • Adhere to best practice to ensure the safety of the person whilst protecting the public, through the delivery of safe, ethical, reliable and competent nursing care across the life continuum • Adhere to principles of hand hygiene, infection prevention and control and regulations governing these for care of the person in the health service setting • Behave with integrity, honesty and within Irish and European legislation to uphold the professional values of nursing • Practise within her/his scope of professional practice with due regard for regulatory and statutory requirements • Challenge behaviour or health care practice that could compromise a person’s safety, privacy or dignity, giving due regard to ethical and professional guidance on safeguarding of vulnerable people 4.1.2 Practise compassionately • Consistently support the person across the life continuum through practice that is caring, kind, sensitive, holistic, impartial, and non-judgmental • Demonstrate respect for the diversity, dignity, integrity and uniqueness of the person through a collaborative partnership that recognises her/his autonomy • Practise compassionately to facilitate, promote, support and optimise the health, wellbeing, comfort and quality of life of persons whose lives are affected by altered health, distress, disability, chronic disorders or life-limiting conditions 4.1.3 Practise professionally, responsibly and accountably • Identify with the nursing team personal responsibility, level of authority and lines of accountability within one’s scope of practice • Take personal and professional accountability for own decisions, actions and for the completion of delegated tasks • Show personal responsibility through organising and documenting nursing interventions safely and in accordance with policies, procedures and guidelines • Accept responsibility for own limitations and for the enhancement of clinical competence by undertaking continuing professional development

Domain 2:
Nursing practice and clinical decision making competences Knowledge and understanding of the principles of delivering safe and effective nursing care through the adoption of a systematic and problem-solving approach to developing and delivering a person-centred plan of care based on an explicit partnership with the person and his/her primary carer. On completion of the programme the student, in partnership with the person, the primary carer and other health professionals, will demonstrate the capacity to: 4.2.1 Assess the person’s nursing and health needs • Apply an appropriate framework in a systematic manner when taking a comprehensive nursing history. The history should accurately reflect the person’s experience of altered health, their ability and developmental or life stage needs • Analyse information collected through interviews, observations, physical and psychosocial assessment and diagnostics tests to reach an accurate nursing assessment, using an appropriate framework, of a person’s health care needs • Recognise and interpret signs of normal and changing health care needs and escalate to members of the multidisciplinary team when necessary • Recognise signs of a life-limiting condition and assist the person and family to access a specialist palliative care team 4.2.2 Plan and prioritise person-centred nursing care (including selecting interventions based on best evidence and identification of desired goals with the person) • Develop a clear and concise person-centred plan that incorporates the person’s experience of altered health and expectation for recovery • Plan nursing interventions with specific indicators for achievement of goals, applying best available evidence based on principles of quality and safety • Prioritise the person’s immediate and longer-term nursing and health care needs through setting goals based on acuity whilst taking into account relevant physical, psychological, social, spiritual, cultural and environmental factors • Communicate plan of care and rationale for interventions clearly to the person, primary carer and other health professionals Nurse Registration Programmes Standards and Requirements 45 4.2.3 Deliver person-centred nursing and clinical interventions, including health activities • Obtain permission from and check the understanding of the person or nominee prior to delivering nursing interventions • Deliver person-centred nursing care safely through a range of nursing interventions in accordance with the person’s plan of care • Support and empower the person, through the provision of accurate and relevant information, to make health and life choices for health promotion and screening, recovery, resilience, self-management, wellbeing and social inclusion • Assist the person to maintain his/her dignity, rights, independence and comfort • Apply principles of health and safety including moving and handling, infection prevention and control and emergency procedures • Empower the person to maintain needs related to their activities of living • Support a safe and comfortable environment to facilitate the person to promote health, self-management and physical and emotional well-being • Support a person with a life-limiting condition and his/her primary carers to adapt to the transition to palliative care through the nursing management of uncomplicated symptoms and liaison with palliative care teams • Adhere to legislation and professional practice guidelines for the safe and effective administration of medicines and other therapeutic interventions • Utilise medical devices and technologies and clinical equipment safely, with awareness of correct usage, limitations and hazards associated • Adhere to best principles for risk assessment and hazard minimisation and take relevant actions to manage risks safely • Utilise information management technology safely to record personal data for clinical decision making 4.2.4 Evaluate nursing care and undertake a comprehensive re-assessment: • Collate a range of clinical observations, feedback from the person and other sources of information to adjust the plan of nursing care through ongoing evaluation of its effectiveness • Gather additional data to evaluate planned priorities, goals, time frames and interventions against actual outcomes, changes to the person’s condition, responses, or situational needs • Monitor and evaluate nursing interventions against evidence of best practice 46 Nurse Registration Programmes Standards and Requirements 4.2.5 Utilise clinical judgement • Make sound clinical judgements to adapt interventions to changing health needs • Recognise and respond to early warning signs of critical changes in a person’s health status • Initiate life preserving measures in response to critical changes in a person’s health status or in emergency situations

Domain 3
: Knowledge and cognitive competences Knowledge and understanding of the health continuum, life and behavioural sciences and their applied principles that underpin a competent knowledge base for nursing and healthcare practice. On completion of the programme, the student will demonstrate capacity to: 4.3.1 Practise from a competent knowledge base • Apply current and relevant aspects of concepts and theory of nursing to care planning, nursing interventions and health settings • Apply current and relevant aspects of professional standards to the practice of nursing • Apply current and relevant knowledge of the structure and function of the human body from the health and life sciences in nursing practice situations • Recognise common physical, developmental, emotional and behavioural signs, vulnerabilities and co-morbidities within the relevant division of nursing • Apply current and relevant knowledge from the social and behavioural sciences in nursing practice situations and settings • Apply reasoning and relevant knowledge from the ethical theory to moral dilemmas in day to day nursing practice • Apply principles of quality and safety to audit and evaluate nursing and healthcare practice • Apply current and relevant aspects of national and international policies that influence nursing practice and health care delivery • Demonstrate and apply knowledge of legislation relevant in nursing practice situations and settings • Apply knowledge and understanding of current and relevant aspects of principles of health information technology and nursing informatics in nursing practice • Appraise, and apply as relevant, aspects of the nursing research process to enhance the evidence base of nursing practice interventions 4.3.2 Use critical thinking and reflection to inform practice • Develop analytical skills for problem-solving, critical thinking, reasoning, evaluation, synthesis for application to nursing practice situations and interventions • Develop personally and professionally through reflection to enhance resilience and own nursing practice

Domain 4
: Communication and inter personal competences Knowledge, appreciation and development of empathic communication skills and techniques for effective interpersonal relationships with people and other professionals in health care settings. On completion of the final practice placement for the FOURTH or FINAL year of the programme, the student will demonstrate capacity to: 4.4.1 Communicate in a person-centred manner • Communicate in an effective, compassionate, age-appropriate, respectful, culturally sensitive and non-discriminatory manner with the person and her/his primary carer • Provide emotional support to the person undergoing nursing care and health procedures/interventions, whilst respecting professional boundaries • Empower the person and primary carer to follow appropriate policies to express concerns about their experience of nursing and health procedures/interventions • Utilise communication techniques and technologies to empower a person with sensory, physical, emotional, behavioural or cultural communication difficulties to express their needs • Communicate with a person in a manner respects cultural diversity in health beliefs and practices, health literacy, communication, language, translation or interpreting needs 4.4.2 Communicate effectively with the health care team • Accurately, concisely and clearly report, record, document and refer to the health care team observations and information received in the nursing care giving process • Communicate clearly and coherently verbally and in writing with other health and social care professionals • Negotiate with other health care and other professionals to ensure that the rights, beliefs and wishes of the person are not compromised • Respect the privacy of the person and confidentiality of information in the health setting 48 Nurse Registration Programmes Standards and Requirements • Use professional nursing language terms when reporting, documenting and communicating to nursing and health care teams • Share information with others in accordance with legal and professional requirements in the interests of protection of the public

Domain 5
: Management and team competences Using management and team competences in working for the person’s wellbeing, recovery, independence and safety through recognition of the collaborative partnership between the person, family and multidisciplinary health care team. On completion of the final practice placement for the programme, the student will demonstrate capacity to: 4.5.1 Practise collaboratively • Work towards the person’s wellbeing, recovery, independence and safety through a collaborative partnership between the person, family and multidisciplinary health and social care team • Collaborate effectively with other health care disciplines and members of the nursing team in decision making and for continuity of care 4.5.2 Manage team, others and self safely • Assess risk to a person’s safety, security, and well-being and health status through promotion of a safe environment for each person including self • Using information gained from a risk assessment, devise a safety plan for a person encountered in the practice setting • Assess priorities, manage time, caseload and resources safely and effectively • Participate in audit and quality improvement initiatives and processes within the health service setting • Foster a supportive clinical work environment that facilitates a culture of multidisciplinary trust, openness, respect, kindness, and compassion and safe standards of health care • Contribute to the learning experiences of other colleagues through provision of support, supervision and facilitation of learning • Demonstrate personal organisation and efficiency of own workload in undertaking the person’s care

Domain 6:
Leadership potential and professional scholarship competences Developing professional scholarship through self-directed learning skills, critical questioning/ reasoning skills and decision-making skills in nursing as the foundation for lifelong professional education, maintaining competency and career development. On completion of the final practice placement of the programme, the student will demonstrate capacity to: 4.6.1 Develop leadership potential • Lead and co-ordinate a team, delegating, supervising and monitoring nursing care provision • Exhibit awareness of self and of the impact of personal values and feelings in relation to attitude development, professional conduct, response and reaction to events and to the development of coping mechanisms, personal wellbeing and resilience • Enhance personal performance of professional role through constructive use of feedback, supervision and appraisal • Reflect on and apply insights derived from aspects of daily nursing practice and critical incidents to enhance self awareness and personal competence 4.6.2 Develop professional scholarship • Develop professional scholarship through self-directed learning skills, critical questioning/reasoning skills and decision-making skills in nursing as the foundation for lifelong professional education, maintaining competency and career development • Recognise and respond to situations that require to be referred to experienced colleagues, senior managers and other health care professionals • Learn from experience to adapt nursing interventions and to update competence in response to dynamically altering health environments

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
AssignmentThere are 3 aspects of this assignment; prescribed evidence, NCAD, 100% Attendance.100%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
1 = A resit is available for all components of the module
2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module
3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

  • Read-Searle, Dwyer and Ryan: 2019, Clinical Skills (Nursing and Health) Survivors Guide, 1st, Routledge, London, 978-027376373
  • Baille, L.: 2018, Developing Practical Nursing Skills, 4th, C.R.C, London, 978-144417595
  • Gates, B and Barr, O: 2019, Oxford Handbook of Intellectual Disability Nursing, 2nd, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
Other Resources

61255, relevant HSE and NMBI policy, 0, Relevant policy, 61256, BNF available from DCU library database listing, 0, BNF,
Programme or List of Programmes
BNIDBSc in Nursing (Intellectual Disability)
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