rgu nursing and midwifery 2015 undergraduate course guide

UNDERGRADUATE COURSE GUIDE 2015

SCHOOL OF NURSING & MIDWIFERY

A CLEAR FUTURE | 1B | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS

Top UNIVERSITY forgraduate employment 97.7% of students graduatingfrom RGU with their firstdegree in 2012/13 were inemployment or undertakingfurther study within 6 months.

HESA (Higher EducationStatistics Agency), 2012/2013

A CLEAR FUTURE | 1B | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS

CONTENTS

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE 4

NURSING AND MIDWIFERY AT RGU 5

WHY NURSING? 6

WHICH FIELD OF NURSING IS FOR YOU? 7

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR NURSES 9

WHY BECOME A MIDWIFE? 10

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIDWIVES 10

HOW YOU WILL BE TAUGHT 12

OUR COURSES 14

BACHELOR OF NURSING 16 Specialising in Adult, Children and Young People’s, Mental Health

BACHELOR OF NURSING (Hons) ADULT 18

MIDWIFERY 20

TALK TO US 23

ONCE YOU’VE APPLIED 24

Robert Gordon University is committed to the accessibility of its publications.

An alternative, electronic format of this course guide is available. If you have

any questions or additional requirements please contact our Admissions Team on

+44 (0)1224 262728 or email [email protected].

A CLEAR FUTURE | 54 | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS4 | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS

making the right choice

Welcome to the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Robert Gordon University. As the main provider of nursing and midwifery education in the north east of Scotland, we have a strong reputation for producing person-centred, capable and professional graduates. Our long established links with clinicians and managers in hospitals and community settings and our developing collaboration with service users and careers ensure that our education provision at Robert Gordon University is contemporary, evidence-based and meets the needs of providers and users of health and social care services in a modern context. Our vision is to educate our students to become nurses and midwives who are knowledgeable, influential, skilled, compassionate and ready to work within a rapidly changing health and social care environment.

My academic team are all qualified practitioners, enabling you to benefit from their vast and varied clinical expertise and research knowledge. We aim to fully support you throughout your studies, so you develop to your full potential as a graduate and enter your chosen field of practice as a caring, confident, competent and skilled Registered Nurse or Midwife. Professor Valerie Maehle, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Care

A CLEAR FUTURE | 54 | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS A CLEAR FUTURE | 5

Our CoursesBachelor of Nursing Adult B741

Bachelor of Nursing Children and Young People’s B731

Bachelor of Nursing Mental Health B760

Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) Adult B740

Bachelor of Midwifery B720

Nursing and Midwifery at Robert Gordon University

The School of Nursing and Midwifery is based in the multi-million pound purpose-built Faculty of Health and Social Care at our riverside Garthdee campus. Amongst other facilities the campus includes a state-of-the-art Clinical Skills Centre, where you will be introduced to and get to practise clinical nursing skills such as therapeutic communication, moving and handling, administration of medicines, taking and recording vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse, in a safe environment. If you are a midwifery student, you will practise delivering a model baby and checking a placenta.

The Clinical Skills Centre is comprised of two ward areas with six beds in each, a high dependency unit, a children’s room and a home setting, providing a realistic and safe learning environment. At times, you will be working with members of our Faculty Volunteer Programme who are members of the public who act as patients, to enhance your learning experiences.

An important focus of all our courses is the opportunity to learn alongside students from other health professions including physiotherapy, social work, radiography and occupational therapy. This inter-professional education is designed to facilitate learning about other professions and the exploration of team-working within health and social care.


why nursing?

Modern health and social care is constantly changing and becoming more integrated. As a registered nurse of the future you will play a key role in ensuring nursing within integrated health and social care services is effective, efficient and person-centred. Not only will you treat, support and care for individuals, families and communities but you will also have an active role in promoting health and preventing ill health.

As a registered nurse you will be part of stimulating and collegial uni- and multi-professional teams. You will work in partnership with the people who need your care, reaching joint decisions about care in an informed and supportive manner. In addition, you will work with the families, friends and significant others of service users to enable their recovery or the achievement of independent, purposeful and positive lives.

To deliver exceptional nursing care as a registered nurse, you need to be open-minded, accept constructive feedback and be willing to embrace the values and attitudes expected of a higher education student and a professional. You will also acquire, maintain and develop in-depth knowledge and technical practice skills. The commitment, challenges and responsibilities are considerable, but with this comes the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives on a daily basis.

If you are a compassionate individual, academically able and motivated to study, with a real interest in understanding and caring for people, you will find nursing will open the door to a career that is diverse, interesting, challenging and rewarding 24/7.

A CLEAR FUTURE | 76 | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS

which field of nursingis for you?

Adult nurses manage numerous responsibilities in circumstances that can be challenging and are expected to deliver and ensure others deliver high quality, professional person-centred care. You will need to be a good leader who knows how to plan and evaluate nursing care, demonstrates astute observational and assessment skills, and be able to make sound, evidence-based decisions that will result in a positive patient experience.

You will be at the centre of a multi-professional team that will include specialist nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, radiographers and social workers. As an adult nurse you will demonstrate compassion, excellent interpersonal skills and be able to put people at ease in difficult circumstances.

Adult nursing is an exciting and varied career which can lead to career opportunities all over the world.

Contemporary undergraduate pre-registration nursing programmes must prepare all students to provide essential care to all people across the life span who require it, whether they have a learning disability, physical disability, mental health or physical health problem, injury or issue associated with normal human development and aging. Therefore, you must realise that your learning will not be exclusively in one field of practice. Around 50% of your learning will be the same regardless of the field you wish to eventually practice in. That said, you will have field-specific learning within the University and most of the practice learning placements, which comprise 50% of the programme, will be field-specific. This preparation means that once you are a qualified nurse, you will be able to work more flexibly in a wider variety of settings.

ADULT As an adult nurse you will work with people over 16 who experience acute or long term illnesses or injury, as well as individuals, families, groups or communities to improve their health and wellbeing. Demographic trends indicate that the population is growing older so as an adult nurse you must expect to work with older people, who may be vulnerable, on a regular basis.

As an adult nurse you can work in emergency and unplanned care services, general or specialist services and outpatient, community and occupational health settings. In addition, you might work in peoples’ own homes, health centres, residential care homes, workplaces or hospitals.

A CLEAR FUTURE | 7


CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE There are some particular challenges facing you as a children and young people’s nurse, for example, their vulnerability linked to the range of developmental stages children and young people go through. As a children and young people’s nurse you will need to work effectively with children and young people across the age range as well as their families and/or other relevant people involved with them. Good verbal and non-verbal communication skills, the ability to engage with them sensitively and minimise distress for all concerned, are vital interpersonal skills.

Children and young people’s nurses deal with individuals who have a diverse range of actual or potential health and social problems, for example, long term conditions or complex needs which might involve physical, congenital or genetic problems and public health issues relating to children and young people such as immunisation, trauma, and mental health problems. An important part of your role will be to care for and support the child or young person, their family and/or other relevant people, with their disability and through illness or injury.

As a children and young people’s nurse you will work in a variety of settings such as schools, day centres, GP surgeries, their own homes, out-patient clinics and hospitals. You will have a key role in co-ordinating care along with other members of a team that may include teachers, play therapists, psychologists, doctors, specialist nurses, social workers and health visitors. Children and young people’s nurses are in demand throughout the UK and abroad.

MENTAL HEALTH As a mental health nurse you will work in partnership with people when they experience mental health problems or illnesses or when they are at risk of them developing or recurring. You will work with people across the life span from young children to older adults as individuals, as family units or in therapeutic groups.

Most people who have mental health problems live in their own homes, and only spend brief periods of time in hospital, if at all. As a mental health nurse you will treat, care for, support, advocate for, protect and motivate individuals and groups during their recovery journey. Increasingly you will work to promote mental health and wellbeing and prevent or reduce the incidence of mental health problems and illnesses.

Demographic trends indicate people with dementia and substance misuse problems, are on the rise and suicide rates, particularly amongst young men, are unacceptably high. People with enduring and anxiety-based mental illnesses, e.g. bipolar mood disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder, still experience stigma and many more are dealing with a complex mix of mental health and social problems, e.g. clinical depression and substance misuse, alongside relationship problems, criminal activity, homelessness and the like. As a mental health nurse you will be expected to possess the knowledge, skills and ethical values and beliefs necessary to minimise stigma and promote acceptance. You will develop person-centred, therapeutic relationships that promote health, recovery and self-management.

As a mental health nurse you will develop specialist knowledge and skills that are in demand all over the world. Mental health nursing is a fascinating, challenging and rewarding profession.

8 | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS


Generally health care is shifting toward being health-focused and community-based rather than illness-focused and hospital-based. You will be part of nursing, the largest healthcare provider workforce, and are therefore ideally placed to promote this agenda because you will be a key member of health and social care teams working in a range of diverse environments; hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics, nursing and care homes, occupational health services, hospices, oil rigs and cruise ships, the prison service, schools, with charities in developed and in developing countries, and for the armed forces. Many nurses are able to find employment that allows them to balance work and home life even taking into account the 24/7 nature of nursing.

After qualifying, and as your knowledge and expertise increases, you may move into more senior practitioner roles, for example, you can become a team or unit leader, a specialist or advanced practitioner or a clinical academic with the possibility of becoming a nurse consultant who holds a Masters or PhD degree. Other career opportunities include research, education, practice development or management.

For further information about the career opportunities available for nurses, please visit www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

career opportunities for nurses

A CLEAR FUTURE | 9


WHY BECOME A MIDWIFE?

The midwife’s role goes much further than supporting women during the birth of their baby – in fact for many midwives, this is only one small aspect of their work. The midwife is involved in antenatal and postnatal care, in counselling, in offering support and education, and in helping mothers and their partners prepare for parenthood. After the birth, the midwife supports the mother in a wide variety of ways, promoting breastfeeding, establishing feeding routines, bonding with their babies, checking the woman’s body is returning to its pre-pregnancy state and discussing contraceptive choices.

To be an effective midwife you will need excellent interpersonal skills as you will be supporting a diverse range of people, some from vulnerable families, during some emotionally intense situations.You will be the most frequent point of contact for parents-to-be and will be expected to share advice, answer their questions and give confident reassurance. You will need to be capable of working on your own as well as part of a team, liaising with GPs, health visitors and social workers and, importantly, have a genuine passion for the job.

career opportunities for midwives

An increasing number of midwives now work in the community, providing services in the home, local clinics and GP surgeries. There is, of course, the option to be hospital-based, where there are plenty of opportunities for midwives to work on antenatal, labour and postnatal wards. After qualifying, and as your knowledge and expertise increases, you could move into more senior practitioner roles, becoming a team or unit manager. This will enable you to combine responsibility for managing other staff with ongoing hands-on involvement with clients. Some midwives also choose to work as independent practitioners outside the NHS.

You may choose to specialise in a particular area of perinatal care and study for further qualifications. If you stay in practice, you could consider the role of consultant midwife, providing clinical leadership for midwives and others across maternity services. Other career opportunities include research, teaching, practice development and management within the NHS, where you could influence the shape of healthcare across a whole community. You may also choose to move into neonatal nursing or health visiting.



“I have felt so supported by the mentors

in my clinical placements which has been

great. The mentors I have worked with

are keen to teach and are supportive as

you learn new skills.

“The course is very challenging but I

wouldn’t change my experience for

anything. I can’t wait to be qualified and

put everything I have learned

into practice.”

Laura GossBachelor of Midwifery student

A CLEAR FUTURE | 11


How You Will Be Taught

PLACEMENTS Whatever field of nursing practice you select to study, you will spend 50% of your programme in practice learning. Practice learning is usually undertaken in clinical placements that reflect the field of practice you are aiming to become a registered nurse in. It is because of our strong partnerships with healthcare providers such as NHS Grampian, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, independent and 3rd sector providers that we are able to offer students a diverse range of high quality practice learning experiences.

As well as placement opportunities located throughout in Aberdeen, they are throughout Grampian, Shetland and Orkney (nursing and midwifery), and Highlands, Western Isles and Tayside (midwifery). Therefore you can expect to experience urban, rural and remote hospital, residential and community nursing or midwifery.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council requires all students to have experience of the 24 hour 7 day a week nature of nursing and midwifery. Throughout the whole programme, if you are at least 18 years old, you will be required to undertake practice learning according to the shift patterns of your placement areas. This will include 12 hour shifts, early and late shifts, weekend shifts and night shifts.

During each practice placement, your learning will be supported and assessed by a named mentor, who will be a registered nurse. In addition, all other members of the clinical team will contribute to your learning, support and assessment.

For more information about placements visitwww.rgu.ac.uk/future-students/placements

During university time, face to face learning experiences will be delivered in a variety of ways, e.g. lectures, workshops, tutorials and skills practise. In addition you are required to engage in directed and online learning, which may be reading articles, reports and other types of literature, or working in small groups on a project or participating in online discussion forums via Campus Moodle.

You will be supported by a named personal tutor for the duration of the programme. Your personal tutor will provide general academic guidance and pastoral support. When you are undertaking each module, you will have a named academic tutor who will provide specific support in relation to the learning and assessment process for the specific module.

The content of your programme is organised into modules. Each module is assessed and the method of assessment will depend upon the module content, learning outcomes expected and the way the module is delivered. You must pass all assessments in a nursing or midwifery programme.



PROGRAMME HOURS The Nursing and Midwifery Council have specific attendance requirements which nursing and midwifery students must meet. Therefore programme attendance is very closely monitored. As a nursing or midwifery student we aim to provide a timetable for your academic learning in the University between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. However this is not guaranteed. You may find there are classes commencing at 8am or extending into the evening. We work with all other programmes and courses within the University to achieve a fair approach to timetables in terms of student friendly guidelines and the need to share equally access to all the University’s resources.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT Nursing and Midwifery students are entitled to a non income-assessed bursary which is administered through the Student AwardAgency for Scotland (SAAS). For more information about funding, please visit www.saas.gov.uk

A CLEAR FUTURE | 13


our courses

BACHELOR OF NURSING, SPECIALISING IN ADULT, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE OR MENTAL HEALTH

Healthcare needs are constantly changing and healthcare policy expectations and targets must be evident in the curriculum. The BN curriculum is organised into five themes that are revisited in every stage:• Health• Information Literacy for Quality Care• Professional Person-Centred Care• Sciences for Holistic Nursing• Skills for Safe Clinical Practice

There is an expectation that in addition to providing complex, high quality care in their chosen field of practice, registered nurses should be able to provide essential care to all individuals, regardless of age or healthcare need. As required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the programme has significant generic, shared learning at every stage and all students will be expected to meet generic competencies as well as field-specific competencies.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council competencies, which all students must achieve in practice placements, fall within four domains:• Professional Values• Communication and Interpersonal Skills• Nursing Practice and Decision Making• Leadership, Management and Team Working

To promote student choice and breadth of learning, in year 3, you will be able to select an optional module from a range on offer. The optional module will allow you to enhance your personal development and graduate attributes through studying an area of interest that reflects the wider context of healthcare.

The BN courses have been developed to enable you to become a confident and capable nurse who is sought after by employers. Successful completion of the course will enable you to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

BACHELOR OF NURSING (HONS) ADULT

The fourth year of the BN Honours course builds on the first three years which is the same as the BN courses. The focus of year 4 is to further develop your leadership, management and research capabilities as well as to enhance your clinical knowledge and skills. You will have the opportunity to select one of two routes through fourth year; one focuses on the theory and practice of contemporary community nursing and the other on unscheduled care and the management of emergencies.

The development, writing and submission of an independent dissertation that will reflect the optional route selected is a key part of the fourth year. This element allows for the development and assessment of effective research and critical thinking skills which will provide the basis for postgraduate study in your future. Honours graduates are also well prepared to take on management and leadership roles at a relatively early stage in their careers.

Successful completion of stage 4 of the Honours course leads to eligibility to apply for registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council.

BACHELOR OF MIDWIFERY

This very popular three year course aims to equip you to become a motivated, professional practitioner and leads to a dual award.Completion of the three year course enables you to be registered as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and you are awarded a Bachelor of Midwifery degree. The wide ranging practice settings you will experience prepare you to work as a safe, confident and competent midwife and be able to demonstrate leadership and management skills. The course aims to develop your awareness of the need for continuing professional development and further study throughout your career. There are many future career opportunities open to you such as ward manager, lactation consultant, consultant midwife, researcher or lecturer.



“Placements taught me so much, not just on

how to achieve the learning outcomes outlined

in the course but also skills to deal with

everyday life situations.

“Being on placement is a chance to really

put into practice the skills you learn in the

classroom and to learn many more new ones.”

Adult Nursing student

A CLEAR FUTURE | 15


YEAR 1 In year 1 you will commence your studies in nursing by undertaking modules that reflect the five curriculum themes. You will study and be assessed in the key concepts relating to health and well being and their relationship to nursing; information literacy knowledge and skills to ensure your learning and practice is effective and evidence-based, including numeracy and study skills; values-based professional and compassionate person-centred care and what that means for you as an individual; life and psychosocial sciences that underpin nursing, including genetics, anatomy and physiology, growth and development, the mind and its mechanisms, and aspects of the nursing role; and essential nursing skills that are required to deliver safe nursing care including risk assessment, infection prevention and control, nutrition and fluid balance, administration of medicines and drug calculations and therapeutic communication.

Emphasis is placed on you understanding and meeting the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Good Health and Good Character standards which will include you being responsible for managing your own behaviour within and outwith your course, your learning and engagement with the theory and practice elements of the course, maintaining confidentiality when expected, and you demonstrating a respectful, professional and ethical attitude towards others, be they other students, lecturers, mentors or service users and their families and friends.

YEAR 2 You will continue to explore the five themes studied in year 1. The focus will shift from promoting your understanding of the key concepts to facilitating you to apply your ongoing learning about the theory, research and other types of evidence relating to the themes, to more complex scenarios and to your clinical practice. More time will be spent studying how to improve health; how to use different types of information to ensure your decisions and actions as a nurse are based on evidence and research findings; the experience of

users of health services and what that says about standard of care you will be expected to provide; the legal, professional, ethical and therapeutic frameworks that will guide your practice; pathophysiology and psychopathology, the classification and management of key conditions and health issues and the associated nursing role; clinical and therapeutic nursing skills, NMC essential skills clusters and mandatory health and safety requirements.

As you progress you will be expected to demonstrate you are taking more responsibility for your own learning and development with increased engagement in directed and online learning. You will be expected to reflect upon and analyse your practice experiences in order to inform your self-development and study plans. In practice you will be expected to show you are progressing towards more independent practice whilst under the supervision of your mentor.

YEAR 3In year 3 learning becomes more integrated and focused on developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be accountable for your own decisions and practice and achieve the Nursing and Midwifery Council competencies in practice. You will learn how to evaluate interventions designed to promote health and recovery; appraise research and other types of evidence to ensure you are able to influence quality improvement in practice; promote a culture of excellence in practice through effective leadership and management of yourself and others; and deliver, analyse and justify complex professional practice.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to select an optional module to study an area of interest to enhance your personal, professional development. You will also have the opportunity to apply for an Erasmus Exchange placement through a partner European institution or a place on our Grampian Houston Exchange.


WHAT YOU WILL STUDyBachelor of Nursing, specialising in Adult, UCAS B741, Children and Young People’s UCAS B731, Mental Health UCAS B760


A CLEAR FUTURE | 17

ENTRY REQUIREMENTSADULT NURSING B741CHILDREN’S & YOUNG PEOPLE’S NURSING B731MENTAL HEALTH NURSING B760

SQA HIGHERCCC preferably to include English and a science subject. English, Maths and a science subject required at National 5 level if notheld at Higher.

GCE A LEVELCC preferably to include English and a science subject. English, Maths and a science subject required at GCSE Grade C or above.

IRISH LEAVING CERTIFICATE HIGHERC1C1C1 preferably to include English and a science subject. English, Maths and a science are required at Ordinary Level C1 or above if not held at Higher.

ALTERNATIVE QUALIFICATIONS FOR BACHELOR OF NURSINGAn appropriate Access to Nursing course that is equivalent to 3 SQA Highers at Grade C or above.

ADVANCED ENTRYFor Mental Health and Adult Nursing entry to year 2 may be possible following completion of HNC Care and Administrative Practice from one of our partner FE colleges.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE QUALIFICATIONAll applicants whose first language is not English are required to have an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 7.0 in all elements or an appropriate equivalent.

SELECTION VISITApplicants will be invited to attend a selection event. This will take the form of a tour of the facilities, an opportunity to meet academics and practitioners, and an interview.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTSAcceptance to all nursing and midwifery courses is subject to a health and immunisation screening and satisfactory PVG clearance (previously an enhanced disclosure). For more details about the PVG scheme please visit www.disclosurescotland.co.uk

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONApplicants who do not have the required level of Maths may be eligible for the Applied Number Skills course subject to availability.

STUDY OPTIONSFull-time: 3 years


WHAT YOU WILL STUDyBachelor of Nursing (Hons) Adult ucas B740

YEAR 1 In year 1 you will commence your studies in nursing by undertaking modules that reflect the five curriculum themes. You will study and be assessed in the key concepts relating to health and well being and their relationship to nursing; information literacy knowledge and skills to ensure your learning and practice is effective and evidence-based, including numeracy and study skills; values-based professional and compassionate person-centred care and what that means for you as an individual; life and psychosocial sciences that underpin nursing, including genetics, anatomy and physiology, growth and development, the mind and its mechanisms, and aspects of the nursing role; and essential nursing skills that are required to deliver safe nursing care including risk assessment, infection prevention and control, nutrition and fluid balance, administration of medicines and drug calculations and therapeutic communication.

Emphasis is placed on you understanding and meeting the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Good Health and Good Character standards which will include you being responsible for managing your own behaviour within and out with your course, your learning and engagement with the theory and practice elements of the course, maintaining confidentiality when expected, and you demonstrating a respectful, professional and ethical attitude towards others, be they other students, lecturers, mentors or service users and their families and friends.

YEAR 2 You will continue to explore the five themes studied in year 1. The focus will shift from promoting your understanding of the key concepts to facilitating you to apply your ongoing learning about the theory, research and other types of evidence relating to the themes to more complex scenarios and to your clinical practice. More time will be spent studying how to improve health; how to use different types of information to ensure your decisions and actions as a nurse are based on evidence and research findings; the experience of users of health services and what that says about

standard of care you will be expected to provide; the legal, professional, ethical and therapeutic frameworks that will guide your practice; pathophysiology and psychopathology, the classification and management of key conditions and health issues and the associated nursing role; clinical and therapeutic nursing skills NMC essential skills clusters and mandatory health and safety requirements.

As you progress you will be expected to demonstrate that you are taking more responsibility for your own learning and development with increased engagement in directed and online learning. You will be expected to reflect upon and analyse your practice experiences in order to inform your self-development and study plans. In practice you will be expected to show you are progressing towards more independent practice whilst under the supervision of your mentor.

YEAR 3In year 3 learning becomes more integrated and focused on developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be accountable for your own decisions and practice and achieve the Nursing and Midwifery Council competencies in practice. You will learn how to evaluate interventions designed to promote health and recovery; appraise research and other types of evidence to ensure you are able to influence quality improvement in practice; promote a culture of excellence in practice through effective leadership and management of your self and others; and deliver, analyse and justify complex professional practice.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to select an option module to study an area of interest to enhance your personal, professional development. You will also have the opportunity to apply for an Erasmus Exchange placement through a partner European institution or a place on our Grampian Houston Exchange.



YEAR 4In year 4 as a BN (Hons) student you will select an option route which will comprise a theory module and a practice module. The option routes reflect contemporary and future service design; either health care in the community, including public health or unscheduled care and management of emergencies. Both will provide learning across the life span and consider physical and mental health perspectives as well as the social context within which health care roles are operating and care is provided. A major component of year 4 is the dissertation which you will undertake with support from a named supervisor. This is an independent extended study which will reflect the option route you have selected. In year 4, health and social care integration is also studied through examining inter-agency and inter-professional systems and processes and how they help or hinder the care service users’ experience.

On successful completion of year 4 BN (Hons) students will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTSBachelor of Nursing (Hons) Adult ucas B740

A CLEAR FUTURE | 19

SQA HIGHERBBBC including English. A science subject is also recommended. Maths and a science subject are required at National 5 level or above if not held at Higher.

GCE A LevelBCC including English. A science subject is also recommended. Maths and a science subject are required at GCSE Grade C or above if not held at A Level.

IRISH LEAVING CERTIFICATE HIGHERB2B2B2C1 including English. A science subject is also recommended. Ordinary Level Maths and a science subject required at Grade C1 or above if not held at Higher Level.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE QUALIFICATIONAll applicants whose first language is not English are required to have an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 7.0 in all elements or an appropriate equivalent.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONApplicants who do not have the required level of Maths may be eligible for the Applied Number Skills course subject to availability.

SELECTION VISITApplicants will be invited to attend a selection event. This will take the form of a tour of the facilities, an opportunity to meet academics and practitioners and an interview.


STUDY OPTIONSFull-time: 4 years


WHAT YOU WILL STUDyBachelor of Midwifery UCAS B720

YEAR 1You will be introduced to three dynamic academic themes: effective midwifery care, midwifery for health and the midwife within society. You will also learn introductory clinical midwifery skills in a simulated environment prior to experience in a range of practice placements.

YEAR 2You will build upon your professional knowledge and experience from year 1 to develop your skills and confidence. The three academic themes of effective midwifery care, midwifery for health and the midwife within society will be explored in greater breadth and depth. This knowledge will be enhanced through your learning in clinical practice. You will grow in independence as an effective professional learner. You will gain further insight into the role of the midwife by working in partnership with women and families from our diverse society. This will be strengthened by your understanding of the importance of effective midwifery practice within maternity care teams.

YEAR 3In your final year you will consolidate your knowledge, skills and attitudes to engage in midwifery care with confidence. You will be proficient in midwifery skills for low risk pregnant women and their families, and you will be an effective member of maternity care teams. You will meet the professional outcomes set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the academic outcomes established for the BMidwifery course. This will enable you to embark on a career as a midwife.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTSBachelor of Midwifery UCAS B720

SQA HigherBBBC to include English and a science subject. Higher Biology or Human Biology is recommended. Maths at National 5 level or above is essential.

GCE A LEVELBCC to include English and a science subject. A Level Biology or Human Biology is recommended. Maths at GCSE Grade C or above is essential.

IRISH LEAVING CERTIFICATE HIGHERB2B2B2C1 to include English and a science subject. Higher Biology or Human Biology is recommended. Maths at Ordinary Level Grade C1 or above is essential.

English Language QualificationAll applicants whose first language is not English are required to have an IELTS (International English LanguageTesting System) score of 7.0 in all elements or an appropriate equivalent.

SELECTION VISITApplicants will be invited to attend a selection event. This will take the form of a tour of the facilities, an opportunity to meet academics and practitioners and an interview.


STUDY OPTIONSFull-time: 3 yearsProvision is available for students with dependants to undertake the course over a period of three years and 15 weeks. Such students take five additional weeks of annual leave per year from clinical practice time to allow caring for dependants.



“It’s a real privilege to be involved in

people’s lives at such an important time.”

Bachelor of Midwifery student


“Placements differ throughout the nursing

curriculum so you get a varied experience such

as wards within the acute setting and out within

the community.

“You get the option to choose which wards you may

like to have a placement within. So if you have a

certain area you think you may want to work in,

you can try to get a placement within that ward.

“I plan to get a job within the acute sector, maybe

within accident and emergency or intensive care.”

Amy Johnston BN (Hons) Nursing


THE NEXT STEP ISTO TALK TO US

We can answer any questions you may have.Simply call us on 01224 262728 or email [email protected]

We also offer a range of opportunities to visit us, giving you and your family the opportunity to see for yourselves what the University is like and, more importantly, whether it meets your expectations and needs.

OPEN DAYS

For full information and to register, please go to VISIT AFTERNOONS

If you are unable to attend an Open Day, come along to one of our monthly Visit Afternoons. To register go to:

Have you seen our current prospectus? This gives valuable additional information about student life in Aberdeen and the wider University. Request a prospectus or download it at:

top for GraduAte jobsPublished by HESA, July 2013

Symbol of success

DISCLAIMER

This publication is intended as a guide for applicants for courses

delivered by Robert Gordon University. In compiling it, the University

has taken every care to be as accurate as possible, and the information

in this brochure is correct at the time of going to print, but this

publication must be read as subject to change at any time and without

notice. The University undertakes to make every reasonable effort to

provide the teaching and academic facilities necessary for applicants’

programmes of study. However, the University reserves the right, if

such action is considered to be necessary, to make variations to fees

and/or to vary the content or delivery method of any course at any time.

In addition, the University may, at its sole discretion, discontinue or

amalgamate any course(s). In these rare cases, the University will notify

applicants as soon as possible and reasonable steps will be taken to

provide a suitable alternative to a discontinued course.


SUMMER SCHOOLIf you are a secondary school pupil and would like to gain a better understanding of what a career in nursing or midwifery is about, then why not register for our week long summer school event? You will have the opportunity to participate in a taster programme for each of the fields of nursing we offer to see which branch interests you the most. For details of the summer school and how to apply, go to www.rgu.ac.uk/nursing

once you’ve applied

To be a nurse or midwife, it is vital that you meet the academic requirements and also have the right personal qualities too – such as a caring nature and a genuine interest in people. Without these personal attributes you will find the course challenging and it is essential that qualified practitioners display these qualities.

As part of our selection process, you will be invited to attend a morning or afternoon selection visit. This typically involves an opportunity to tour the facilities, meet with staff and a short interview. We want you to see this as a two way process – giving you the opportunity to ask us any questions you might still have about the course. It also enables us to assess whether you are ideally suited to nursing or midwifery as a career. For more information, visit www.rgu.ac.uk/nursing

Once you have been offered a place with us, you will be invited to one of our Relationship Building events in August or September. The event will enable you to familiarise yourself more fully with the School and our staff, prior to commencing your studies with us.

It is only after you are offered and firmly accept a place on one of our courses that the health screening and Disclosure checks, required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, are carried out.

For further information on Health Screening and Disclosure, contact Susan Cumming on 01224 262982 or [email protected]

A CLEAR FUTURE | PB26 | SYMBOL OF SUCCESS

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robertgordonuniversity

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/robertgordonuni

Watch us on YouTube www.youtube.com/robertgordonuni

CONTACT US T: +44 (0)1224 262728 E: [email protected] visit www.rgu.ac.uk

Des

igne

d by

The

Gat

ehou

se -

Des

ign

& P

rint C

onsu

ltanc

y at

RG

U

rgu nursing and midwifery 2015 undergraduate course guide

Documents

school of nursing midwifery

field of nursing

clinical nursing skills

main provider of nursing

midwifery education

midwifery student

social carea clear future

users of health