AA0406 - Introduction to Evidence Based Practice in Health and Ill Health: Adult Nursing

On this module, you will learn by attending seminars and workshops hosted on campus. The strategies adopted during seminars and workshops will include presentations of your own work and that of your peer group, enquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, debates, case studies, case histories and group work. Members of the Module Team will facilitate the workshops.

You will learn by preparing to attend seminars and workshops. This preparatory work will be achieved by engaging in Independent Study. The Tutor Guided materials will include interactive learning packages, electronic lectures, workbooks and media outputs. The Module Team will provide advice on how and when to engage in your Tutor Guided Independent Study.
You will be able to choose what you would like to study in more detail. You can spend time preparing for your module assessment and /or generating evidence for your clinical practice placement.

On this module, we advise you to learn by reading. Although this may seem obvious, we do not feel that it can be over emphasised. Reading is vital for your academic and clinical development. Reading will provide technical information to enhance the evidence base for your clinical practice. Reading is also necessary for you to appraise the merits of a variety of writing styles, adopting the strongest and best of the characteristics in your own work to demonstrate progression in your scholarship.


Academic staff will be assessing you. All assessments are aimed to help motivate learning. On this Module, you will be preparing a case study essay for the module assessment.

You will obtain support from face-to-face dialogue with academic staff during seminars and workshops who all have professional clinical backgrounds. You will utilise peer support during the directed and independent parts of the module. A group tutorial to support your summative assessment will be provided during a seminar. You will have access to Northumbria University’s electronic and physical support services. These resources are aimed at improving your critical thinking, reading, writing and clinical practice; as well as helping you maintain your own wellbeing.

More specifically support will come from the following places: Your membership of Northumbria University’s Library. This is an excellent library offering a range of print and digital resources and support 24/7. Through the Library, you will have access to SkillsPlus, a bespoke repository of learning materials focussing on digital delivery of study skills. Your enrolment on our electronic learning platform – currently Blackboard Ultra. This is where you will find online supported learning such as pre-recorded lecture videos, virtual reality-based anatomy and physiology programmes, interactive e-learning packages (e.g. using storyboard technology) and automated links between the module reading list and library catalogue. Blackboard Ultra also hosts plagiarism detection software to ensure you develop high standards of academic conduct when producing written work. Wherever possible the module team will encourage electronic submission, marking and feedback of your assignment – this process is managed via Blackboard Ultra. You will be able to utilise Ask4Help, a service providing individualised support with queries you may have with the module, the programme and day-to day life as an undergraduate. You can access this in person, via the phone or online using the University’s Student Portal. You will have access to phone and online IT support. You can also get support from the Module Lead and/or your Programme Lead if required. When commencing this module, you will be given access to staff addresses and most effective way to contact them.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Comprehend the importance of Evidence Based Practice.

2. Describe the concepts of health and ill health.

Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:

3. Identify, retrieve and utilise different forms of evidence.

4. Interpret information and discuss how it applies to adult nursing.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

5. Develop a genuine curiosity about the roles and functions of the Registered Nurse (Adult).

Formative Assessment:
You will produce a 500-word draft of the module assessment. This will summarise the role of the Registered Nurse (Adult) in meeting the holistic needs of a patient. It will include “in text” citation/ references (included in the word limit) and a reference list (not included in the word limit). This will be peer reviewed. You will receive verbal feedback. (MLO 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5).


Summative Assessment:
Focusing on adult nursing, you will submit a 2,000-word written case study essay exploring the role of the Registered Nurse (Adult) in meeting the holistic needs of a patient. A member of academic staff will assess this, and you will obtain written feedback. (MLO 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5).

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This module will introduce you to three of the important building blocks of professional registered nursing: Evidence Based Practice, Health and Ill Health. The most productive way to help you understand the rationale for care delivery is to look at the various types of evidence that you will need to find, retrieve, read and use in your skills development and clinical practice. Any modern definition of nursing will point to the fact that nurses have a contribution to make in the lives of individuals across all ages, families and communities. They can do this by helping people to stay healthy, or by making their experience of illness manageable, or supporting people who are dying so it leads to a good death. Professional Registered Nurses do all of this in a systematic collaborative manner using nursing models. The module helps you understand what a varied career nursing can be.