NS4000 - Practice 1 Foundations of Nursing Associate Practice

Module teaching will be delivered via a range of strategies. At university you will engage in peer group seminars and have access to the BlackBoard Ultra, where you will find a range of learning materials such as PowerPoint presentations, Panopto recordings, videos, workbooks, and digital educational resources. In addition, you will spend 50% of your programme in practice placements developing and consolidating your learning.

You will be empowered to become an independent learner through engagement with an evolving curriculum meeting the needs of individuals and families through innovation and the delivery of best practice. You will be expected to engage in self-directed study that help construct knowledge in preparation for you to become a dynamic, safe and caring professional.

In practice you will learn under the supervision of practice supervisors and practice assessors, who will support you to engage in learning opportunities that will enable you to achieve NMC (2024) Standards of proficiency for nursing associates.

Your learning environment, both in university and practice, will provide you with the opportunity to understand the theoretical background and rationale behind the practice you experience on your practice placement. This will be enhanced by developing your clinical and reflective skills linking theory and practice.

Within this module there will be a close collaboration between the university and practice placement areas to provide you with a robust supportive network. You will be supported by your practice supervisor, practice assessor, academic assessor, practice learning tutors (PLT) and the module team to continue your professional development throughout the first year of your nursing associate programme.

You will be allocated a personal tutor, who will meet with you regularly to provide appropriate pastoral support and sign post you to relevant academic guidance. You will be encouraged to access BlackBoard Ultra, where you will find a range of learning materials to support you with module learning and formative/summative assessments. You will be able to contact the module team in person, by email or phone and through the module page on BlackBoard Ultra. Skills Plus, the University Library’s collection of online learning materials can be used to support the development of your academic skills. You will also support each other via peer support, through engaging in discussion and debate to enhance your learning. Additional relevant materials, including the electronic reading list and other teaching and learning methods will be available via BlackBoard Ultra and library services. The University Libraries at both Coach Lane Campus and City Campus offer an extensive collection of material, both hard copy and electronic, access to international databases and training in information retrieval. All support will be in line with any Student Accessibility Plan (SAP).

The student support and wellbeing service at Northumbria are excellent points of contact for assistance with queries regarding disability, faith, counselling, mental health support, finance, and welfare issues. You can access these services via email on your student portal, by telephone or through the ask4help desk staff based within university libraries. Further details of practice support can be found via the relevant link in the appropriate section of your programme handbook which is located on BlackBoard Ultra.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Recognise and discuss evidence and research that underpins your clinical practice.
2. Understand the importance of self-reflection and be able to apply established models of reflection to your clinical practice.
3. Recognise the key platforms from the NMC The Code: Standards of professional practice for nurses, midwives and nursing associates including prioritising people and be able to discuss the importance of PUSC feedback.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
4. Develop an awareness of your own limitations, applying evidence to perform a range of fundamental practical skills in a safe and effective way.
5. Identify the impact of an effective nursing assessment on the health, wellbeing and safety of patients and clients.
6. Develop a knowledge and understanding of medicine calculations, management, and administration relevant to the role of the registered nursing associate.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
7. Value curiosity, reflect on personal values and develop your professional role and identity in accordance with the NMC Code (2018).
8. Demonstrate the ability to ensure practice is delivered in a compassionate, respectful way maintaining dignity and wellbeing for all service users and their carers through promoting individuality, independence, rights, choice, and inclusion.
9. Demonstrate competence in consistently maintaining patient safety across all settings using appropriate evidence and guidance.
10. Be an advocate, when required, facilitating equitable access to healthcare making necessary reasonable adjustments to the assessment planning and delivery of patient care.

You will be continuously supervised in your practice placements; this will generate feedback for your assessments.

Formative Assessment

You will undertake a variety of assessments, identified in the nursing associate electronic Practice Assessment Document (ePAD), which include episodes of care, medication assessments, written reflections and service user/patient feedback which will feed into the summative assessment.

At the end of your practice placement, you will reflect on your practice development and review your progress with your practice supervisor and practice assessor.
(MLO’s 1 - 10)

Summative Assessment

Pass/Fail – In the final practice placement of year one, following feedback from your practice supervisors, your practice assessor and academic assessor will assess you against the proficiencies an evidence in the ePAD (MLO’s 1 - 10)

N/A

N/A

This comprehensive, year-long module provides nursing associates with essential skills, values, and competencies, aligned with the NMC Code (2018) and NMC (2024) Standards of proficiency for nursing associates. Emphasising a patient-centered, reflective, and evidence-based approach, the module supports skill development in using research and guidelines to make sound clinical decisions. Reflection models, such as Gibbs and Kolb, are embedded to facilitate continuous self-assessment and professional growth.
Core principles include respect, compassion, and prioritising people, with a strong focus on patient dignity and the role of PUSC feedback to enhance care quality. You will receive training in comprehensive nursing assessments, essential for addressing patient needs and delivering effective care plans.
Supported by digital resources like SCRIPT and online learning packages, this module integrates mandatory training in life support, moving and handling, and infection control and Oliver McGowan training. Through ePAD development and coaching-based self-reflection, you will gain foundational skills for becoming competent, compassionate, evidence-based practitioner.