What will I learn on this module?
This module will enable you to learn about the nature of assessment and planning for ongoing care in mental health nursing specifically addressing the knowledge required to meet the proficiencies outlined in Platform 3: Assessing needs and planning care, in the NMC (2018) Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses.You will be encouraged to critically explore contemporary theoretical perspectives and approaches, considering their application to the individualised needs of the person receiving care. Key concepts related to nursing models, research skills, independent learning will be addressed.
Central to contemporary mental health nursing practice is the notion of recovery. You will debate themes and principles crucial to recovery orientated practice, critically analysing approaches such as person-centered care; partnership working between the professional and individual receiving care; and collaborative partnerships with other professionals and agencies. How such approaches impact on shared decision making in relation to treatment options, assessment and the development of care plans will be a central theme of the module.
You will critically consider competing perspectives in relation to traditional models of care and more contemporary understandings. Utilising a strengths-based approach you will develop an understanding of humanistic inter-personal approaches to assessment and on-going care in exploring the nature of the helping relationship, developing a broad ranging perspective of the person within the context of their personal, social and environmental domains.
The module requires you to demonstrate your growing skills in academic research, through the appraisal of contemporary literature relating to people with complex care needs. The module explores the philosophical assumptions underpinning contemporary healthcare literature to select appropriate research findings to apply to current nursing practice.
How will I learn on this module?
Throughout this module, you will be engaged in a variety of learning and teaching approaches. You will learn from experts from practice, Web-based resources, and face-to-face in-class sessions through the ‘flipped classroom’ approach (Bergman & Sams, 2012). This approach enables you to engage with technology-enhanced learning, with the provision of links to web-based resources and other useful materials and a combination of online lectures and interactive e-learning packages. Flipping the classroom enables you to engage in both directed and self-directed study outside of formal teaching sessions as preparatory work for facilitated seminars. Engagement with this activity is essential for your active participation in the facilitated sessions.
These sessions will include individual work, group discussion and debate, where you will be encouraged to consider competing perspectives, share opinions and experiences, and develop a greater understanding of holistically caring for people. The use of peer support is a vital component of developing critical discussion and generating ideas and will be utilised during this module.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
You will be supported by a module team of specialist nursing lecturers, who will provide ongoing guidance and feedback to ensure you are able to engage with concepts of safe nursing practice, the physical health, mental health and wellbeing status of people of all ages, and the academic rigour of the module.
You will also be supported via the module’s Online Supported Learning systems complimenting face-to-face teaching and more formal classroom arrangements.
Contact with the module team is available in person, via telephone, email and through Blackboard Ultra. Skills Plus, the University Library’s collection of online learning materials can be used to support the development of your academic skills (https://library.northumbria.ac.uk/develop-learning-skills/learning-skills). Further support for your learning is provided with a 24-hour IT Helpline and dedicated website (https://one.northumbria.ac.uk/service/it/Pages/Home.aspx) and the student support and wellbeing service (https://one.northumbria.ac.uk/service/sls/ssw/Pages/Home.aspx) at Northumbria are excellent points of contact for assistance for 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 help desk staff based within university libraries.
Additionally, you will have access to the University’s student portal site and the Ask4Help service (https://one.northumbria.ac.uk/service/sls/ask4help/Pages/home.aspx) which provides help for all student enquiries.
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 the Blackboard Ultra site and library services (https://library.northumbria.ac.uk/develop-learning-skills/learning-skills) to enhance and support your learning. All support will be in line with any Student Accessibility Plans (SAP).
What will I be expected to read on this module?
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.
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Understand and critically reflect on the fundamental principles and concepts underpinning safe, evidence-based person and family centred care.
2. Develop a critical understanding of the complexities of care needs for people with acute, long-term or life limiting conditions.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Critically evaluate the role of the nurse in engaging in collaborative relationships with other disciplines, individuals within services and their significant others to aid the assessment process and ongoing planning of care and care delivery for people with acute, long-term or life limiting conditions.
4. Critically reflect upon and analyse nursing decision making processes in the formulation of management plans, identifying ethical issues related to positive risk taking and your own professional accountability.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Critically appraise the values and ethical practice that underpins nursing assessment and ongoing care delivery through collaborative working to meet the needs of people and their families
How will I be assessed?
Formative:
Provision of formative feedback on performance will be an ongoing process through group/ class discussion in formal scheduled teaching and will align to the criteria of the summative assessment. Working in small peer groups you will present your case study. You will receive feedback against the assessment criteria.
MLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Summative:
.
The summative assessment for the module will be a 3000-word case study in which you will critically analyse the assessment process undertaken with an individual service user and detail the care planned as a result of this assessment .Submission and feedback will be via Turnitin.
MLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Pre-requisite(s)
NA
Co-requisite(s)
NA
Module abstract
You will develop a deeper understanding of the complexities of providing nursing care to people and the impact that specific conditions or events may have on the person and their family including those with long-term or life limiting conditions. You will hear from public and people who use health and care services to understand the effect the care you provide to the person or family can have. Increasing your knowledge base from different perspectives ensures that as a reflective practitioner you are able to consider individual solutions for the benefit of healthcare users and their families. You will gain the knowledge and skills needed for effective practice in continually changing and challenging environments. You will develop the confidence and ability to think critically and provide expert evidenced-based care to become a future nurse who is able to deftly combine knowledge and skill to lead excellence in nursing.
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Course info
Credits 20
Level of Study Postgraduate
Mode of Study 2 years Full Time
Department Nursing, Midwifery & Health
Location Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start January 2026
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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