AC7151 - Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Adults

What will I learn on this module?

The module will commence with a reflection and an analysis of your own prior skills and abilities surrounding the care of the person living with or at risk of diabetes, related to your professional practice which will be reviewed throughout the module as learning progresses.
The module will focus on the following elements:
• The delivery of safe and effective management and preventative strategies for diabetes care
• The pathophysiology of diabetes and aetiology of short- and longer-term complications
• The role of technologies for diabetes care
• Approaches to behavioural change for those living with or at risk of diabetes
• The mental health burden of the condition to the person and their significant others
• The role of clinical guidelines and practice / service structures in detecting, managing and postponing diabetes and reversing complications

Your learning will be via guided and individual study through use of interactive eLearning packages followed by a live online seminar. These will evaluate your learning by asking you to undertake formative learning exercises with feedback provided electronically and by teachers as a means to gradually develop your understanding. You will attend the live online seminars and share your learning with teachers and peers using case studies and peer discussion where you will have the opportunity to give and receive feedback and feed forward to each other.
There will be an opportunity to enhance your existing academic and research skills through formative assessment and access to high quality bespoke resources. Students will critically analyse and synthesise differing forms of evidence on which their practice is based. Quality assurance and governance mechanisms will be explored, and students will be encouraged to recognise the importance of these concepts to practice and evaluate how they can contribute to systems to measure and improve quality whilst optimising use of existing resources for people living with diabetes. The written summative assessment asks you to explore and critically analyse a service improvement proposal relevant to the clinical practice area, demonstrating originality in scope and an appreciation of external variables which can impact such proposals.

How will I learn on this module?

This module applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to remove barriers to learning and create an inclusive, flexible experience that accommodates diverse learning styles. By offering multiple ways to engage with content, varied formats for accessing and understanding material, and ample opportunities for diverse action and expression, you can develop and showcase key employability skills. Through a blend of online resources, and live seminars, the module ensures an active, authentic learning journey that supports your success in real-world contexts (La, Dyjur, & Bair, 2018). This means learning will be via a blended delivery using a combination asynchronous (30 hours of web-based resources) and synchronous (12 hours of face-to-face online seminars) learning. A ‘flipped classroom’ approach (Bergman & Sams, 2012), promotes the front loading of theoretical content as preparatory independent study provided via online supported learning (OSL) and reading, prior to the face-to-face online seminar where your understanding of concepts and application of theory will be explored. This approach to module delivery promotes active learning as it works to accommodate your learning needs and abilities by offering flexibility and direction gained from the preparatory web-based materials which are then explored and applied during the live online seminars creating new knowledge. Offering multiple ways of learning helps you to engage along with giving you the opportunity to express your learning through action and/or expression. This encourages a positive learning environment where you are likely to feel more engaged and motivated in your learning. Authentic assessment means that any assessments throughout the module will mirror real life activities that you will be faced with in your professional practice. Authentic assessment will be an on-going key feature of the module, via tasks within the web-based materials and online simulated practice learning. These will not only support your learning of the theory related to professional practice but will also support assessment literacy through developing your skills and knowledge of the assessment process. All assessments within the programme will be operated in accordance with standard operating procedures and marked and moderated in accordance with the Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA) ensuring the academic standards required for student awards are met.

Bergman, J., & Sams, A. (2012) Flip your classroom. Reach every student in every class every day. Washington D.C., International Science of Technology in Education.
La, H., Dyjur, P., & Bair, H. (2018). Universal design for learning in higher education. Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. Calgary University of Calgary

How will I be supported academically on this module?

You will be supported by the module lead who will guide your academic learning and assessment throughout the module. The module lead was involved in developing the e-learning materials, assessment exercises, and will provide some of your live online seminars, and feedback, supported by other staff. This module is supported by Blackboard Ultra and adheres to the university’s minimum standards. The site includes module information, assessment information, power-point presentations and e-learning packages, reading lists and relevant web links. Blackboard Collaborate will be used for the delivery of the live online seminars.

A discussion board is available to the cohort, through which students can post comments and ask questions of their peers throughout the duration of the module. You will have a live online group tutorial will help you prepare for the summative assessment. Your Programme Lead and Personal Tutor are also available to offer guidance on academic support throughout the programme.

The University Libraries offer an extensive collection of material, both hard copy and electronic, access to international databases and training in information retrieval. A variety of study-skills-related help sheets, and online videos can be found on the library Skills Plus site. You can also access a range of student support and wellbeing services via Student Central or by accessing the student support and wellbeing pages and Ask4Help via your electronic student portal.

You will also have an allocated personal/guidance teacher who will provide advice and support in relation to academic, procedural, and (where desired and appropriate) personal matters during the programme of study you have enrolled on. You will have access to 24/7 generic IT support and specific support from the programme team with any specific IT issues related to the e-learning package.

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. 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)

What will I be expected to achieve?

What will I be expected to achieve?
(SRS 0005)
On completion of this module:
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. You will have understood and critically debated the principal determinants and risk factors in the development of type 1 and type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and the pathophysiological changes associated with the condition.
2. You will have critically examined the management and leadership of patients with or at risk of Diabetes Mellitus considering the context of current care delivery within pertinent care settings.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. You will have critically analysed the contemporary evidence to synthesise suggestions for practice, developing your research skills via information retrieval to underpin your understanding of the screening, prevention, management and care delivery of people living with or at risk of diabetes mellitus, showing an appreciation for the complexity of management across care settings, critically examining the extent to which current service provision supports or limits patient choice.
4. You will have developed insight and appreciation of the role of other health professionals in the care of people with or at risk of diabetes, demonstrating in depth knowledge and mastery to inform service provision

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. You will have analysed your own professional practice in relation to the prevention and management of diabetes in adults, identifying areas for development.

How will I be assessed?

How will I be assessed? (SRS 0006)
Please give details of all formative and summative assessment process indicating which MLOs will be addressed and how feedback will be provided.

Formative assessments
• Formative tests and quizzes will be embedded within the e-learning packages providing immediate electronic feedback which will explore medications management, patient consultation and approaches to holistic person-centred care
• Review of a patient case study from practice will inform the summative assessment with feedback being provided in a live online session
• A student -led seminar to feedback on a ‘diabetes innovation’ i.e.: a suggestion upon which to base a service improvement proposal to enhance diabetes prevention or management which links to the summative assessment

(MLO 1 -5) - Verbal peer and teacher feedback in seminar

Summative Assessment
The summative assessment strategy is designed to enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and originality in approach to the promotion and management of the long-term health needs of the adult with, or at risk of diabetes from a service improvement perspective. This will be achieved by digital submission via Turnitin of a 3000-word service improvement proposal (SIP) exploring and critically analysing and synthesising the evidence to support the SIP, justifying the approach to the SIP (model) and evaluating potential strengths and limitations of its implementation.

Feedback will be given electronically via Turnitin and will include development advice for future academic work.

(MLO 1-5).

Pre-requisite(s)

Students will have evidence of previous level 6 study and achieved a degree award of 2:2 or above
To undertake this module, applicants must hold a valid current professional registration (i.e. NMC/GMC/HCPC)

Co-requisite(s)

N/A

Module abstract

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications means healthcare professionals across all areas of practice will encounter people living with diabetes. The module content will facilitate the development of skills, underpinned with a sound evidence base to inform the leadership of holistic, person-centred diabetes care.

You will develop appropriate theoretical knowledge, skills and behaviours related to diabetes care to advance your area of professional practice. You will critically analyse key management concepts related to risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management, lifestyle interventions, foot care, and complications. You will engage with emerging research to explore diabetes management technologies alongside appreciating the mental health impact of living with this long-term condition, contextualised against wider socioeconomic determinants of health and inequalities, enhancing critical clinical thinking and autonomous decision-making skills. You will learn the value and application of comprehensive assessment, investigations and effective management of patients according to national standards within the context of local policies, national frameworks and guidelines and will consider approaches to the application of these into clinical practice with criticality and originality.

Course info

Credits 20

Level of Study Postgraduate

Mode of Study 9 months Part Time

Department Nursing, Midwifery & Health

Location Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025 or January 2026

Fee Information

Module Information

Study at Northumbria

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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