This 40-credit module will run during the year long programme. Students will be introduced to aspects of leading and managing the delivery of specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN, health visitor) for children and families in home, and community settings. Learning focuses students on strategies for autonomous practice in complex, unpredictable situations, and settings. Adopting the four pillars of advanced practice, the module enables students to lead and manage person-centred, evidence informed care and service delivery in line with contemporary research, policy, and legislation to improve the quality of care, life chances and outcomes for children and families. With protected learning time students as active learners engage with their practice assessor and supervisor who together will lead and facilitate a range of activities, designed to enable the student to learn and achieve the required learning outcomes.

During the module students will complete a district nursing practice or a health visiting placement (health visiting programme). Working alongside the practice supervisor(s) and assessor under direct and indirect supervision, students will have protected learning time. They will work within a designated team and engage with people of all ages as part of regular casework activity. 

During the module, students will complete a practice assessment document (PAD). They will also engage in written and verbal reflective activity to enhance their learning and understanding.  The imperative during the module is that students learn in and from practice by gaining a breadth of knowledge, understanding and exposure to a range of practice and service delivery situations. Practice assessors in partnership with the practice supervisors lead and facilitate a range of activities, designed to enable the student to actively learn and achieve the required learning outcomes. Towards the end of the programme students will work alongside the practice supervisor(s) and assessor under indirect supervision. Developing self-management skills and retaining protected learning time, students will complete a period of at least 10 weeks in placement under indirect supervision of the practice supervisor(s) and assessor and be supported to manage a dedicated caseload of clients and workload activity. The imperative during this time continues to be the facilitation of student learning, professional and practice development. During dedicated caseload management experiences students will also be supported to build strategies for resilience in preparation for the realities of practice and service delivery as a qualified SPQ district nurse or SCPHN health visitor.

Available as a standalone module: No

Aims
This module aims to enable learners:

• To gain a breadth of knowledge, understanding and exposure to a range of practice and service delivery situations.
• To develop and use strategies for autonomous practice and evidence informed service delivery in complex, unpredictable situations, and settings.
• To develop knowledge and understanding of the four pillars of advanced practice and use this approach to lead and manage care and evidence informed service delivery in line with contemporary research, policy, and legislation.
• To develop and use the skills and knowledge to enable them to lead and manage an active caseload of children and families, receiving the health visiting services with reducing levels (from direct to indirect) of supervision from the practice assessor.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:

• Appraise strategies for assessing, deciding, delivering, and evaluating person-centred care to children and families in situations that may be complex, and unpredictable.
• Critically consider the operational and strategic leadership and management priorities for contemporary specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN, health visitor) practice and evaluate the impact they have on the design, and delivery of safe, person-centred, and evidence-informed care to children, families, and communities.

Intellectual Skills:

• Appraise the theories and principles of public health practice (including health promotion, improvement, and protection) and use them to lead and manage early intervention and prevention-focused care delivery for children, families, and communities.
• Demonstrate and critically evaluate compassionate leadership when managing specialist community public health nursing (health visiting), interdisciplinary and interagency teams and supporting individual professional wellbeing, motivation, and productivity by promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Practical Skills:

• Demonstrate and critically reflect on the ability to lead and manage the SCPHN (health visiting) team, person-centred care, and clinically efficient, effective, and safe service delivery.
• Critically analyse and apply policy and legislation to safeguard and protect the health, wellbeing and safety of children and families who are vulnerable, live in complex, unpredictable situations and need others to advocate on their behalf.

Transferable Skills:

• Explain and critically reflect on the use of social interaction, partnership working and engagement strategies that promote co-production and shared decision-making with children, families, and communities receiving SCPHN (health visiting) services.
• Appraise and critically apply strategies for leading and managing priorities of care and service delivery in situations that are complex, unpredictable, and subject to change.

This module can contribute to the following programme(s)

6015: PgDip Specialist Practice Qualification District Nursing

6076: PgDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting)