Core modules

• Complexities Of Critical Care

  In this module you will use case studies, drawn from your own area of practice, to develop a deep and systematic understanding of the complexities of critical illness pertinent to the patients for which you will provide care. As this is a Masters level course, you will be expected to already have acquired knowledge of the fundamental principles of adult critical care nursing. The focus of this module will, therefore, be on world class contemporary research and international guidelines relevant to nursing within critical care. The pathophysiology of critical illness and its implications will be explored in the context of patient assessment, interpretation of clinical observations and patient management. You will work within action learning sets on-line appraising, discussing and debating key evidence via Anglia Ruskin University's virtual learning environment. You will be expected to evaluate the validity and reliability of this key evidence for their area of practice to promote humane and caring nursing. The expectation is that practice will vary widely amongst the class and be influenced by cultural and resource availability. You will be expected to evaluate the research in the context of your own patients, culture and resources and draw conclusions and implications for practice that are realistic and achievable.

• Development And Innovations In Critical Care

  The focus of this module is the delivery of safe and effective quality adult critical care nursing and the processes by which this is monitored. Quality adult critical care nursing is dependent on clinical governance. Quality-improvement programmes, which include such activities as clinical effectiveness, clinical audit and procedures for identifying and remedying poor performance, will be evaluated. In this module you will critically explore issues relating to quality and safety in relation to their own area of practice. You will be encouraged to evaluate how system failure and human error/human factors results in sub-optimal care together with areas of good practice in developing response to deficiencies within their own sphere of work; taking into account cultural differences and boundaries of resource allocation. The role of quality, innovation, productivity and prevention of harm in enhancing patient care will be explored. You will be expected to demonstrate the ability to isolate and focus on significant features of problems and construct coherent solutions. The assessment is patchwork text/ ervice user enhancement project, in which, solutions to an identified quality or safety issue will be evaluated. You are expected to produce a piece of work that recommends specific, measurable and realistic changes in practice that are innovative or have significant original features. This will enable you to demonstrate competent, evidence-based practice which has positive and assessable benefits for the patient.

• Major Project

  The Major Project, which is central to the Masters award, enables you to demonstrate your ability to synthesise learning from previous modules and use this learning as the basis for planning, conducting and writing up a research or work-based project. This project provides the opportunity for you to demonstrate: the ability to raise significant and meaningful questions in relation to your specialism; depth of knowledge which may involve working at current limits of theoretical and/or research understanding; critical understanding of research methods and its relationship to knowledge; awareness of and ability to develop solutions to ethical dilemmas likely to arise in their research or professional practice; the ability to draw meaningful and justifiable conclusions from information which may be complex or contradictory; the capability to expand or redefine existing knowledge to develop new approaches to changing situations and contribute to the development to best practice; the ability to communicate these processes in a clear and sophisticated fashion; the capability to evaluate your work from the perspective of an autonomous reflective learner. In the course of your studies with us you may generate intellectual property which is defined as an idea, invention or creation which can be protected by law from being copied by someone else. By registering with us on your course you automatically assign any such intellectual property to us unless we agree with the organisation covering the cost of your course that this is retained by them. In consideration of you making this assignment you will be entitled to benefit from a share in any income generated in accordance with our Revenue Sharing Policy in operation at that time.

• Research Studies

  This module is designed to provide you with a critical overview of the main methodologies and designs applied to research within health and social care, professional practice, regulation and policy. It provides you with an opportunity to explore the theoretical dilemmas which underlie the process of inquiry and its relationship to practice. The module will provide a framework within which to select, evaluate and justify the research methods chosen for your research project. The module requires you to prepare and write a research proposal which will normally lead to a level 4 dissertation. Hence prior knowledge of some research approaches at level 3 is normally expected. This module is taken by students on a variety of courses. Learning will usually be with a group of students who bring different academic and/or professional interests to their study, thus providing a community of collaborative learning well suited to interdisciplinary exploration.

• Advancing Professional Decision Making

  The aim of this module is to advance the your decision making skills through critical reflection particularly in the area of advanced organisational practice. This module will also be an optional module for other course in the Masters framework within the Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education. The module is designed to be delivered via a taught route and via distance learning. The demands of modern healthcare systems require the development of roles for confident autonomous organisational practitioners, who possess the knowledge and skills to implement complex decisions in a rapidly changing health sector environment and to play key roles in service development. This is particularly important in advanced organisational practice and you will be encouraged to focus on new or advanced areas of service developments and consider issues such as ethics, legislation and quality assurance. You will need to be able to utilise both strategic and operational decision making skills within an area of advanced organisational development and or practice and to develop strategies to facilitate the implementation of the outcomes of the decision making process, either as an individual or within a team/organisational context. You will contextualise these skills to your own area of service and expertise. The module is assessed in two parts: a 3,000 word essay in which you are required to evaluate a range of areas of advanced organisational practice. You will then be required to select from one of these areas and produce a critical appraisal.