Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing (Mental Health)

The Post Graduate Diploma Nursing (Adult) consists of six 20 credit modules.

Three 20 credit modules, with an exit point of Post Graduate Certificate (Health Sciences), promote self-discovery and a critical awareness of the demands of becoming a healthcare professional. The key concepts of nursing, health promotion, illness prevention, biopsychosocial sciences, medicine management, research/evidence base and assessing and meeting needs are core principles explored. The student will adopt a critical approach to explore the therapeutic opportunities available across the fields of nursing. Critical analyses of professionalism, ethics and the law applicable across fields of nursing facilitate the student to develop in-depth understanding of the complex nature of healthcare in an ever-changing political environment. Practice learning experiences will support the students to develop their knowledge and skills in delivering care with active participation in care under minimal supervision as they work towards becoming more proficient in all aspects of person-centred care.

The three 20 credit modules for the final award of Post Graduate Diploma Nursing develop more advanced thinking and a critically analytical approach to learning whilst exploring the quality of care expected by service users, their families and carers. Main themes include key areas that underpin pathophysiology and pharmacology applied to fields of practice becoming prescriber ready and effective, appropriate, compassionate person centred care. Theories of education, leadership and management are explored and how they impact upon providing quality services to service users across the age continuum. During practice learning experiences students are required to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and professional attributes to be able to lead and co-ordinate person centred compassionate care and to support and supervise others. Completion of the Post Graduate Diploma enables application to the NMC nursing register.

A blended learning approach will be used throughout which will facilitate differing learning styles and acknowledge the philosophy of widening access. The learning and teaching strategy will reflect the range and diversity of the content of courses.  Lectures and tutorials will be used in conjunction with group discussions, debates and seminars to facilitate the development of knowledge and understanding of a wide range of themes and topics and their application across practice contexts. Role play will be used to facilitate the development of communication and interpersonal skills. Online activities, discussion forums, and enquiry-based learning will be used to explore several of the topic areas. Students will study and be summatively assessed on an online medication dosage calculation programme during each progression point to facilitate the development of the core nursing skill of the safe administration of medication, to include medication dosage calculations. This will be directly related to the intended field of practice of the student.

Students will participate in simulated learning in the Clinical Simulation Centre. This provides a well-equipped, state-of-the-art facility that replicates a range of practice settings. It has a dedicated team of staff consisting of registered nurses, midwives, and technical support staff who are supported by input from academic staff and registered practitioners from practice learning environments across all fields. Service users are also involved in the development and delivery of simulated scenarios. Clinical simulation offers the student the ability to gain and improve knowledge, understanding and skills in a controlled environment that is suitably challenging but safe and non-threatening. It provides opportunities for the application of knowledge to practice, decision making, critical thinking and team building. Importantly simulation is a means of complimenting the learning to which students are exposed in practice. Simulated clinical scenarios mimic the real world of practice learning experience and reflects all client groups in their authenticity. Practicing in a safe, supported simulated environment builds the confidence and proficiency of the student. 

Students will participate in simulated learning throughout the programme, across fields and in field specific sessions. As students’ progress through each phase of the courses, simulated clinical scenarios will increase in complexity thus providing the student with an appropriate level of challenge in the preparation for registration. The time spent in simulated learning will be in addition to the time spent in practice learning environments. 

Fifty percent of the course is undertaken in the practice learning environment.  Student will have a minimum of 21 weeks of experience in healthcare per part of the programme. Students will be supported by registrants during this time and will be assessed utilising the All Wales Practice Assessment Documents. Students will attend a range of practice learning experiences organised by the university to give a balanced programme leading to registration.

Students will be assessed in a number of ways during the programme. Assessments are structured in a way to ensure they are authentic and meets the needs of a developing registrant. Assessments include:

• Assignments
• Presentations
• Practical Assessments
• Class tests
• MCQs
• Online drug dosage calculations