Return to Practice

This Return to Practice course offers an excellent opportunity if you have previously fulfilled the role of a registered nurse to return to the profession.

It also supports those unable to meet practice hours to fulfil the NMC requirements for revalidation, to remain on the register.

This course offers an excellent opportunity for those who previously fulfilled the role of a registered nurse to return to the profession and build on previous experience to once again be in a position to lead and manage effective person centred care. The course will also support those who wish to remain on the register as a nurse to fulfil the NMC requirements for revalidation if they have practiced for fewer than 750 hours in the previous 5 years or 450 hours in the previous 3 years. The course will enable the student to develop, refresh and enhance knowledge, skills, professional values and proficiencies required of a registered nurse to re enter or remain on the NMC professional register within their intended field of practice

Successful completion of the course provides eligibility to apply and be re-entered or to remain on the NMC register in one of the four fields of nursing; Adult, Child, Learning Disabilities or Mental Health.

NMC Approved Course

The general and professional content of the course detailed below will be applied to each field of nursing practice.

On line learning units such as clinical skills, medicine dosage calculations ,mandatory training skills, safeguarding , health promotion

Core mandatory skills to include:

Basic Life Support
Management of challenging behaviour including de-escalation, violence and aggression.
Universal precautions
Infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship and resistance, Aseptic, Non Touch Technique (ANTT)
Manual handling
MECC

Other topics covered on this course include:

The NMC Code (2018), accountability, the duty of candour, raising concerns, whistleblowing, legal & ethical duties and standards of care.
Autonomy, advocacy, empowering people, supporting service user choice, informed consent, capacity, facilitating decision-making.
Care, compassion, communication, kindness, empathy and warmth, revisiting core professional values.
Developing effective communication and relationship management skills (Annexe A).
Developing nursing procedural skills to deliver safe and effective practice (Annex B).
Developing effective literacy, digital and technological literacy and numeracy skills for safe and effective practice.
Preparation for practice learning and the assessment of practice – requirements of the PAD.
Appraising and applying a variety of theoretical and research evidence to support evidence based practice
Developing reflective practice, critical self-appraisal and action planning to develop life long learning
Promoting health and preventing ill health, locally, nationally and globally.
Signposting of relevant information to empower service users and carers to understand and make decisions about health, illness and life choices.
Caring for the deteriorating and critically ill child and adult client / Caring for a client in crisis / NEWS and EWES.
Role of the multi-professional team in care delivery.
Physical, psychological and emotional impact of living with and caring for a family member with a long term condition.
Palliation and end of life care.
Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and medicines management, and professional responsibilities .
Assessing and managing risk, across a range of care settings.
Theories of leadership and management.
Developing the knowledge and skills to be a Practice Supervisor.

Teaching

Currently this is a changing landscape with due consideration of social distancing requirements and Welsh Government guidance and access to campus. The course will be delivered using a blended learning approach, consisting of: l

live – online sessions – synchronous activities, scheduled for a Thursday.
guided asynchronous activities that you can study at any point during the week.
Regular discussions with your Personal Tutor reflecting on your development
Feedback in relation to assessed elements of the course
Clinical Simulation Centre provides an opportunity to revisit professional issues and application of knowledge and development of proficiency.
Hydra Minerva Simulation offers an immersive learning opportunity to contextualise and apply theories to practical, authentic scenarios and to enhance decision making and rationale for decisions. This can be experienced via a virtual environment .

Within practice placement:

Students will receive feedback from Practice Supervisors, Practice Assessors, Academic Assessors, service users, families and carers when in the practice learning environment. Practice based feedback is detailed in the PAD

Support

You will be allocated a Personal Tutor to offer support and guidance with all aspects of the course. Your Personal Tutor will also offer you academic supervision to help you prepare for your theoretical assessments.

During 450 hours of practice learning students will have supernumerary status and will be supported by a Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor. The Personal Tutor will also have the role of Academic Assessor. The nominated Practice and Academic Assessors will collaborate to determine whether the student has met all the necessary requirements to recommend the students completion of the course

Assessment

The course team will provide formative feedback throughout especially during live online sessions and simulated activities.

Summative assessments include:

achievement of proficiency outcomes as detailed in the Practice Assessment Document (PAD)
in-point assessment relating to medicines management
in point assessment relating to Leading , Managing and Co ordinating Care
completion of 450hours of practice learning
Computer-based dosage calculation examination
Written assignment
Presentation

Accreditations

The University of South Wales is an NMC Approved Education Institution (AEI).

Placements

Practice Learning Experiences

You will undertake 450 hours of practice learning supported by Practice Supervisor(s) and a Practice Assessor, to enable you to work towards and achieve the proficiencies and skills required of a registered nurse.

Facilities

Depending on social distancing rules you will have access to:

Clinical Simulation Suite
Hydra Minerva Simulation Suite.
Usual USW library and journal database access – online service as well as click and collect books.
All USW student support resources including a number of IT packages free for students.
Personal Tutor
Practice Supervisor / Practice Assessor /Academic Assessor

Lecturers

Alex Holmes, Return to Practice course leader
Jill Barnes
Matthew Thornton
Rachel Morgan
Emma-Jane Watkins

You will also have sessions whereby service users and carers share their lived experiences with you and by expert practitioners.

If you have any queries, contact the course leader.

We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

The module is offered at level 6. Entry is dependent on previous experience and qualifications.

What are the entry requirements for the Return to Practice course? 

Applicants must have a lapsed registration with the NMC or be in a position whereby they are unable to meet the required practice hours to revalidate with the NMC and remain on the professional register.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have capability in numeracy, literacy and digital and technological literacy to meet the programme outcomes and proficiencies.

Applicants will also have to demonstrate they meet NMC English language requirements, if applicable.

During application and interview each candidate will be asked to declare that they are of good health and good character to enable safe and effective practice.

Entry to the course is dependent on a satisfactory disclosure and barring check (DBS) and Occupational Health screening.

Applicants may apply to have their prior learning and experience in relation to the standards of proficiency, course outcomes and hours of relevant practice as a current registrant. The evidence supplied by each applicant will be assessed on an individual basis by an Academic Assessor and Practice Assessor in collaboration with the Course Leader and with approval of the External Examiner.

The evidence will be measured specifically against the NMC (2018) Proficiencies for registered nurses which includes Annexe A – Communication and relation management skills and Annexe B Nursing procedural skills as well as the Module and Course learning outcomes.

If your application meets the entry criteria, you will be called to a formal interview. Alex Holmes, the RTP course leader, and a practice facilitator or senior nurse will interview you. The interview will last around twenty minutes and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Fees

There are on average 20 funded places per cohort paid for by the Welsh Government for applicants who are resident in Wales. Those applicants who are not resident, the standard module fee for 40 credits applies.

Additional Requirements

An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on the Child & Adult Workforce and Child and Adult Barring Lists and subscription to the DBS Update Service.

Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course.

Student Perks

At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.

Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.

Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

* Obligatory

Item	Cost
DBS Updating Service *	£13	Subscription required for each year of the course for a yearly fee of £13. Please note the service has to be joined within 30 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate.
DBS *	£55.42	This fee includes £40 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee.

Funding

Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs

Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.

Please apply directly to the University.

Admissions statement

This course provides an opportunity for those who have previously fulfilled the role of a registered nurse to refresh, develop and enhance their knowledge and skills to enable them to return to the profession. However, following the publication of the NMC (2019) Return to practice standards, the course will also provide an opportunity for nurses who are currently on the NMC professional register to meet their revalidation requirements.

Successful completion of the course offers eligibility to apply and be re-entered or to remain on the NMC register in one of the four fields of nursing; Adult, Child, Learning Disabilities or Mental Health.