AA0512 - Perspectives of Complex Care in Adult Nursing

What will I learn on this module?

Within this year 2 semester 2 module you will explore the nursing knowledge required to support and underpin the care of the acutely and chronically ill patient who are managed in a variety of care settings. You will expand your knowledge regarding the role of the nurse in providing safe and effective care to the patient with complex needs. You will learn to do this by analysing a range of nursing tools and frameworks and investigating the wider evidence base underpinning nursing interventions. In addition, you will examine the illness trajectory from acute presentation and diagnosis of a condition to living with a chronic illness and preparing for end of life across all age ranges. The module will support you to understand the relevance and importance of decision-making, problem solving and critical thinking to meet diverse patient needs.
On this module you will explore the following topic areas:

• Biological basis of illness and applied pharmacology to help you problem solve and anticipate the needs of the patient including managing the deteriorating patient and living with complex needs.
• Evidence based practice that will help you to understand and apply contemporary nursing interventions for this patient group.
• Management and governance issues related to providing safe, effective and ethically sound care in the acute and chronic periods of illness or accident recovery.
• Theoretical underpinnings of nursing care and patient management across a variety of settings.

How will I learn on this module?

There will be a variety of different learning and teaching approaches used in this module to ensure that individual student learning styles are taken into account.
All key lectures will be delivered electronically and will be available to you via the Module e- Learning Platform, BlackBoard Ultra. The open access to these materials will help you to learn at your own pace and can be used to help you prepare for the range of face-to-face learning activities you will be expected to contribute to during the module delivery time.
Problem based learning workshops and seminars will facilitate group learning with your peers. The use of authentic case scenarios based on acute and chronic care practices will guide your discussions and support the exchange and sharing of ideas related to the professional role of the nurse.
Workshops will be a mixture of face-to-face attendance and tutor guided electronic delivery to help you investigate the concepts introduced in the classroom in more depth. These will include pre-recorded lecture videos, access to media recordings, and interactive e-learning packages
Seminars will help you to probe and explore the range of concepts relevant to the module and their relevance to planning and evaluating patient care provision and support learning with and from each other.
A series of formative activities will support you to adopt skills in self-direction, analysis and enquiry-based learning. Formative activities will also give you the opportunity to explore prioritising, planning and evaluating care in complex situations associated with the module content. This will assist you in preparing for the summative assessment.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

Throughout the module you will be supported by experienced academic staff from a range of specialist backgrounds within the nursing profession. The academic staff involved in delivering this module will provide guidance and academic coaching to ensure you confidently engage with the requirements of this module. You will be provided with the opportunity to prepare for your assessment during the workshops and seminars during the module delivery. Your peers are also a key support mechanism within this module. Many activities undertaken within workshop and seminar sessions are aimed at facilitating peer discussion and learning from each other.
Additional study and student support is available from Ask 4 Help (on-line or face to face staff support) based within the library where you can be assisted and directed to a range of academic and pastoral services available such as developing writing skills, obtaining support with assignment submissions and obtaining personal and financial advice.
Reading material regarding academic writing will be included on the reading list for this module.
Extensive support from the programme team such as your Personal Tutor and the Programme Leader are also available to you throughout this module delivery.

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. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of co-morbidities and the demands of meeting people’s complex nursing and social care needs when prioritising care plans taking into consideration reasonable adjustments and mental capacity.

2. Understand and recognise the need to respond to the challenges of providing safe, effective and person-centred nursing care for people who have co-morbidities and complex care needs monitoring and evaluating the quality of experiences of complex care, facilitating the safe discharge and transition of people between caseloads, settings and services.

Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:
3. Demonstrate an understanding of research and other evidence and systematically evaluate its relevance to practice.


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

4. Demonstrate and understand the personal attributes and behaviours that promote effective team working within inter professional practice across diverse and complex environments, leveraging the commonalities among professionals.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of exercising political awareness to maximise the influence and effect of registered nursing on quality of care, patient

How will I be assessed?

Formative Assessment:

During engagement with module seminars and workshops there will be an opportunity for verbal feedback about your achievement of the module learning outcomes from the module team and your peers.
There will also be opportunity for verbal feedforward during the assessment preparation seminar. The group tutorial will enable you to explore the module learning outcomes and how to achieve these through using a case study approach.
All activities will help you to develop your thinking and writing skills in preparation for your summative assessment.
MLO 1-5

Summative Assessment:
A 2000-word assignment.
You will use a wide range of contemporary academic literature and research to support your text.
This written assignment will be patient focussed, reflecting the module learning outcomes and content. The assignment will be written using an analytical approach addressing relevant patient issues and the role of the adult nurse.
The assignment will be submitted electronically via blackboard ultra and written feedback will be provided also via blackboard ultra.

All MLO’s will be achieved

Pre-requisite(s)

None

Co-requisite(s)

None

Module abstract

In this module, you will address the care required by the patient with complex needs within adult nursing. You will focus, as appropriate, upon the transition of care between of services across a variety of health and social care settings, which span the age ranges of young adults to the elderly. You will be encouraged to investigate the political perspectives of health and social care delivery and explore the role of the nurse as an autonomous practitioner. The module is underpinned by research rich evidence, which will enable you to relate theory and practice effectively and prepare you for the world of work and begin to utilise research findings to underpin care decisions.
Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to address the topics and issues raised using a questioning approach, which will develop your ability to challenge yourself and others. You will engage with learning and discussion that promotes team working and effective partnerships.

Course info

UCAS Code B700

Credits 20

Level of Study Undergraduate

Mode of Study 3 years Full Time

Department Nursing, Midwifery & Health

Location Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

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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