Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (MSc)

How will I be taught?

Teaching approaches on the programme follow a blended learning model, whereby multiple teaching methods are used to accommodate for different learning styles, while also employing appropriate methods to deliver relevant material in SCPHN practice. This includes the use of lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based learning, skills workshops, and debate work. These discussions are in the form of student and facilitator collaboration, or peer to peer group work.

Teaching sessions are delivered by the programme team, with regular input from both expert SCPHN practitioners and interprofessional learning from the multidisciplinary team. Service users also contribute to teaching sessions, providing an in-depth perspective from the very people health visitors serve.

In addition, simulation and virtual reality technology will be incorporated, enabling you to utilise your knowledge in a safe simulated environment, allowing you to develop confidence and competence for real world situations.

Directed and self-directed study is also employed with the aim to further develop your abilities as an independent lifelong learner. As is expected at post-graduate level study, pre-reading will be provided to support your preparation for any sessions where group discussion, academic advice on assessments or debate is employed. Learning at postgraduate degree level requires you to take responsibility for your own learning, and we will encourage this throughout the programme. 

How will I be assessed?

The curriculum incorporates a diverse and creative range of authentic assessment methods which are reflective of an inclusive, learner-centred approach which align to the learning outcomes of the programme.

The formative assessments for each module have been tailored to aid in preparing you for the summative assessment, offering you support in achieving positive assessment outcomes. Each formative assessment offers feedback opportunities from both your peers and academic staff.

All assessments are accompanied by written guidelines and assessment criteria which correlate with the learning outcomes of the programme and individual modules. While all examinations will be undertaken in person on our Heath Park Campus.

You will be summatively assessed in the following ways:

• Essays
• Evidence-based research poster
• E-Learning resource
• Oral presentations on campus 
• Integrated structured clinical examination (ISCE) on campus 
• Practice based audit
• All Wales practice assessment document (PAD)

How will I be supported?

You will be allocated a personal tutor from the SCPHN academic team, who you will meet regularly throughout the programme to support your overall development and provide you with personalised pastoral support. WeIsh-speaking personal tutors are available if your preference is to access support through the medium of Welsh.

You will undertake learning in practice on a supernumerary basis, where you will be supported by a triparted team which includes SCPHN health visiting Practice Assessor, a nominated Practice Supervisor, and a nominated Academic Assessor.  This team will work collaboratively with you to enable your achievement of the practice programme requirements.

You will also be a member of an Action Learning Set, which involves participating in a series of peer-to-peer reflective discussions during the programme. These sets are supported by the Academic Assessor and aim to allow you to address real SCPHN practice issues with your peers through reflective discussions and to develop your leadership skills. 

All modules within the programme make extensive use of Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Blackboard Ultra, on which you will find course materials, links to related materials and assessment exemplars. All in-person lectures are recorded via Panopto and are available for you to view throughout your programme.

You will be provided with oral and written feedback on your formative assessments as we prepare you for summative assessment. Personalised feedback on all your summative assessments will be provided electronically via our virtual learning platform, which aims to enable your continual development by offering feedforward to inform your future assessments.

In addition, the University offers a wide range of services and activities designed to support you. These include a student counselling service, a student advisory service, day care facilities, sport and exercise facilities, as well as campus information, library and IT services.

Further information about what the University can offer you can be found in the following link:

Student life - Study - Cardiff University

What skills will I practise and develop?

The Learning outcomes for this programme describe what you will achieve by the end of your programme at Cardiff University and identify the knowledge and skills that you will develop. They will also help you to understand what is expected of you during this programme.

On successful completion of the MSc Advanced Healthcare Practice Programme, you will be able to: 

Knowledge & Understanding:

• Critically apply advanced levels of SCHPN knowledge to prevent ill health, protect health and promote wellbeing with comprehensive consideration of economic influences, sustainable development goals, legislative, ethical and regulatory frameworks.                     
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of health in a diverse range of populations, acknowledging the unpredictability and complexity of diverse environments, communities and populations.

• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of methods that build trusting relationships which enable a SCPHN to identify, assess and plan for the health and wellbeing needs of children and families, promoting health and initiate evidence-based person-centred interventions.

• Critically analyse legislative and evidence-based guidelines to provide family centred health advice, taking into consideration individual, environmental and genetic factors.

Intellectual Skills:

• Develop and sustain independent, carefully researched, analyses of policy that impact the health service provision for children, families and populations, drawing on critical appraisal of multiple sources of evidence underpinning health visiting practice.
• Synthesise and apply knowledge from research and audit to lead service development in improving the health of children, families and communities, sharing good practice.
• Demonstrate critical and autonomous thinking when diagnosing and dealing with complex health problems, developing and leading on innovative solutions that are person centred, anti-discriminatory, culturally competent and inclusive.
• Exhibit a range of leadership approaches that demonstrate collaboration and compassion when leading quality improvement strategies in partnership with stakeholders.

Professional Practical Skills:

• Practice as an autonomous SCPHN who exercises initiative and critically evaluates and reflects on their practice to enable continual professional development while adhering to the NMC standards for proficiency and NMC Code.
• Work as a collaborative member of the multidisciplinary team who can make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations, providing evidence-based care to a complex range of populations, taking into consideration ethical and legal issues.
• Demonstrate the ability to use enhanced communication skills, advocating for fairness, equity and social justice, utilising multiple information sharing methods to convey information to a diverse range of audiences.

• Expertly respond to multiple levels of complexity, unpredictability, and uncertainty in healthcare contexts through demonstration and implementation of specialist reasoning to provide effective care across a range of community settings.

• Apply high level professional judgement to observe, recognise and respond to signs of abuse and neglect across the life course through advocating for and protecting those who are most vulnerable.

Transferable/Key Skills:

• Demonstrate creativity and originality in problem-solving in the academic and practice environment, including a commitment to addressing health inequalities through prevention and early intervention, demonstrating entrepreneurship within health visiting practice. 
• Actively engage in continuing personal and professional development underpinned by critical reflection and a commitment to autonomous lifelong learning.
• Demonstrate advanced communication skills in the academic and practice environment to collaborate and work in partnership with other agencies.
• Practice effective self-management and an advanced ability to teach and motivate others, drawing upon multiple leadership and management skills.
• Demonstrate advanced digital and technological skills in education and practice to meet the needs of people, and communities.