SCPHN ADDITIONAL FIELD OF PRACTICE-HEALTH VISITORS - 2025/6

Module code: NURM190

Module Overview

This module will enable Specialist Community Public Health Nurses who have successfully completed a programme in public health and are currently registered as a school nurse, to apply their knowledge and skills to the additional field of practice of health visiting. On successful completion the SCPHN would be equipped to work in the additional field of practice of health visiting.

Module provider

School of Health Sciences

Module Leader

ROBERTS Sarah (Health Sci.)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 97

Tutorial Hours: 3

Guided Learning: 30

Captured Content: 20

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Students must have live registration on Part 3 of the NMC register as a School Nurse.

Module content

To be informed by High Impact Areas in Health Visiting and BFI themes.

Decision making in complex and unpredictable environments.

The impact of equality, diversity inclusion on areas of professional practice.

Promoting and supporting continuous education and development of individuals and teams within a positive learning culture.

Knowledge and application of theories of normal and atypical child development when working with infants, children, and families.

Child, adolescent and adult sexual and reproductive health and contraception.

Infant and child nutrition and healthy weight.

Supporting parents and carers of a child with a life changing or life limiting diagnosis to access services and resources.

Bereaved parents.

Medicines management and management of minor illnesses and injuries.

Partnership working with midwives and school nurses in times of transition.

Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Coursework Assignment 100
Coursework Portfolio Pass/Fail

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to: provide practitioners with the opportunity to demonstrate critical analysis of evidence-based theory with the acquisition of practice skills in the field of health visiting.

In the portfolio, practitioners will identify the strengths, challenges, opportunities, and barriers (SCOB) to their learning at two key points in their learning journey. This will enable them to set their learning objectives, agree a plan for achieving them with their Practice Assessor and evaluate their progress.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Part A Written assignment

Practitioners will submit 3 x 1000 word reflective accounts which demonstrate their ability to systematically analyse need and engage with families and professionals in the additional field of health visiting practice.

Each 1000 word account will be a critical appraisal of a different practice experience within the field of health visiting. These three accounts must evidence how competency has been achieved in all four field-specific spheres of health visiting practice:


  • Sphere C Promoting human rights and addressing inequalities: assessment, surveillance and intervention

  • Sphere D Population health: enabling, supporting and improving health outcomes of people across the life course

  • Sphere E Advancing public health services and promoting healthy places, environments and cultures

  • Sphere F Leading and collaborating: from investment to action and dissemination



Practitioners will self-evaluate their progress and identify their future development needs.  All three reflections are core and must achieve a pass mark –  (addresses learning outcomes 3 - 6)

Part B Practice Portfolio

A portfolio of evidence which demonstrates the achievement of SCPHN spheres in health visiting. The evidence in the portfolio should contextualise the practitioner’s learning and demonstrate their application of knowledge and skills to the Health Visiting pathway of professional practice. Assessment in practice is measured against the Standards of Proficiency for SCPHN (NMC 2022) – (addresses learning outcomes 1 - 6)

In line with Professional and Regulatory body, Codes of Practice/Standards of Proficiency, if there is evidence of unsafe practice or any breach of confidentiality, the assessment will not meet the criteria to achieve a pass.

Formative assessment:

In practice, practitioners will undergo a process of continuous formative assessment by their Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor. There will be progress reviews in practice with the practitioner, their Practice Assessor and Academic Assessor on a minimum of two occasions throughout the module where practitioners will be encouraged to self-assess their progress to date.

 

Feedback:

Individual tutorials with the Academic Assessor will be offered as opportunities for verbal feedback. Practitioners will receive regular written and verbal formative feedback from their Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor in practice.

Module aims

  • Enable the practitioner to transfer their knowledge and understanding of public health theory and the evidence base underpinning their practice, to the additional field of SCPHN health visiting practice.
    Facilitate practice-based learning with a different client group of families with children under 5.
    For practitioners to achieve competence in all spheres in the Standards of Proficiency for SCPHN (HV) (NMC 2022).

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
001 Demonstrate professional autonomy to adapt responses to the health and wellbeing of people within the home and communities whilst being sensitive to different cultural perspectives and advocating for those who are most vulnerable. PT
002 Critique, generate and apply evidence and information that seeks to promote health and prevent ill health and disability and propose and evaluate public health interventions. KCPT
003 Identify, highlight and address inequalities whilst actively seeking to uphold human rights and recognising that all families are unique. KPT
004 Lead on creating the best foundation for the long-term sustainability of the health and wellbeing of children, parents, carers families and communities by developing trusting relationships with families and the use of advanced communication and assessment skills. PT
005 Promote and actively seek out opportunities to improve health visiting services and the quality of care provided whilst promoting healthy environments, cultures and attitudes for infants and children. KP
006 Lead on providing, managing and coordinating care through collaborative working with interdisciplinary and interagency teams to ensure a smooth transition between services whilst working in partnership with families, communities and populations. PT

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:


  • apply the current theoretical and methodological approaches to build a sound knowledge base.

  • prepare practitioners to have an inquiring attitude and empower them with an ongoing curiosity regarding new and emerging research that informs their health visiting practice.

  • equip practitioners with the skills to build upon previous expertise.

  • challenge values, beliefs, and assumptions in relation to working in partnership with families with children under 5.



The learning and teaching methods include:


  • observation

  • participation and demonstration of skills

  • professional conversation and reflection

  • clinical supervision

  • contribution to inter-professional forums in practice

  • online learning materials


Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: NURM190

Other information

Practitioners will undertake a minimum of 60 x 7.5-hour days which comprises of 50 days in practice and 10 self-directed study days.

The school of Health Sciences is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:
Employability: Practitioners are registered healthcare professionals and will be developing skills and knowledge that can be applied to their role and will enhance their future employability. Practitioners will develop a critically inquiring attitude and professional curiosity regarding their health visiting practice and network with other professionals.
 

Global and cultural capabilities: Practitioners will reflect on cultural practices and the impact of judgements in relation to working with clients and colleagues. This will support the development of cultural competence to support the diverse range of communities engaging with services. Practitioners will reflect on cultural practices and the impact of judgements in relation to working with clients and colleagues.
 

Resourcefulness and Resilience: Practitioners are guided to develop the ability to reflect, evaluate, adapt, and respond flexibly to events throughout the module and in the practice environment.  This pillar is fundamental to the development of effective and safe health professionals. Scenario based examples are used to develop practitioners’ ability to respond effectively to situations within health visiting.  

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.