*The advertised teaching dates are provisional, and subject to change*

This module is the last of two modules for healthcare practitioners working full-time or part-time within the neonatal unit, that upon completion, will enable the practitioner to be recognised as qualified in speciality (QIS). The delivery of specialist neonatal nursing care is dependent upon a sound theoretical knowledge and skills of the practitioner and the development and maintenance of therapeutic relationships with parents and the multi-disciplinary team using appropriate communication and interpersonal skills.  This module facilitates the enhancement of reflective skills and further the practitioner’s evidence-based practice in the delivery of safe, holistic, and effective neonatal care to infants needing critical care and their family.   

This module adheres to recognised frameworks and standards to ensure high-quality, effective neonatal nurse training. These include the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) (2012) ‘Matching Knowledge and Skills for Qualified in Specialty (QIS) Neonatal Nurses,’ the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) (2015) ‘Career, Education, and Competence Framework for Neonatal Nursing in the UK,’ and the latest Health Education England (HEE) (2021) Quality Framework, which identified disparities in the content and delivery of QIS programs across England. These disparities between the programmes, led to the reduction in the transferability of knowledge and skills between units and trusts impacting the consistency of care provisions. In 2024, NHS England has released a unified framework for neonatal QIS education for neonatal nurses to address the previous concerns highlighted in 2021. Under this new framework, higher education providers are expected to work collaboratively with neonatal operational delivery network to ensure these standards are embedded to push for consistency within the neonatal services in England. 

Aims
The module will enable students to enhance their knowledge and skills in the assessment and recognition of the deteriorating neonate using a systems approach.  This will also develop the specialist skills needed to deliver safe, holistic, and effective care and manage premature and critically unwell infants and their family in a critical care setting. 

How you will learn:

This module is delivered using a blended learning approach which integrates a variety of on campus and online activities, supported by Canvas, the University’s virtual learning environment. A variety of activities are used to engage you in critically exploring key topics, and completing formative tasks throughout the module helps you stay on track with your learning and receive feedback on your understanding of the content. A sense of community is developed and maintained with frequent opportunities for peer learning, enabling you to share your practice experiences and to learn from each other.

Academic writing and critical thinking skills are developed through ‘The Critical Thinking Skills Toolkit’ and other academic practice activities embedded within the module, that have been designed to nurture the skills needed to facilitate you to become a thoughtful, objective and reasoned thinker. This will help you tackle the assignment(s) confidently, understand marking criteria, use evidence, take a reasoned approach, make structured arguments and engage with other points of view.

Assessment Methods

A Scenario Exam and a Competency assessment document