Nursing Studies BSc (Hons) Top Up
Course code: B740 (required to complete application form)
If you already hold a Diploma or Advanced Diploma in Nursing Studies, top it up to a full degree with this online course, and fit study easily around your shifts. From September 2012 you'll need a degree in order to qualify as a nurse, so it’s a good idea to get ahead now and start reaping the career rewards.
Our top up degree has been specifically designed by experienced professionals to enhance and improve your existing skills. Our range of innovative teaching materials gives you a varied and enjoyable learning experience and our professional online tutors will support you all the way. We've developed cutting edge learning materials for areas such as Asthma, Diabetes, Public Health (with an international perspective), Minor Injuries and Evidence Based Practice, that can be taken as part of the top up, or studied independently to improve your personal development.
A course with high professional standards
That’s largely due to the fact that we work hard to listen to employers in the health and social care sector when designing and updating this course. There has been significant consultation with Strategic Health Authorities, stakeholders and regulatory bodies. That means you can rely on this course to refresh your skills and keep you up to date with current practice, as well as enhancing your employability.
There’s room in your life for online study
Studying online gives you the flexibility to study at the most convenient time and place for you. Course modules still operate within a fixed semester or term time, but you can choose to study during the day, in the evenings or at the weekend rather than having to attend fixed lectures. For people working in nursing, it would be very difficult to work any other way, due to the demands of shift patterns, so this type of study is ideal. Alter the pace as you go and as your workload fluctuates, taking the time you need to complete the course.
Course Length:
18 months – 5 years of part time study
Start Dates:
September, January and May
Entry Requirements:
You'll need all of the following:
- a Diploma or an Advanced Diploma in Nursing Studies (Adult or Mental Health)
- to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or equivalent
- to be working in a relevant area eg voluntary, public or private health and social care settings.
You'll need to provide full details of your qualifications and copies of certificates once a decision has been made by the academic team.
During your application, you'll undergo a personal Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) which may give you exemptions from up to 50% of the course. The process will identify:
- your current academic credit level
- your learning preferences.
You'll also normally require one of the following English Language qualifications:
- GCE O level English Language C
- GCSE English C
- IELTS 7 (in all categories)
- TOEFL (internet based) 94.
We may accept other equivalent English Language qualifications so please provide full details with your application.
Fees:
| Per Module | Modules | Total | Start | |
| UK/EU | £460 | 6 | £2,760 | Sept/Jan/May |
| Overseas | £540 | 6 | £3,240 | Sept/Jan/May |
Fees correct for 2012/2013. Subject to annual increase in September 2013.
New flexible payment plans available
Choose from three options:
- Pay only for the modules you are studying
- Pay your full course fees upfront and avoid annual increases
- Pay for all modules studied in the year and receive a 5% discount (September enrolment only)
Funding options for Undergraduate UK Students
Depending on where you are from in the UK, you may be eligible for a part time student loan towards the cost of your undergraduate degree. Find out more about the options available to you.
Fees Description:
If you already have an Advanced Diploma in Nursing, exemptions apply. In order to top up to a full degree you must complete the Independent Study (double module) and select one of the optional modules.
Career Information:
You'll gain organisational and management skills so you can work within clinical practice, nursing management or research and be competent in your role. This places you at the heart of health and social care, enabling you to assess, diagnose and treat both acute and chronic conditions.
Course Leader:
Modules Summary:
If you have not studied in a while and feel you may need that extra support, then you can also choose to complete our Attaining Academic Proficiency module, which won't count towards your degree, but may help to prepare you to return to study.
If you have a Diploma in Nursing Studies, then you will need to choose four optional modules from the list below as well as the Independent Study (double module).
If you have an Advanced Diploma in Nursing Studies then you'll only need to choose one optional module from the list below, as well as the Independent Study module (double module).
Student Profile:
Career Information
You'll gain organisational and management skills so you can work within clinical practice, nursing management or research and be competent in your role. This places you at the heart of health and social care, enabling you to assess, diagnose and treat both acute and chronic conditions.
Modules
If you have not studied in a while and feel you may need that extra support, then you can also choose to complete our Attaining Academic Proficiency module, which won't count towards your degree, but may help to prepare you to return to study.
If you have a Diploma in Nursing Studies, then you will need to choose four optional modules from the list below as well as the Independent Study (double module).
If you have an Advanced Diploma in Nursing Studies then you'll only need to choose one optional module from the list below, as well as the Independent Study module (double module).
Core Modules
Core Module
This is a key element of the course, bringing your skills of critical analysis, objective evaluation, problem solving and personal reflection together to undertake a substantial piece of research into an area of your choice. You will be given direction and support around learning resources and content from your tutor throughout the module.
Topics you'll cover include:
- The nature of evidence based-practice
- Reflecting on practice
- Using single cases and critical incidents to support practice development
- Selection of evidence for practice
- Critiquing evidence
- Application of evidence into practice
- Ethical issues in evidence-based practice
- Evaluation of change within practice.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. You will need to submit a written dissertation (9,000 words).
Credits: 40
Optional Modules
Optional Module
This modules introduces you to the nature of assessment within cognitive behavioural practice, the difference between ideographic and nomothetic assessment, the use of measurements and the nature of the relationship within cognitive behavioural practice.
On successful completion of this module you will be able to critically analyse the use of relational and interviewing skills in cognitive behavioural practice.
Topics you will cover in this module include:
- The nature of the relationship in cognitive behavioural practice
- Interviewing skills
- Nomothetic and ideographic models of assessment, their uses and abuses
- Types of measurement, including observational and self report
- Uses of cognitive behavioural assessment
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework (3,000 word written assignment).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
In an increasingly litigious culture, the interface between healthcare and law is also becoming increasingly important. As a professional practitioner you need to be able to engage with these issues in a coherent and confident way. Such issues arise at all levels, policy, organisation, team and individual patient care. This module will assist you in recognising and engaging with these issues by applying the principles to the practice situation.
At the end of the module you'll be able to:
- Critically analyse ethical and legal issues relevant to health care practice and policy
- Critically apply selected theoretical perspectives relevant to ethics in health
- Understand and apply relevant ethical arguments and legal perspectives to a specific practice situation.
You will cover the following topics.
- Theories of ethics
- Professional and interprofessional ethics
- Legal principles relevant to health care
- Autonomy, consent and confidentiality
- Duty of care
- Quality of life
- Decisions at the beginning and end of life
- Rationing of health care
- Organisations in health care
- Professional standards and guidance
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. (3,500 words written assignment).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
Within health and social care the role of the mentor has evolved into that of an individual who has responsibility for students' learning in the practice setting, the quality of that learning and the assessment of skills. To fulfil this role therefore, you will need a critical understanding of key issues affecting teaching, learning and assessing.
Topics you'll cover include:
- Establishing effective working relationships
- Facilitation of learning
- Assessment and accountability
- Evaluation of learning
- Creating an environment for learning
- Context of practice
- Evidence-based practice
- Leadership
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. (2,500 word assignment and 1,500 reflective portfolio).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
This module allows you to choose an area of study (in agreement with your tutor) that interests you and that hasn’t been covered on the course. Alternatively, you could choose a topic that allows you to apply elements of what you’ve already learned to your workplace.
You will negotiate a contract of learning with the module leader or delegated supervisor. The contract will contain the following elements:
- Title
- Rationale
- Learning outcomes (approx 3-5)
- An outline of how the outcomes are to be met
- References indicating an appropriate literature search
- Proposed schedule of work
- Criteria for assessment
- Methods of assessment including weightings if appropriate
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. (4,000 word written assignment).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
In this module, you will consolidate your learning, drawing on previous knowledge and skills to develop confidence and competence in management of a patient and their carers at the end of life.
Within all health care environments, health care professionals are involved in caring for the dying patient. Managing symptoms, supporting the client and carers, and using your own and others’ expertise to the benefit of the client, are all important aspects. With the development of end of life care initiatives, the need to provide the right level of care at the right time and in the right place has been emphasised as of paramount importance to all concerned.
We will cover the following topics.
- Assessment in palliative care
- Concepts of loss and bereavement
- Holistic care delivery strategies
- Ethical and professional issues at the end of life
- Gold Standards Framework and Liverpool Care Pathways
- Methods of relieving pain
- Stages of grief
- Symptom management
- Anticipatory grief.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework (written paper, 4,000 words).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
Designed in partnership with senior nurses at local NHS trusts, this module will provide you with theory and reflective support to new employees in these institutions.
The module content is informed by the requirements of the NHS trusts and includes the development of skills to encourage evidence based practice, alongside the acquisition of the knowledge base required to enhance the skills development of the nurse who is new to the organisation.
After the successful competion of this module, you will be able to find and critically appraise appropriate evidence to support the care you provide and critically analyse the evidence required to support best practice.
You will cover:
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and lifelong learning
- Evidence based practice
- Literature searching
- Reflective learning
- Theory practice interface
- Information management and technology
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. You'll create a reflective account of your learning and produce a structured, evidence based, 3,000 word assignment.
Credits: 20
Optional Module
There is a growing need for nurses in both primary and secondary care to address the issues of drug administration, basic therapeutics and the use of drugs in clinical conditions.
In this module, we will cover:
- Drug administration
- Diagnostic reasoning
- Pharmacokinetics
- The use and effect of drugs in clinical conditions
- The use of drugs in mental health
- Alternative perspectives on health and care
- Numeracy – mathematics applied to the administration of drugs.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. (4,000 word case study centred on a patient/client within your area of practice).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
This module explores the various theoretical explanations of cognitive behavioural therapy. You will examine various disorders, including anxiety, depression, phobias and panic. You will have the opportunity to examine one of the above disorders in depth, interpret the symptoms, and develop a critical understanding of the treatment approaches, with a cognitive behavioural approach.
We will cover:
- Cognitive and behavioural explanations of anxiety
- Cognitive and behavioural explanations of depression and the associated theory base
- Cognitive and behavioural explanations of phobias
- Cognitive behavioural explanations of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the associated theory base.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework (3,000 word assignment and a brief 350 word report on one journal article relating to one of the four disorders listed above).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
Psychotherapists and counsellors need to be able to communicate with psychiatrists, other members of mental health teams and medical staff in primary care and other medical settings. Therefore, this module will introduce you to the basic concepts of psychopharmacology (the study of drug-induced changes in mood, sensation, thinking and behaviour) in relation to distinct psychopathologies (forms of mental distress).
You will begin to appreciate the neurological science behind chemical interventions and the strengths and weaknesses of the approach. Furthermore you will gain an in-depth understanding of several psychopathologies and the diagnostic tools used to identify these.
Topics we’ll cover will include:
- Diagnostic classification (ICD and DSM)
- Diagnostic reliability and validity
- Strengths and limitations of diagnostic classification
- Psychiatric medications ie antidepressants, anti-psychotics (standard and atypical), tranquillisers, hypnotics, beta-blockers
- Common medications used in chronic physical health problems eg diabetes, cardiac conditions, cancer
- Drug interactions and side effects.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. (3,000 word written assignment).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
This module explores Evidence Based Practice; the practical skills and knowledge required in searching for the best available evidence and the critical understanding of different sources of evidence, in order to promote and implement clinically effective care and decision-making.
The focus of this module is on the critical evaluation of evidence and how this evidence can be used to increase clinical effectiveness. It has relevance for all health care professionals, but is particularly useful for those who have an interest in developing their skills of using research in practice, those who participate in clinical decision making and for students who require grounding in the essential elements of evidence based practice prior to undertaking a work based project or service improvement.
In this module we will cover:
- The context of Evidence Based Practice, including policy and guidelines; health economics and professional, ethical and legal issues
- Types of evidence and knowledge, including research methodologies
- Finding and reviewing the evidence including literature search strategies
- Decision making and implementation of evidence based practice
- Critical appraisal skills/use of critical appraisal tools
- Decision making and implementation of evidence based practice
- Dissemination and facilitation of change through EBP in practice development.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. (3,500 word written assignment).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
You’ll develop knowledge and understanding of the assessment, diagnosis and management of people presenting with minor injuries. This will provide healthcare professionals with a solid theoretical foundation to inform future practice. Whilst the module does include examination techniques, it is not possible to assess the application of this knowledge within the students own clinical setting. As with all aspects of clinical practice, this would need to be agreed with the student’s employer, in line with regulatory body guidance and other national and local guidelines.
In this module we will cover:
- Clinical history taking examination and documentation
- Anatomy and physiology relevant to minor injuries
- Musculoskeletal examination
- Assessment of neurological function related to the limbs
- Assessment and management of common minor injury presentations eg: minor wounds, burns, minor head injuries, soft tissue injuries, eye injuries
- Analgesia relevant to minor injuries.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework, which includes a one hour online exam and a reflective analysis on a case presented of a simulated patient with a minor injury (3,000 words).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
Although there have been improvements in public health across the globe, there still remain great inequalities within regions and countries around the world. Social and medical determinants of these inequalities impact on the health of communities and populations. Public Health activities can play a key part in improving the health of families, communities and localities.
You will explore and examine the issues that relate to public health through an international lens in terms of determinants of health and through reflection on their own practice. Using essential elements of public health as a framework, you will be able to compare activities between regions/countries to inform your own knowledge in relation to your own area of public health.
In this module we will cover:
- Definitions and meanings of public health
- Principles and essential elements of public health theory and practice
- Reflection for learning and public health practice
- The organisation of public health nationally and internationally
- Accessing and using demographic and epidemiological data and information for public health
- Exploring inequalities in health – the socioeconomic determinants of health
- Multi disciplinary public health
- Exploring global public health activities
- Barriers to public health practice
- An introduction to evaluating public health initiatives.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework (4,000 word assignment).
Credits: 20
Optional Module
This module has been designed to enable Health Care Practitioners to meet the current challenges of modern Asthma care and management.
It offers a logical and systematic journey from the understanding of associated anatomy, pathopyhsiology and mechanisms of Asthma through to present and contemporary perspectives of management. An international focus will be adopted in reviewing current policy relating to patient management and self management practices in addition to close scrutiny of national and local policies impacting on the students’ current arena of practice.
On completion of this module you will be able to:
- Recognise key aspects of professional knowledge and competence in Asthma management, that promotes logical decision making in normal, complex and unpredictable contexts.
- Evidence the ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and treatment within the realms of Asthma management
- Reflect on and critically evaluate your own professional role in understanding and facilitating self management of the person with Asthma.
In this module we will cover:
- Epidemiology, incidence and prevalence
- Aetiology, natural history, genetics and atopy
- Anatomy and pathophysiology
- Signs and symptons/clinical manifestations
- Assessment of the patient
- Differential diagnosis/co morbidities
- Management of the condition
- Acute/Chronic Asthmas
- Current treatment options/Pharmacology, therapies
- Policy and Guidelines
- Monitoring review and audit
- Rehabilitation
- Multi disciplinary working
- Holistic impact on patient family and carers – bio psychosocial aspects
- Psychology of Breathlessness
- Patient knowledge skills and attitude – facilitating self management
- Consent, choice and concordance
- Public health
- Health economics
- Professional, ethical and legal issues
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. You will submit a 2,500 word case study and complete an online, one hour, timed exam paper.
Credits: 20
Optional Module
Diabetes is recognised internationally as a major health problem.
This module will provide structured materials which will enable the practitioner to examine disease processes of both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, current modes of diagnosis, assessment, treatment and contemporary management of the disease in adults.
The module aims to deliver a specialist focus on self management which will enable you to provide an optimum care package for the individual with Diabetes.
On successful completion of this module you will be able to:
- Examine multiprofessional diabetes services and illustrate an understanding of other professionals' roles and how these contribute to the service
- Identify and critically evaluate educational strategies for clients with diabetes in order to ensure effective self management
- Critically evaluate evidence-based knowledge related to the assessment, treatment and management of those persons with diabetes, providing an evidence base for best practice.
In this module we will cover:
- Basic Principles of Diabetes & its Biochemistry
- Pathophysiology
- Clinical Manifestations/ features of Diabetes
- Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes:
- Management of Type 2 Diabetes
- Management of type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
- Dietetic intervention
- Management in extraordinary situations/ Surgery/ other illnesses
- Complications of Diabetes
- Living with Diabetes
- Organisation of Care
- Patient knowledge skills and attitude – facilitating self management, motivation, self-efficacy, knowledge of illness, perceptions of severity and vulnerability
- Consent, choice and concordance
- Public health perspectives.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework. You will submit a 2,500 word case study and complete a one hour, online, timed examination paper.
Credits: 20
You'll need all of the following:
- a Diploma or an Advanced Diploma in Nursing Studies (Adult or Mental Health)
- to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or equivalent
- to be working in a relevant area eg voluntary, public or private health and social care settings.
You'll need to provide full details of your qualifications and copies of certificates once a decision has been made by the academic team.
During your application, you'll undergo a personal Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) which may give you exemptions from up to 50% of the course. The process will identify:
- your current academic credit level
- your learning preferences.
You'll also normally require one of the following English Language qualifications:
- GCE O level English Language C
- GCSE English C
- IELTS 7 (in all categories)
- TOEFL (internet based) 94.
We may accept other equivalent English Language qualifications so please provide full details with your application.
Apply Now
Applications for Online courses are made through the main University of Derby website.
By clicking on "Apply now" below you will be redirected to the University of Derby website to continue your application process.
Fees
| Per Module | Modules | Total | Start | |
| UK/EU | £460 | 6 | £2,760 | Sept/Jan/May |
| Overseas | £540 | 6 | £3,240 | Sept/Jan/May |
Fees correct for 2012/2013. Subject to annual increase in September 2013.
New flexible payment plans available
Choose from three options:
- Pay only for the modules you are studying
- Pay your full course fees upfront and avoid annual increases
- Pay for all modules studied in the year and receive a 5% discount (September enrolment only)
Funding options for Undergraduate UK Students
Depending on where you are from in the UK, you may be eligible for a part time student loan towards the cost of your undergraduate degree. Find out more about the options available to you.
Fees description:
If you already have an Advanced Diploma in Nursing, exemptions apply. In order to top up to a full degree you must complete the Independent Study (double module) and select one of the optional modules.
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