Nursing (Mental Health)  (NSS8)

Programme Vision and Values

The BSc Nursing/Midwifery programmes are to prepare nurses/midwives to promote health, wellbeing and dignity across the lifespan through skilled, ethical and careful practice based on the best evidence and professional judgement i . This is achieved though the development of lifelong learning skills for the personal and professional development of knowledge, skills/competencies and attitudes over the duration of the programme, leading to level 8 award and professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. Programmes facilitate the learner to be active, reflexive, autonomous, and motivated by engagement in innovative teaching and learning activities throughout the duration of the student experience. Curricula are student-focused, research-led and research informed, with a scholarly approach to programme design ii, aimed at inspiring a passion and excellence in the learner’s discipline by forming identity, integrity, commitment and curiosity for the provision of holistic, safe, ethical, compassionate evidence based nursing/midwifery care. Curricula are developed with stakeholder iii involvement to ensure they meet the current and future needs of learners, and a complex and evolving healthcare system iv . The BSc programmes are designed with the learner at the centre. A wide variety of pedagogical approaches to teaching, learning and assessment enhance the student experience, encouraging the incremental development of learning v . Learning takes place in multiple environments across the university and clinical practice environments. The partnership with our professional and allied health professional clinical partners across the healthcare sector in programme design and delivery is a major strength. Learning is facilitated by the use of a variety of innovative pedagogies and technologies to meet emerging student, professional and health system needs vi . This commitment to curricular innovation ensures that there is alignment of programme learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities and assessment, in addition to enhancing the learner experience. Programmes are delivered by experts in the fields of education, practice discipline and professional standing, ensuring that learners experience a coherent, cumulative, research-based educational programme that meets all academic and professional regulations, standards and requirements. 

i School Strategy ii CRE Process doc iii Stakeholders include, school staff, students, graduates, NMBI, Clinical Partners, UCD Teaching and Learning, Employers, service users iv NMBI Standards and Requirements p7 & UCD T&L Strategy vi SNMHS Strategic plan p7

 

 

1 - Be an independent learner able to use critical questioning, reflection and decision making to build personal and professional scholarship throughout their career. He/she will be motivated to continue learning facilitating professional development/adaptation to the dynamically altering environment
2 - Demonstrate capacity to evaluate, critically analyse and apply research findings. Demonstrate the application and integration of best practice informed by national and international research in order to advance nursing/midwifery practice and health care delivery.
3 - Use technology effectively to enhance personal and professional development and practice, contributing to their learning, and the delivery of safe, evidence based healthcare.
4 - Demonstrate professional and disciplinary knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes to deliver safe, high quality, compassionate, ethical, legal and accountable practice across the life spectrum and in diverse health care settings; evidenced in the learners safe, person-centred, competent care
5 - Communicate effectively with healthcare service users, families and advocates with the healthcare team and the wider society in a manner characterised by respect, hospitality, knowledge and skill. This skilled communication is distinguished by timely, just and comprehensive engagement.
6 - Collaborate effectively with the persons who are service users, their families, the public, peers and other members of the interdisciplinary team in a competent, compassionate and professional manner that respects autonomy, dignity and privacy.
7 - Demonstrate leadership and effect change in their practice area, promoting innovation by managing and delivering evidence based care. The extent of their learning and how it impacts on healthcare delivery and outcomes is measured through reflection and systematic evaluation
8 - Demonstrate critical awareness of the parameters for professional nursing practice, consistently and effectively applying knowledge of professional practice frameworks attentive to relevant legislative frameworks and national standards and guidelines, in the provision of safe and effective care
9 - Demonstrate organisation, mastery of complex, specialised skills, the ability to manage team and the care environment safely and effectively assessing risk, priorities, resources, quality and safety in a collegial and inter-disciplinary, person-focused manner that respects service users and peers
10 - Foster a supportive, quality clinical/work environment that facilitates practice with safety and the virtues of respect and kindness through provision of supervision, facilitation of learning, openness, efficiency, recovery, independence and well-being; engaging in continuous quality assurance/audit
11 - Collaboratively deliver researched, evidence based innovations and trauma informed care which is respectful of culture, diversity, beliefs and values in a sensitive, empowering, discreet and professional manner which informs service users health and lifestyle choices, health promotion and self-care

If you are interested in a rewarding, exciting and challenging career in healthcare, then nursing is for you.

As a registered nurse, you have a wide range of clinical career options open to you, and with your academic and professional qualifications, you can choose to travel anywhere in the world. A degree in nursing provides you with the expert knowledge and clinical skills needed to care for people in a wide range of healthcare settings.

A nursing degree is a professional degree that allows the graduate to apply for registration as a nurse with the professional regulatory authority for nursing in Ireland, An Bord Altranais. A degree in Nursing at UCD is a four-year (or four-and-a-half-year for DN116 and DN117) honours degree that aims to develop knowledgeable, competent and caring professionals, by combining theoretical and clinical elements.

Students taking a degree in nursing pursue one of three modes of study as follows:
- BSc (Nursing) General Nursing (4 years) DN110/DN111
- BSc (Nursing) Psychiatric Nursing (4 years) DN120/DN121
- BSc (Nursing) Children's and General Nursing (Integrated) (4.5 years) DN116/DN117

Students interested in taking the General Nursing (DN110/DN111) or Children's and General (Integrated) Nursing (DN116/DN117) options will experience a variety of care settings, including acute medical and surgical, accident & emergency, operating theatre, intensive care, maternity and childcare, care of older persons, children's nursing and community care.

Students hoping to take the Psychiatric Nursing option (DN120/DN121) are placed in care settings such as acute assessment and admission, weight restoration programmes, addiction services, forensic services, child and adolescent services, intellectual disability services and community care.

Each nursing mode is pre-chosen through the CAO system and the programme content varies according to the mode being followed. However, all degree students follow a number of common modules in both the life and human sciences.
Examples of subjects studied in the life sciences include:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology
- Structure & function of the human body

Examples of subjects studied in the human sciences include:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Health & social policy
- Ethics

Core modules covered on the General Nursing option in particular include: Clinical Placement Operating Theatre and Clinical Placement High Dependency in Stage 2; Clinical Placement Maternity Care and Clinical Placement Out-patient Department in Stage 3; and Social Science for Healthcare in Stage 4.

Some core modules specific to the Psychiatric Nursing programme include: Foundations in Mental Health in Stage 1; Clinical Placement Addiction Services and Pharmacology & Pathology in Stage 2; Acute Mental Illness and Therapeutic Interventions in Stage 3; and Management & Quality Improvement and Health & Social Policy in Stage 4.

Core modules expressly found on the Children's & General Nursing programme include: The Child in Health & Wellness and Child & Family Centred Nursing in Stage 2; Child and Adolescent Special Healthcare Needs in Stage 3; Bioscience Applied to Nursing in Stage 4; and Clinical Placement Children's & General in the final stage.

The degree programmes emphasise the development of knowledge for clinical practice - the science of nursing science - and the development of a range of competencies needed for professional practice as a registered nurse. All three nursing degree programmes incorporate periods of theoretical and clinical instruction at each of the four/four-and-a-half stages and include a period of internship in clinical practice under the supervision of registered nurses as a member of the care team in the final year, for which you are paid a salary.

Depending on your chosen mode of study, you will undertake a range of theoretical and clinical modules that are designed to meet the professional requirements for registration in the particular division of the Register of Nurses.

You will study in state-of-the-art facilities in Ireland at the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems building, located at the university's Health Sciences Centre. You will take your clinical placements within the School's partner university hospitals and in other healthcare institutions and settings.

In second year, you have the opportunity to study in Europe for a trimester. See www.ucd.ie/nmhs/courses/international/ erasmusexchange.

Successful completion of this degree course qualifies you as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse. Upon registration, you can work in acute and community settings further developing your knowledge and expertise. Future professional career opportunities extend to management, clinical specialization, research and education. In addition, you can pursue further education at postgraduate, Masters and PhD level.

UCD Nursing Midwifery and Health Systems Programme Office
Health Sciences Centre
Belfield,
Dublin 4

Tel: +353 1 716 6407
Email: nursing@ucd.ie
Web: www.ucd.ie/nmhs

Stage 1

Students are required to take all core modules. There are no elective modules in stage 1. Students must successfully complete all of the requirements for Stage 1 clinical practice module before progressing onto stage 2

Stage 2

Students are required to take all core modules and one option/elective module in the autumn trimester. Please do not select elective modules in the spring trimester as you will be on clinical practice. For each theory module successfully completed at level 2, 5 ECTS credits will be awarded. A total of 30 ECTS credits will be awarded for successfully completed clinical practice at level 2. Students must successfully complete all of the requirements for stage 2 clinical practice module before progressing onto stage 3

Stage 3

Students are required to take four (4) core modules and two option/elective modules in the spring trimester. Please do not select an elective module in the autumn trimester as you will be on clinical practice. In the autumn trimester students will take one clinical module at 25 ECTS credits and one core theory module at 5 ECTS credits. Students must successfully complete stage 3 clinical practice module before progressing onto stage 4.

Stage 4

Students are required to take all core modules. There are no elective modules in this stage. Students must successfully complete all practice placement modules for their stage before they complete the programme

See the UCD Assessment website for further details

---

Module Weighting Info