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NMHS10490

Academic Year 2024/2025

Intro Psychology&Communication (NMHS10490)

Subject:
Nursing,Midwifery & Health Sys
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Nursing,Midwifery & Health Sys
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr John Gilmore
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This foundational module aims to introduce students to key theories from psychology and communication. The module comprises of two distinct though interrelated units of study. The unit of Psychology offers an introduction to the discipline of psychology and the theories which influence nursing and midwifery practice in our current healthcare system. A brief introduction to the principles of self-care will also be included. Communication, the second unit of study, focuses on the interpersonal qualities and skills involved in building effective relationships with patients and clients. Issues of interpersonal communication such as self-awareness, effective communication and self-compassion for nursing and midwifery will be introduced. The course content for both units of study will be delivered online.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module Students will,
•Appreciate what the study of psychology is and how psychological theory can contribute to Nursing and Midwifery practice.
•Be familiar with key theories of personality which help to explain people’s behaviour (Action, Thinking and Emotions).
•Understand how attachments are formed in infancy and how cognitive development occurs in children/adolescents.

On successful completion of this module Students will,
•Be aware of how their experiences impact on communicating with others.
•Describe what is meant by professional as opposed to personal relationships.
•Practice high quality listening, attending and responding skills when interacting with others.
•Gain an understanding of the importance of their own self care needs and how they might manage them.

Indicative Module Content:

Why is psychology relevant for Nurses and Midwives? a focus on,
• The Psychodynamic Perspective: our unconscious mind and our behaviour.
• Behavioural Theory: learning and behaviour.
• Cognitive Psychology: our thoughts and our behaviour.
• Humanistic Perspective: the ‘self,’ self-awareness, self-compassion and building relationships.
• Positive Psychology: understanding how we flourish.
• Developmental Psychology: forming attachments in infancy and a cognitive perspective on how children and adolescents make sense of their world?


Why is good communication important for Nurses and Midwives?
• An introduction to communication in clinical practice.
• Interpersonal skills for good communication: Roles people play in groups; Positioning- Verbal & non-verbal prompts – Silence; Questions – Clarification.
• Interpersonal skills in specific situations: Therapeutic listening responses- Restatement –Paraphrasing – Reflection – Summarising.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

15

Autonomous Student Learning

90

Lectures

20

Total

125


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Units of study for this module will be broken into a series of 20-30mins synchronous (pre recorded) and synchronous (live) lecture sessions following the Trimester 1 TimeTable.
Learning will be facilitated through Brightspace using student response systems, videos, and discussion forum and self-care exercises.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Completion of a Communication Audit and critical disucssion Week 8 Graded No
40
No
Exam (Online): Online examiniation via Brightspace Week 14 Graded No
60
No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

A discussion forum will be available to students throughout the module. A class tutorial will be held during the module to support students' learning and preparation for the MCQ assessment. A Q& A session will be held at the end of the module.

Core Text Books
Upton, Dominic. Introducing Psychology for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals, Taylor & Francis Group, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/UCD/detail.action?docID=1569957.
Arnold, E.C., Underman Boggs, K. (2016) Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses (7th ED). Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

Additional Resources
Coon, D. & O Mitterer, J. (2012) Introduction to Psychology Gateways to Mind and Behaviour (14th Edition). Thomson/Wadsworth: United Kingdom.
Davinder, R. and Upton, D. (2009) Psychology for Nurses. Pearson: Education.
De Vries J and Timmins F. ( 2017) Understanding Psychology for Nursing Students. UK: Sage
Eysenck M.W. (2018). Simple Psychology (4th Ed). UK: Routledge.
Kennedy-Sheldon, L. (2009). Communication for Nurses: Talking with Patients (2nd Ed). Boston: Jones and Bartlett.
Priest, H. (2012) An introduction to psychological care in nursing and the health professions. United Kingdom: Routledge.
Raynor, M. & England C. (2011) Psychology for Midwives: Pregnancy, Childbirth and Puerperium. Open University Press McGraw-hill:Berkshire.
Smith, P., Cowie, H., & Blades, M. (2011) Understanding Children s Development (5th Ed). Blackwell Publishing:UK.
Stein-Parbury, J. (2014) Patient and Person: Interpersonal Skills in Nursing (5th Ed). Sydney: Harcourt.
Walker, J, Payne, S, Jarrett, N & Ley, T (Eds) (2012) Psychology for Nurses and the Caring Professions (4th edition), Open University Press: London.

Name Role
Dr Andrew Darley Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Aoife De Brún Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr John Gilmore Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Regina Joye Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Sarah Sinnamon Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 11:00 - 12:50