Linking London Development Fund Final Report - Health

Title of proposal: / Development of Foundation Degree and Foundation Year and Bridging Course for Health subjects
Name of proposer: / Tracey Cockerton & Raouf Khodabux
Role: / Associate Dean: Academic Developments
Title: / Dr
Email: /
Telephone: / 0208 411 5464
Department: / School of Health and Social Sciences
Head of Department: / Dean: Jan Williams
Name and address of institution: / Middlesex University
Queensway
Enfield
EN3 4SF
Total funding requested: / £ 9977
Signature of proposer: / Tracey Cockerton
Outline of the project proposal
  1. Development of a bridging course for health students
  2. Development of a foundation year (HE level 0) in health
1. Development of a bridging course for health students
We would like to develop a 5 week module to prepare prospective health student e.g., nurses and midwifery students. The module will consist of a 3 hour session every week which can be provided either in the morning or afternoon or even evening depending upon the needs of the students. It is likely that this course would run twice per year and allow progression on our Health programmes.
Aim of the module is to:
Improve the recruitment and retention of prospective student nurses
.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the module, the students should be able to:
(a) Appreciate the need for good preparation at interviews
(b) Have an understanding of the Nursing Course
(c) Write academic essays
(d) Demonstrate an awareness of different types of Nursing
(e) Appreciate the commitment necessary to study in Higher Education
1st Session:
What does it take to study in Higher Education?
(a) Adult approach
(b) Commitment/preparation
(c) Learn about culture in the University
(d) Facilities and support network
2nd Session
Academic essay writing
(a) Writing essay at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3
(b) Referencing
(c) Presentation of essay
(d) Computer Skills –
3rd Session
The Nursing Course
(a) Different type of Nursing
(b) Subjects taught
(c) Structure of the course
(d) Practice – How it is organized
(e) Writing academic essays
(f) Give feedback
4th Session
Preparation for Interviews
(a) Self presentation
(b) Filling Application form
(c) Writing supporting information
(d) Writing essays – More essay to write if necessary.
5th Session
Interviews
(a) Undertake some mock interviews
(b) Examine completed application forms
(c) Explore essay writing
2) Development of Foundation Year in Health
Last year (2006/7) HSSC developed a Science Foundation Year programme in collaboration with FE colleges – Barnet and ConWL. This programme is at HE level 0 and validated as integral part of a four year programme in our BSc science programmes such Environmental Health, Biomedical Science, Biological Science etc.
Following on from the success of the Science foundation year we would like to develop a Health Foundation Year building the modules already developed and running for the foundation year in science. This one years level 0 programme could cover the following:
a) Fundamentals of Human Biology
b) Biology, Form and Function
c) Lifestyle, Environment and Disease
d) Clinical Numeracy
e) Study and Learning Skills
f) Personal development and reflection
g) Communication Skills
As with the Science Foundation Year, this programme is designed to allow students to enrol onto their desired target programme while studying for the requisite foundation subjects. Health Foundation Year programmes exist at other universities such as Keele and provide guaranteed progression through the programme from FE level to HE level on successful completion of each stage. Such programmes recruit different types of students to those interested in Access programmes or the new Diplomas. The Health Foundation Year will include work-based learning and AP(E)L on entry.

Project Outcomes

The bridging course for health students is now known as the Pre admission Course for Nursing.

Project Lead

Charmagne Barnes

Teaching staff

Caroline Sargisson, Charmagne Barnes ; Marion Taylor

Administration staff: Marcia Fernandes

Aim

To prepare students for potential admission to nursing programmes within Higher Education.

Length of course

5 sessions

Pattern of study

3 hours every other week (9 hours contact; 6 hours directed activity)

Location

Hendon (depending on availability of rooms)

Target numbers

20-25 for the purpose of the project

Criteria for selection: Those students who are not successful at the Maths or English test taken prior to interview (between November-January 9th, 2009), will be sent a letter inviting them to participate in this course.

Course commences

January – February 2009

Day 1: Thursday 15th January 2009: 16.00-19.00hrs

Day 2: self directed learning

Day 3: January 29th, 2009: 16.00-19.00hrs

Day 4: Self directed learning

Day 5: February 12th, 2009: 16.00-19.00hrs

Course details

Week 1:

  • Introduction to nursing/health related professions , within the context of the NHS(interprofessional teams) and higher education
  • Career aspirations and expectations; and how these might be achieved
  • What does it take to become a health care professional (personal spec/professional spec)
  • Studying within Higher education
  • Numeracy and Literacy skills

Week 2:

  • Directed activity: in relation to computing skills, study skills, literacy and numeracy

Week 3:

  • ELLS: How to improve on English and writing skills (Julio Gimenez)
  • Skills required in the health setting(communication, presentation; bringing together theory and practice)
  • Transferable skills from current work/life experiences
  • Demonstration of skills to emphasise the holistic nature of the health care professions(bringing together
  • the physical, cognitive, social, psychological aspects of the individual)
  • Study Skills textbook given to students
  • Personal specification for nursing

Week 4:

  • Directed activity outside the classroom
  • CD Rom Exercises
  • Think about the interview process and what this might entail
  • Essay to test writing skills - set within the context of health

Week 5:

  • Mock interview and feedback
  • Evaluation
  • Dates for Interview...... 17th February and 19th February, 2009
  • Certificate of Attendance

Learning and Teaching methods

Discussion; question and answer; demonstration; reflection; role play; directed and self directed activity

Outcome

Prospective students will be offered a certificate of attendance following the successful completion of the course and an interview date for entry to the March 2009 cohort.

Evaluation

The course will be evaluated using a questionnaire; the evaluation will be fed into the Recruitment group at School level with a view to replication of this course, if considered successful. Success will also be measured by students from this course gaining successful entry to the March 2009 nursing programme.

It is envisaged that the course materials would be available on CD-Rom, and marketed to potential customers via the School Business development Unit.

  1. The Foundation Year in Health was to complement and expand our progression routes in the School of Health and Social Sciences (HSSC). We had recently developed and validated the Science Foundation Year and identified Health as the next area for this type of level 0 progression route. However, feasibility of the foundation year in Health and for a set of Foundation Degrees for Assistant Practitioners was discussed with external partners and the ASNs for this provision were returned. Our employer partners did not support the development of Assistant Practitioner programmes which were likely to be a main progression route for the Health foundation year along with the DipAdv Nursing programme. The commencement of the NMC review of Nursing and Midwifery provision, was also a major factor in suspending the development of the Health Foundation Year programme.

However, as an alternative, we successfully validated a foundation year in Social Sciences called “Global Social Sciences” with a progression route to BSc Global Social Sciences. This programme was advertised in June 2008 and successfully recruited 14 students in September 2008.

As previously planned, the HSSC School now has two foundation year programmes – one in Science and one in Global Social Sciences as well as a pre-admission course to facilitate progression to the Nursing and Midwifery programmes.