THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Health in Social Science : Nursing Studies

Postgraduate Course: Life Sciences and Nursing Care (NUST10061)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Health in Social Science CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryThis SCQF level 10 course forms part of the first year of the Masters of Nursing with Pre-registration (Adult) programme. It is a core course and runs across semester one and semester two. This course aims to develop and critically apply the biological sciences to the person in the context of nursing and healthcare. Using a framework of the life course from conception to death, normal development and aging will be considered alongside disease and degenerative processes. The nurse's role in caring for the person with an acute or long-term condition will be explored and related to the relevant anatomy, physiology, psychology and pathology. The principles of pharmacology and pharmacological management will be introduced.
Course description This course aims to develop and critically apply the biological sciences to the person in the context of nursing and healthcare. Using a framework of the life course from conception to death, normal development and aging will be considered alongside disease and degenerative processes. The nurse's role in caring for the person with an acute or long-term condition will be explored and related to the relevant anatomy, physiology, psychology and pathology. The principles of pharmacology and pharmacological management will be introduced.


This course will follow the stages of the life course:
a) Conception to birth
b) Childhood
c) Adolescence
d) Young adult
e) Older adult (fit)
f) Older adult (frail)
g) Death and dying

Through these stages normal development and aging of the body will be related to pathologies namely:

a) Developmental disorders
b) Infectious disease and immunisation
c) Trauma
d) Non communicable diseases
i) Cardiovascular
ii) Respiratory
iii) Neurodegenerative
iv) Autoimmune
v) Oncological
vi) Musculoskeletal
e) Frailty

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological management will be introduced related to the above stages and pathologies. This will include:

a) Pharmacokinetics
b) Pharmacodynamics
c) Common drugs and medicines
d) Lifestyle

The course will adopt a student centered learning approach with a mix of inputs. These will range from lectures including flipped lectures, clinical case examples, arts based approaches including body art, practical clinical skills sessions, practical anatomy workbooks, class discussions and tutorials. Students will demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes through the December and May exams and the February course paper. The design of these assessments ensures both an evaluation of breadth and depth of understanding. As nursing is based on a bio-psycho-social understanding of the individual it is important that at this level, a breadth of knowledge is assessed as well as giving the opportunity for students to demonstrate their depth of knowledge. This knowledge will underpin and inform their practice.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 400 ( Lecture Hours 40, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 40, Online Activities 20, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 4, Formative Assessment Hours 6, Summative Assessment Hours 20, Revision Session Hours 6, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 236 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 80 %, Coursework 20 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) The course has 3 assessment components:«br /»
1. December exam, 30% «br /»
2. Semester 2, course paper, approx 3500 words, 20% «br /»
3. May exam, 50% «br /»
«br /»
Students must achieve a pass for the course overall and can compensate between components.
Feedback Semester 1 week 5, example questions will be given out for the students select and draft an answer, these will be discussed, and peer marked in week 7 tutorials.
Semester 2 week 5, example exam questions will be given out for the students to draft answer one, these will be discussed, and peer marked in week 7 tutorials.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)December examination2:00
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)Semester 2 examination3:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Critically apply a knowledge of physiological and anatomical systems to the development and aging of the human body
  2. Critically apply the principles of pharmacological and non-pharmacological management in the nursing care of adult patients to promote good physical and mental health
  3. Critically apply how basic disease principles might affect the development and aging of the human body
  4. Evaluate the role which health and social care practitioners have in promoting good physical and mental health
  5. Critique the important role which health and social care practitioners have in promoting individual, family and community health through maintaining their own health and wellbeing
Reading List
P Marshall, B Gallacher , J Jolly, S Rinomhota (2016) Anatomy and Physiology in Healthcare, Scion publishing
JE Hall, A Guyton (2016) Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology, 13th Ed Elsevier
RL Drake, W Vogl, AWM Mitchell (2015) Gray's anatomy for students, Churchill Livingstone / Elsevier
H Rang, J Ritter, R Flower, G Henderson, J Ritter, G Henderson. (2016). Rang and Dale's pharmacology. 8th ed., Edinburgh, Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.
C Herrington. (2014). Muir's textbook of pathology. 15th ed., CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills This course will stimulate the students' curiosity for learning in the biosciences. It will enable them to apply that learning to their practice and make a positive difference through critical reflection on its application. They will develop their skills in communicating up to date bioscience concepts to their patients in a clear and understandable way.
KeywordsBioscience,pathology,pharmacology,clinical nursing skills
Contacts
Course organiserDr Colin Chandler
Tel: (0131 6)51 5168
Email: Colin.Chandler@ed.ac.uk
Course secretary
Navigation
Help & Information
Home
Introduction
Glossary
Search DPTs and Courses
Regulations
Regulations
Degree Programmes
Introduction
Browse DPTs
Courses
Introduction
Humanities and Social Science
Science and Engineering
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Other Information
Combined Course Timetable
Prospectuses
Important Information