QMU Programme Specification : BSc (Hons) Nursing

1. Awarding Institution: Queen Margaret University and British University in Egypt (double degree)

2. Teaching Institution: British University in Egypt

3. Professional body accreditation: N/a

4. Final Award: BSc (Hons) Nursing

Subsidiary exit awards: Cert HE / Dip HE / BSc Health Studies

5. Programme Title:Bsc (Hons) Nursing

6. UCAS code: N/a

7. SCQF Level: 10

8. Mode of delivery and duration:FT 4 years

9. Date of validation/review : April 2016

10. Educational Aims of the programme

The overall aim of this programme is to enable undergraduate nurses to develop their personal and professional skills to provide a high quality care in both health and illness and to enable graduates to compete nationally and internationally.

11. Benchmark statements/professional and statutory body requirements covered by the programme

UK Quality Code subject benchmark statement for Nursing
National Academic Reference Standards (NARS) as set out by the Egyptian NationalAuthority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE)
QMU undergraduate attributes
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework

12. Learning Outcomes of the Programme

The programme enables students to:

(A) Professional Knowledge and Understanding

A1. Demonstrate an understanding of nursing, medical and supportive sciences, which will stimulate research, promote positive change and enable creative approaches in personal and professional practices during health and illness.

A.2 Acquire knowledge as well as skills in handling information technology related to patient/client care, health promotion and continuing personal and professional development.

(B) Intellectual Skills

B1. Utilise effective holistic teamwork approach in work as well as using the relevant theoretical framework to solve problems and to make decisions.

B2. Apply the principles of nursing, communication, education, research, management and continuous quality improvement while performing the different nursing roles as well as on the personal level.

B3. Critically evaluate practice of self and others from an understanding of the knowledge base, research findings, ethical, legal and cultural context, and to use these skills as the basis for the personal and professional development.

B4. Analyse the perspectives of health, as well as health promotion approaches, and develop partnerships, negotiating with individuals and groups, to enable the provision of a justified quality nursing care.

C1. Use a range of relevant assessment techniques that cover all aspects of the patient’s life including the physiological, psychological and socio-cultural, to solve patients’ problems and provide priority high quality care according to different situations and needs.

C2. Use management, communication and education strategies to promote effective professional nursing role practices and therapeutic relationships with clients, families and communities considering the cultural and legal context.

C3. Develop and implement priority care plans as well as strategies to meet the health needs of patients/clients and communities using the nursing theory besides a standardised protocol and guidelines in collaboration with multi-disciplinary team and organisations.

C4. Implement and document safe evidence-based priority care plans for patients/ clients, families and communities across a variety of care settings based on informed decisions.

C5. Evaluate the outcome of the implemented nursing care, as well as environmental changes, the social, political and legal context in which the professional nursing activities are set.

(D) Transferrable Skills

D1. Demonstrate accountability for the holistic aspects of the delivered nursing care through using information technology and other resources.

D2. Maintain responsibility for lifelong learning aiming for personal and professional development, as well as developing the managerial skills to promote effective teamwork approaches and quality care.

D3. Act as a role model and demonstrate commitment to ethical, legal, human rights and cultural diversity whilst promoting the health of individuals, families and communities in different settings.

13.Teaching and learning methods and strategies

Consistent with the programme’s philosophy, which outlines the qualities inherent in graduate nurses, the teaching and learning approaches are chosen to foster and facilitate various kinds of learning in individual students. A major strategy within this is the reflective process, which assists students to draw out the learning potential from their own practice and personal experiences. Students are expected to develop and practise the skill of reflection in many aspects of their coursework and use it to guide their future practice by utilising all aspects of the portfolio.

Students have the opportunity to develop their reflective skills through the use of a learning diary. Reflecting on action in this way integrates informal theories (underlying practice) with formal theory (derived through curriculum).

Commencing in the Preparatory Year, emphasis is placed on student-centred approaches of learning with the students gradually being encouraged to take more responsibility for their learning. In the Preparatory Year this is achieved through use of the Practice Records for clinical practice, with seminars and debates being introduced towards the end of the year. Web-based learning is encouraged, primarily through the Nursing Skills modules and Applied Science modules.

As the programme progresses to Degree Year 1, case-based learning and blended learning, building on the teaching and learning strategies of the Preparatory Year, are introduced and in Degree Year 2, all nursing modules are formulated as problem-based learning. In addition, independent learning is more enhanced. By Degree Year 3, students will have a high degree of responsibility for their own learning (including in the elective module as well as the dissertation). The student-centred learning approach that is adopted is apparent in all modules as well as thestudent’s choice of available topics.

Clinical practice is also highlighted as an important approach with students developing and refining problem-solving and reflective skills, along with exploring evidence-based practice. In the workplace, shared learning can occur between all disciplines and levels of staff and will be exploited to the full in terms of shared tutorials and presentations.

Student support during clinical practice is provided by lecturers and practitioners. A variety of teaching and learning strategies which promote student self-direction and problem-solving are employed and recorded in the portfolio as aspects of the student’s personal profile.
Development of practical teaching between different years of the programme as well as one-to- one teaching and clinical lectures in the workplace, all emphasise the integrated nature of learning in the workplace. The three-way partnership between students, practitioners and faculty staff is an important element in work-based learning and assessment process.

14. Assessment strategies

The assessment strategy develops through the four years of the programme building on and facilitating continuing development of critical, analytical and evaluative skills. Assessment methods used in the programme include:

a. Time limited examinations

b. Written essays

c. Written assignments

d. Case based assessment (Case Study)

e. Written reflective papers

f.Poster presentations

g.Research critiques

h.Seminar presentations

i.Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCA)

j.Work-based learning assessments – practice record

k.Final year dissertation proposal

This range of assessment approaches enables knowledge and skills at various levels of development to be assessed as the student progresses through the programme. For example, the Practice Record requires the student to develop skills of self appraisal, communication, self- management, motivation, initiative and information retrieval. These skills, and the knowledge gained, then contribute to the academic assignments for the year.

15. Programme structures and features, curriculum units (modules), credits and award requirements (including any periods of placement)

The Nursing programme at the BUE is offered as a four-year full-time Programme and consists of a Preparatory Year followed by three further years of study.

An overview of the programme structure is given in Table 1 overleaf.

Table 1: Programme structure of the BSc (Hons) Nursing programme

Preparatory Year:Entry with appropriate qualifications

Module Title	Credit
English language (Various levels)	20
Introduction to Nursing and Health Science 1	20
Introduction to Nursing and Health Science 2	20
Applied Science 1: Pathophysiology	20
Introduction to Psychology, & Communication	20
Humanities	20

Degree Year 1

Module Title	Credit
Adult Health Nursing 1	30
Adult Health Nursing 2	30
Applied Science 2: Pharmacology and Applied Pharmacology	10
Applied Science 1: Pathophysiology	20
Biochemistry, Nutrition and Therapeutic Nutrition	20
Professional Enquiry Skills: Problem Solving	20
Epidemiology, Microbiology, and Infection Control	10
Biophysics and Biomedical Technology	10

Degree Year 2

Module Title	Credit
Family Health: Reproductive Health and Maternal and New-born 30 Health	30
Child and Adolescent Health	30
Introduction to Research and Statistics	20
Management 1	20
Health Promotion Using Educational Technology	20

Degree Year 3

Module Title	Credit
Dissertation Proposal	40
Elective Module	20
Community Based Nursing	20
Mental Health Nursing	20
Management 2	20

Normally, students study modules with a combined weight of 120 credits in each year which is taught in two 15-week semesters; week 13 being a revision week, and weeks 14 and 15 being assessment weeks at the end of each semester. Each semester contains the equivalent of 60 credits giving a total of 120 credits for each year. A total of 480 credits in the whole programme are divided equally across four years.

To achieve professional recognition within Egypt graduates undertake a further one-year internship after graduation to meet the requirements for professional registration in Egypt.

16. Criteria for admission

The minimum entry requirements for admission to the Preparatory Year are:

English language level at Pre-intermediate, equivalent to IELTS 4.0.
Entrants must hold educational certificates including three science subjects, English orEnglish language. All combinations of subjects at higher levels must include English (or exceptionally acceptable discursive subject) and a science subject.
International applicants must offer qualifications which are acceptable to the Egyptian SCU and equate to UK qualifications at a higher level.
The requirements for progression to Degree Year 1 are as set out in the Academic Regulations.
Applicants who are graduates of Technical Nursing Institutes must have 75% in their Technical Nursing Diploma to be admitted directly into Degree Year 1.

17. Support for students and their learning

The following student support mechanisms are offered:

Personal Academic Tutors
Formative assessment and on-going feedback
Student handbooks and induction
eLearning (virtual learning environment)
Open access to clinical skills labs
Access to English language, Library and IT support
Access to Student Services: careers, counselling, and health advice
Representation through Student-Staff Committees

18. Quality Assurance arrangements

This programme is awarded and quality assured by both Queen Margaret University and the British University in Egypt, working in partnership. Joint regulations have been agreed between the two Universities.

For more information about QMU quality procedures, see the QMU website: QMU Website

For more information about BUE quality procedures, see the BUE website:[broken link ]