This course aims to enhance academic and professional development of nurses who will develop and gain valuable skills such as an in-depth understanding of key research principles, critical evaluation of information/evidence, and effective use of information technology.

Participants will also gain a critical awareness of issues at the forefront of nursing practice and analytical, problem-solving and conceptual skills to make reasoned decisions in their professional practice and sphere of influence.

Topics cover: Social Demographic Trends in the Nursing Profession, Work Psychology, Managing Teams, The Role of the Nurse as an Educator, Evidence Based Practices in the Nursing Profession, Introduction to Research Methods, Bioethics in Healthcare, and Contemporary Issues in Nursing.

The overall course objectives are:

Knowledge:

• Critically evaluate the contribution and limitations of relevant research and how this can be used to enhance evidence-based nursing practice.
• Demonstrate administrative and team and conflict management skills in contexts that are unpredictable and relevant to changing trends of healthcare sector and nursing practice.
• Critically evaluate the healthcare strategies, policies and ethical frameworks in relation to their application to nursing practice.
• Assess, plan and evaluate the theories that underpin bioethics of nursing practice, work psychology and educational role of nurses.

Skills:

• Apply effective decision-making and problem-solving approaches in making informed judgements related to nursing practice in healthcare settings.
• Critically review and evaluate the importance of applying nursing practices in context of social and demographic changes.
• Apply appropriate communication skills as a leader and educator of nursing practice.
• Access, retrieve, interpret and utilise information and evidence-based approaches to nursing appropriately.
• Apply creativity and initiative in developing projects in healthcare management processes, manage and train people to develop team performance in healthcare environment.

Competences:

• Provide critical and reflective analysis of complex aspects related to nursing, using relevant and established theoretical frameworks.
• Integrate knowledge to support proposals for innovation and change to enhance service delivery and improve health outcomes.
• Evaluate research and other forms of evidence, including global health strategies, policy and guidance.
• Develop an autonomous self-reflective critical responsibility for own personal and professional growth.
• Have developed those learning skills that are necessary to continue to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy.