Learning Outcomes of the
SCPHN Programme &
How they Link to Practice
Aims
• To highlight the learning
objectives of the programme
• To identify how they link with the
practice experience
• To ensure the opportunities are
available in the practice learning
environment to enable student
progression
SCPHN Course Objectives
For successful completion of the
Specialist Community Public
Health practice the student will
need to have demonstrated
achievement of the learning
outcomes and practice
competencies in both the
theoretical and practical aspects of
the course thus reflecting the
standards of proficiency for
Specialist Community
Public Health Nurses (NMC 2004).
Knowledge Understanding and
Cognitive Skills
 Demonstrate enquiring, reflective, critical and
innovative approaches to public health practice,
improvement and leadership in a range of contexts.
 Critically analyse the impact of public health policy
and practice on a population’s health and wellbeing.
 Debate ethical, moral and legal issues and
frameworks relevant to a range of public health
issues and dilemmas faced by practitioners.
 Engage and collaborate with colleagues to discuss
and debate a variety of public health perspectives.
 Appreciate the importance of effective
implementation and critical analysis of public health
strategies and improvement across a range of
practice settings and diverse populations.
Subject Specific Skills
 Appraise ways in which public health and social
policies impact upon the health and wellbeing of
populations.
 Demonstrate critical awareness of the social, political
and economic factors which influence service users
experience of health care.
 Demonstrate conceptual understanding of the key
concepts and theories upon which their practice is
predicated.
 Analyse the concepts of equity and discrimination
within the context of public health and its
determinants.
 Utilise strategies, which will assist with the integration
of public health and specialist community public health
nursing approaches in complex, ambiguous and
unpredictable practice settings.
Subject Specific Skills Cont’d
 Appreciate and demonstrate effective
understanding and analysis of public
health/specialist community public health nursing
approaches, strategies and provision.
 Implement a range of public health/specialist
community public health nursing strategies and
activities across a range of practice settings and
evaluate their impact and effectiveness.
 Appreciate a wide range of methodological
approaches to achieving evidence based public
health and research.
 Analyse relevant theories and strategies for
achieving effective partnership and collaborative
working with clients, communities and partner
organisations.
 Self evaluate and reflect upon their own
identified field of professional practice.
Key General Skills
 Utilise and demonstrate problem-solving skills in a
variety of theoretical and practical settings.
 Demonstrate an ability to engage effectively in
partnership working with clients, families,
communities and stakeholders.
 Analyse, apply and interpret the evidence
underpinning their practice, and initiate appropriate
and useful change in practice.
 Deploy an ability to engage in complex arguments
with a group in a competent and appropriate
manner.
 Demonstrate self-reflectivity and an awareness of
the need for continuing professional development.
 Maximise individual potential by acting as a role
model and developing the public health potential of
others, including consumers.
 Formulate strategies to manage their own lifelong
learning and the practice of others.
Reflective Practice
 Practice focused learning is a central tenet
of this programme. Therefore, the course
has been designed to enable the student to
apply and link the theoretical constructs to
the practice environment and develop the
skills of analysis and critical reflection.
 A partnership approach between academics,
practitioners, practice teachers, mentors and
users is a valued and important feature of
this programme. The nature and
effectiveness of communication and contact
between the student, the lecturers and the
practice teachers/mentors is paramount to
the course.
Programme structure and content
Module Title
Credit value
• Theory and Practice of Specialist
Community Public Health Nursing
20
• Contemporary Perspectives in Health
Promotion and Public Health
20
• Application of theory to practice in
Specialist Community Public Health
Nursing
40
• Community Practitioner Nurse
Prescribing (V100)
pass/fail
• Research & Evidence Based Practice
20
• Leadership in Health & social Care
20
• Practice element (50%)
pass/fail
Theory and Practice Module Learning Outcomes
 Critically analyse the role and practice of the health
visitor in the changing public health context.
 Demonstrate a comprehensive working knowledge
of child development and factors associated with
family and child health.
 Understand and apply effective strategies for
supporting and promoting effective parenting and
parental/child attachment.
 Be able to critically analyse the mechanisms and
skills for working effectively in partnership with
other practitioners and agencies to improve health
and wellbeing.
 Develop therapeutic relationships and provide
psychological support for individuals and groups.
 Demonstrate and identify action to protect
individuals, families and populations whose health
and wellbeing may be at risk.
 2 hour exam
Contemporary Perspectives in Health
Promotion and Public Health Module –
Learning Outcomes
 Analyse critically, core concepts, theories, principles and
values that are relevant to health promotion and public
health practice.
 Evaluate a range of contemporary health
promotion/public health data, evidence and strategies,
drawing conclusions about their appropriateness, in
relation to the work context.
 Analyse critically, the links between risks to health, risk
behaviour, inequalities in health and the implications for
health, wellbeing and health promotion/public health
practice.
 Apply core principles and evidence base in developing
and implementing strategies and initiatives for promoting
health within the work context and review their
effectiveness.
 Evaluate the contribution of collaboration, partnership
and community engagement to the health improvement
agenda.
 Assessment – 4,000 word essay
Application of Theory and Practice Module
– Learning Outcomes
 Critically appraise and undertake the role and
practice of the health visitor in the changing public
health context, by interpreting and effectively
applying knowledge and theories to the practice
setting.
 Demonstrate a comprehensive and effective working
knowledge of child development and factors
associated with family and child health.
 Create and influence potential developments in
policy and practice in order to enhance Specialist
Community Public Health Nursing.
 Analyse and carry out effective strategies for
supporting and promoting effective parenting and
parental/child attachment.
 Critically understand and influence the mechanisms
and skills for working effectively in partnership with
other practitioners and agencies to improve health
and wellbeing.
Application of Theory and Practice
Module – Learning Outcomes Cont’d
 Develop therapeutic relationships and provide
psychological support for individuals and groups.
 Critically appraise the legal and ethical
determinants that impact on practice and
practice development, incorporating the
assessment and management of risk.
 Demonstrate and undertake action to protect
individuals, families and populations whose
health and wellbeing may be at risk.
 Critically analyse and illustrate ways of managing
and organising the health visiting caseload.
 Debate and engage in the professional
requirements and boundaries of health visiting.
 Assessment – 8,000 word essay (2 elements)
Research and Evidence Based Practice
Module – Learning Outcomes
 Identify the origins and key components of evidence-based
practice
 Examine the research process
 Explore the philosophical underpinnings of research in both the
positivistic and naturalistic paradigms
 Identify issues as a result of critical examination of practice and
frame appropriate questions to initiate a search in order to find
possible answers based on the best evidence available
 Initiate a search strategy using the Internet and other electronic
and non-electronic sources of information to locate appropriate
sources of evidence
 Appreciate the concept of meta-analysis and its role in the
development of systematic reviews
 Critically appraise evidence generated from randomized
controlled trials, naturalistic research, systematic reviews and
practice guidelines/frameworks/protocols
 Explore a number of methods employed by researchers to
analyse data generated from both the positivistic and naturalistic
paradigms.
 Assessment – 4,000 word essay
Leadership Module –
Learning Outcomes
 Critically analyse and evaluate the role of
healthcare leaders and managers in service
development and innovation in a changing policy
context.
 Critically evaluate different approaches to service
development and innovation and assess their
relevance and usefulness in a variety of
organisational contexts.
 Evaluate the methods of promoting and
implementing evidence-based decision making in
transforming services.
 Evaluate the communication and inter-personal
skills required to achieve service development,
change and innovation within a health and social
care environment.
 Assessment – 4,000 word essay
Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribing
V100 Module – Learning Outcomes
 Assess and consult with patient/clients, clients, parents and
carers
 Undertake a thorough history, including medication history and
current medication (including over-the-counter, alternative and
complementary health therapies) to inform diagnosis
 Understand and apply the relevant legislation to the practice of
nurse/midwife prescribing
 Critically appraise, use sources of information/advice and
decision support systems in prescribing practice
 Understand the influences that can affect prescribing practice,
and demonstrate your understanding by managing your
prescribing practice in an ethical way
 Understand and apply knowledge of drug actions in prescribing
practice
 Demonstrate an understanding of the roles and relationships of
others involved in prescribing, supplying and administering
medicines
 Prescribe safely, appropriately and cost effectively
 Practise within a framework of professional accountability and
responsibility.
 Assessment - Exam