7014CPD Contemporary Issues in Nursing Assignment Brief | Coventry University

7014CPD Assignment Task 

A 2000-word essay AND 3/three x 100 - word posts (100 words each) related to the topic chosen for your essay taken from your contributions to the discussion areas on AULA. 

This assignment contributes 100% of the module mark. 

We acknowledge the contribution that may be made by AI tools in your learning and assessment. The assessment for this module is rated AMBER meaning the use of AI is allowed for assistive purposes only. Please read the University Student Guides to Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence on the Student Portal carefully: 

You may, for example, use tools to highlight topics or to support the development of a critical question and themes you will analyse or to search literature. For some students, the use of AI to enhance or check grammar or the use of language will be relevant. 

It is important to use any AI tools critically, that is, to be able to reason their use and check accuracy such as references using the library databases via Locate; you should always retrieve sources and make your own interpretation of another author’s work.  

You MUST maintain a record of all tools you use and of the process of application; you may be called upon to evidence that all work submitted as assessment is your own work, through an interview or viva. 

Module Learning Outcomes of 7014CPD

The Learning Outcomes for this module align to the marking criteria which can be found at the end of this brief. Ensure you understand the marking criteria for successful achievement of the assessment task. Make sure you address ALL the learning outcomes in your writing, which are as follows:

1. Evaluate the development and application of findings from multiple sources of evidence to the organisation and delivery of nursing care.
2. Examine critically the impact and potential of policy and interventions on care quality in nursing within an identified national context.
3. Critically analyse the influence of social organisation on professional nursing practice. 

Development of Skills and Attributes

This module supports achievement of Course Learning Outcomes 1-5: 

1. Demonstrate a professional approach to self-development in a broad range of competencies relevant to nursing across national borders and areas of practice including digital literacy, critical decision making, problem-solving, presentation and teamwork. 
2. Critically evaluate approaches to, and conduct of research, to support practice and development of nursing care. 
3. Critically evaluate the application and implementation of the evidence base to a range of national and international areas of nursing practice, and contributions of nursing to public health and community development. 
4. Analyse approaches to support leadership, quality and service improvement and project management within policy and professional frameworks of nursing. 
5. Critically evaluate the complex social and political nature of nursing care using an integrated approach and drawing on a range of disciplines.

Presentation & Submission

The submission link via TURNITIN in the Assignment area on the AULA site for this module will be available shortly after the start of the module.

All work must be submitted by the deadline given through the TURNITIN link on your AULA page for this Module. The time recorded on the submission log is the official time of submission. University regulations for late submission state that work submitted late will receive a mark of 0%. 

There will be ONE SUBMISSION LINK – this may be used to view the TURNITIN report for drafts of your work and gives you opportunity to ensure you have acknowledged all the sources you have used, and that you have referenced accurately – please make the most of this resource. Each new submission overrides the previous - the assignment submitted closest to the submission deadline will be marked. 

DO NOT attempt to modify or resubmit your work after the strict assignment deadline as doing so will result in your work being marked as late and will therefore receive a mark of 0%. 

All work should be presented in Microsoft Word or PDF format, one and half or double spaced, in a minimum font size of 12 and the surround (margins) should be at least 2.5cm (1 inch). 
Please provide a title page, which must include:

• The module title and code
• The course you are studying
• The title of the assignment
• The date of submission
• The word count
• Your student number (not Name)

You have a 10% margin either side of this word count for the essay and each of the 3 posts, therefore: 

• Essay: 1800-2200 words
• Posts – 90 – 110 words each      

A penalty of 10% of the mark for this work will be applied to submissions that exceed or are below the requirement by 10% or more. This coursework assesses all learning outcomes of this module.

7014CPD Guidelines for completion of Essay

NOTE: You have a number of opportunities to gain feedback to enhance your work – you are invited to submit a plan for the essay by week 7 and, towards the end of the module, there will be group discussion, and you are encouraged to book an individual tutorial with Pauline Lilley or Kim Craig to discuss your ideas – make the most of these resources! If you are an online student, please discuss with Hilary McLaughlin-Stonham. 

Essay

Choosing a subject

Select a topic and a title for your assignment based on your learning in the modules and that interests you wish to know more about. 

The first phase in the development for any paper is to concisely articulate the critical question that will form the focus of your work. Sometimes this is difficult, particularly if the topic area is wide, but it is a necessary activity which will help you focus and filter down to the crux of the issue you wish to investigate. For examples of critical questions, return to the module content on AULA and look at the “Big Question” in the individual weeks. 

The second stage is to write an overall aim and objectives – this process will promote a sharp focus; writing objectives reduces the tendency for you to go off track and promotes identification of the approach you will take to respond to the critical question; for all the themes explored in this work, there are many different ways to analyse relevant issues. The aim and objectives also give you a framework for the introduction to your work. To do this, you need to read and prepare, to get your thoughts organised and understand the range of ideas related to your topic.

Your essay should have the following components. Please note: sub-headings are not normally appropriate in an essay and may impact negatively on the coherence of your writing - if you are not sure, discuss with Pauline Lilley or Kim Craig. If you are an online student, please discuss with Hilary McLaughlin-Stonham.

Introduction 

In this section you need to briefly identify the characteristics of the issue and the precise focus and your intentions for the paper; the regional/national/international context may be relevant. The introduction should serve to identify for the reader the main areas for discussion and to justify their relevance and importance. 

Critical analysis of the contemporary issue/s in nursing 

Descriptors for level 7/Masters include: a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights and a systematic understanding of knowledge (QAA 2020). 

Critical analysis is a systematic process of posing questions through examining the component parts of a topic (analysis) and making judgements of the worth or merit of something through meaningful comparison. You are expected to demonstrate these skills in your writing and to underpin the academic
argument you develop through reference to the sources. The literature base demonstrates the depth of reading completed in preparation for your work as well as enabling a comprehensive knowledge. Some relevant questions to ask yourself in your planning: 

• What are the approaches to the study of the activity or issue?
• Have approaches to the issue been amended in light of evidence?
• Is there a main population group for which the issue is particularly significant? 
• It may also be appropriate to consider the ‘fit’ of the evidence with your personal experience though this should be considered in light of evidence. 

Conclusion

The conclusion should summarise the main themes of the key points of the assignment and should not introduce any new themes.

References 

Coventry University uses the APA Referencing Style. For support and advice on this, see the online referencing guidance.

Appendices

Appendices are not included in the 2300 word count so are a useful way of including information that you use in your assignment and may want to refer to from the body of your assignment. We recommend, however, that you do not put in your appendices content such as critical thinking, literature reviews, that should be in the body of your assignment.

7014CPD Appendix 1. Confidentiality guidelines for students’ work

Context

The issues of breaches of confidentiality have been raised as an area of concern within students’ assessed work and the implications this has for breaching professional codes of conduct. Confidentiality is a key element of professional (NMC, HCPC) and academic practice but, at present, this is not a feature of the theoretical assessed elements of professional courses. Thus, these guidelines will provide a framework to ensure appropriate professional behaviour is instilled into your practice as students and that the University conforms to the current legal and ethical principles of confidentiality within the scope and code of professional practice.

Confidentiality and professional practice

Within the context of professional ethics, observing the principle of confidentiality means keeping information given by or about an individual in the course of a professional relationship secure and secret from others. Confidentiality is seen as central to the maintenance of trust between professional and service-user. Patient information is generally held under legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality, and information provided in confidence should not be used or disclosed in a form that might identify a patient without his or her consent.

N.B. Confidential information is any information obtained by a person on the understanding that they will not disclose it to others, or obtained in circumstances where it is expected that they will not disclose it. The law assumes that whenever people give personal information to health professionals caring for them, it is confidential as long as it remains personally identifiable.

Confidentiality within assessed work

It is good practice in your written work to never disclose a person’s name as this may be considered a breach of confidentiality. Where an assessed piece of work requires the use of information of a client’s [1] personal case details in a health or social care context, every reasonable effort must be made to ensure the data is appropriately anonymised (this data is where the personal information is included, but from which the person cannot be identified by the recipient). This includes any information collected from written or electronic records, details of a client’s case, opinions, images, or recordings. Failure to ensure confidentiality will result in one of two outcomes: where the breach is considered minor, the work will be returned to you for corrections and the final award will then be subject to the late penalty deductions. Should the breach be judged to be severe, the matter will be referred to the professional suitability panel for consideration. Note: where policies, guidelines or standardised documents from clinical areas area are included within assessed work, these will not need to be anonymised as these are in the public domain. However, if the personal details of the client are included, then all details of the client must be anonymised.

Appendix 1: Postgraduate assessment criteria