100% Online MSc Public Health Nursing

This module facilitates explorations of several of the concepts, principles and theories underpinning person-centred practice in a variety of care settings and perspectives: the prevention of ill-health and the promotion of health and wellbeing. The needs of persons, families and communities will be explored in a way that is consistent with the theoretical underpinnings and the values of person-centredness throughout the lifespan.

The student will develop an individual learning agreement around an elective nursing-based topic. The agreement will identify the learning aims and objectives, the learning activities to be undertaken, and the evidence of learning that will be produced. Students will engage in a wide range of learning activities depending on the nature of their elective topic.

A broad overview of epidemiology, known as the language of public health, and statistical methods for data analysis will be offered in this module. This module will provide an overview of how to classify and measure population health and disease transmission and how to analyse these measurements and other quantitative and health data. Case examples specific to public or global health will be employed for each programme.

This project enables you to build upon your programme modules to develop and apply the skills of research and independent inquiry to a self-selected project which contributes insights and advances understanding to a subject, field or profession. You will be required to design and undertake a small-scale independent research project, relevant to your field of study and/or professional practice, reflecting on the application of the insights you generate. You will be required to exhibit a professional approach, academic rigour, independence, critical thought and self-direction with the input of a supervisor.

This module focusses on the roles and current challenges of public health nursing including ethical principles, stigma, and dilemmas in public health practice; health promotion models; social determinants of health; strategies for addressing health disparities; leadership and collaboration; and effective communication for public health messaging.

This module will cover the foundations of health promotion and disease prevention with a special focus on health communication, health policy, and health education. This module will critically examine successful and unsuccessful health campaigns, and consider contemporary issues that challenge disease control such as those encountered with HIV, TB, and COVID-19 and diet and noncommunicable diseases. The impact of physical and social environments on disease prevention and occupational health will also be examined, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal approaches to healthcare interventions and how to decide which approach to use under given circumstances. A special emphasis will be directed toward identifying and controlling social stigma. Health policy formation and implementation will also be introduced. Finally, emergency preparedness and humanitarian response to population health disasters will be reviewed. 

The focus of this module is to examine the students’ interpretation, understanding and application of evidence-based practice. The process of inquiry into best practices and development of practice will be appraised. As leaders and facilitators students will consider the why, what and how of their role in promoting and facilitating current evidence-based practice in their specific context/workplace.

The student will gain a wider understanding of how different sources of evidence and knowledge contribute to the development, delivery and evaluation of innovative health and wellbeing practice when working with the person, families and communities, and of contemporary research consistent with the values of person-centredness. There will be a focus on leadership and wellbeing approaches for healthful cultures.

Gain an understanding of critical issues in public and global health including the: overarching goal of public and global health, key challenges including human resources for health, environmental factors, conflict and crisis, antimicrobial resistance, pandemics, and the role of political actors. 

Local level and primary health care will be the focus of this module, with a special emphasis on mental health and psychosocial support. The challenges of working and intervening at local, community levels, and the access to resources, will be examined. Sociocultural factors, including the social determinants of health will be central to this module. The means to build community support, social cohesion, social capital, and resilience in fostering more self-sufficient communities will also be examined.

This module brings together the different elements and stages that form and inform the research process. Quantitative and qualitative approaches to research are highlighted and students will be encouraged to start exploring a research area of interest, identifying and justifying the research process that connects to that area of interest.