PM4PY1: Professional Practice 4

Module code: PM4PY1

Module provider: Pharmacy; School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

Credits: 60

Level: Level 4 (Undergraduate Masters)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Mrs Sue Slade, email: s.j.slade@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PM3PY1 AND TAKE PM3PY2 AND TAKE PM3PY3 (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PM4PY2 AND TAKE PM4PY3 (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: Micro placement

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 19 September 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module focuses on the integration of knowledge and skills from previous years’ modules, and their application to a number of complex patient care scenarios allowing students to develop resilience and flexibility and apply effective strategies to manage multiple priorities, uncertainty and change. Students will consider a range of patient groups and their complications and use ethical, legal and evidence-based principles to inform their clinical decisions whilst always keeping the patient in the centre and ensuring their own beliefs and personal values don’t compromise that care. Students will maintain their technical and clinical skills associated with each of the scenarios being addressed and will integrate changes in the law into their clinical practice. Students will gain experience of supporting the learning of others, through assisting in the facilitation of workshops and practicals for students in lower years. Interprofessional Learning alongside other members of the healthcare team will develop leadership and management skills and foster a collaborative approach to patient care. 

Aims 

This module aims to integrate learning accumulated over the previous 3 years of study in up-to-date clinical scenarios, using paper-based, computer-based and expert patient simulation scenarios.  Students will further develop professional skills required for working as an effective member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team and develop excellent reflective professional development skills. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Manage the pharmaceutical care of more complex patients to optimise their outcome whilst considering the psychological, physiological and physical impact of prescribing decisions on them and using a critically evaluated, evidence-based approach
2. Complete consultations with patients (including diagnosis) and healthcare professionals within time constraints, whilst adopting a patient-centred, evidence-based approach, undertaking physical assessments, prescribing and record keeping where appropriate
3. Accurately write prescriptions following assessment of patient clinical details performing calculations where appropriate
4. Support the learning and development of others, including through mentoring
5. Demonstrate how research activities, audit, service evaluation or quality improvement projects are used to improve care and services
6. Critically reflect on personal development of knowledge, skills and behaviours in relation to personal limitations and continuing professional development
7. Proactively maintain a Personal and Academic Development Portfolio (PADP) showing an ability to reflect on experiences, own practice and development needs
8. Demonstrate additional insight into experiences obtained in Professionals Skills 1,2 and 3

Module content

Introduction to module: This module aims to refine the consultation and clinical decision-making skills developed in earlier years whilst dealing with more complex scenarios to produce a confident and competent practitioner 

Workshops: Workshops will build on private directed study and will include debate/discussion of topic, case-based learning, role play and practical tasks involving prescription assessment, validation and writing; communication with healthcare professionals (written (e.g. writing in notes) and verbal) and patients and medicines information enquiries. 

Placement visit: Students put the skills gained from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and other Part 4 modules into practice through a long block of placement experience in hospital, GP surgery or community pharmacy. Placements will be scheduled during the revision period in semester one as there will be no written exams for Part 4 at the end of semester one. Students will be contributing to audit/service evaluation projects during this placement. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module content will be delivered through a range of teaching methods including lectures, directed private study, self-directed learning, case-based learning, simulation, placements and workshops. Students will be signposted to additional resources to supplement the lecture material. Attendance to all teaching sessions is required and poor attendance will be recorded in the student’s personal file. Students failing to complete and engage in placements and interprofessional education sessions will not be permitted to complete the programme. Appropriate supplementary information and reading lists will be provided. 

Study hours

At least 89 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve all of the following to pass this module:

1. A mark of 50% in each summative assessment
2. A pass in the 'pass/fail' assessments 
3. An overall module mark of 50%

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment will be undertaken during workshops and on placement and will reinforce several of the learning outcomes of the module. These will be staff and workplace supervisor assessed and will be related to communication, physical assessment and consultation skills. The workplace-based assessments undertaken whilst on placement will provide students with feedback on their achievement of the learning outcomes and there will be a requirement to submit them in their portfolio. It will also help to prepare them for the summative assessments. Reflection on their knowledge, skills and experience in order to start their prescribing journey lawfully, safely and effectively will be key. 

Students will undertake a formative Healthy Living Assessment (HLA) Blackboard Test and practical skills assessment before carrying out the healthy living assessments on volunteer patients. This will help in preparation for the summative assessments. 

Reassessment

Additional costs