Course National Diploma in Nursing Science (Operating Theatre)

The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.

20 subjects are listed below, with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.

Stage 1: Foundations

1. Human Anatomy. Examine body organisation, musculoskeletal structures and their relationship within human anatomy. The subject develops thoracic structures and abdominal structures, then examines nervous structures and anatomical relationships. Study approved anatomical models and images in a supervised setting.
2. Human Physiology. Develop your understanding of human physiology through homeostasis and cardiovascular function. The subject develops respiration and renal function, then examines endocrine regulation and nervous function. Interpret physiological teaching data and supervised non-invasive demonstrations.
3. Microbiology. Study microbial diversity and cell function as foundations for microbiology. The subject develops growth concepts and microbial ecology, then examines quality controls and biosafety. Use approved images, datasets and low-risk supervised teaching materials.
4. Fundamental Nursing. Examine nursing process, person-centred care and their relationship within fundamental nursing. The subject develops basic needs and observation, then examines documentation and infection prevention. Practise approved nursing skills in simulation under qualified supervision.
5. Health Ethics and Professional Practice. Develop your understanding of health ethics and professional practice through consent and confidentiality. The subject develops scope of practice and equity, then examines professional accountability and ethical reasoning. Discuss a simulated ethical dilemma with attention to patient rights.
6. Clinical Communication. Study listening and plain language as foundations for clinical communication. The subject develops cultural context and shared information, then examines team handover and documentation. Practise communication in supervised simulation using fictional cases.

Stage 2: Technical and applied subjects

1. General Pathology. Examine cell injury, inflammation and their relationship within general pathology. The subject develops repair and neoplasia, then examines circulatory disturbances and disease mechanisms. Analyse de-identified teaching cases using approved pathology images.
2. Pharmacology. Develop your understanding of pharmacology through drug action and pharmacokinetics. The subject develops therapeutic classes and adverse effects, then examines interactions and responsible medicine use. Analyse de-identified medicine teaching cases within authorised learner scope.
3. Adult Medical and Surgical Nursing. Study assessment and care planning as foundations for adult medical and surgical nursing. The subject develops common conditions and perioperative care, then examines rehabilitation and continuity. Participate in approved supervised adult-nursing placements.
4. Surgical Sciences. Examine surgical assessment, tissue healing and their relationship within surgical sciences. The subject develops perioperative principles and common surgical conditions, then examines complications and team responsibilities. Use simulation and approved supervised surgical learning appropriate to the programme.
5. Perioperative Nursing. Develop your understanding of perioperative nursing through patient preparation and asepsis. The subject develops theatre roles and intraoperative coordination, then examines recovery and handover. Complete approved theatre and recovery placements under specialist nursing supervision.
6. Anaesthesia Technology Support. Study equipment functions and monitoring interfaces as foundations for anaesthesia technology support. The subject develops technical checks and equipment records, then examines human factors and escalation. Observe approved technical checks under qualified anaesthesia-team supervision.
7. Critical Care Nursing. Examine advanced assessment, organ dysfunction and their relationship within critical care nursing. The subject develops monitoring and complex care planning, then examines family support and team communication. Complete approved adult critical-care placements with specialist supervision.
8. Quality and Patient Safety. Develop your understanding of quality and patient safety through care quality and patient experience. The subject develops safety incidents and clinical governance, then examines improvement methods and measurement. Review a de-identified service-quality case using approved data.

Stage 3: Supervised practice and integration

1. Nursing Unit Management. Study care organisation and staffing as foundations for nursing unit management. The subject develops delegation and records, then examines quality and professional development. Analyse a nursing-unit case with permissioned or synthetic records.
2. Clinical Reasoning and Evidence. Examine problem representation, differential reasoning and their relationship within clinical reasoning and evidence. The subject develops evidence appraisal and diagnostic uncertainty, then examines referral and reflective practice. Analyse de-identified cases within the approved professional learner role.
3. Research Methods. Develop your understanding of research methods through research questions and literature review. The subject develops study design and data collection, then examines ethics and interpretation. Prepare a feasible investigation proposal with a defined evidence need.
4. Integrated Supervised Clinical Practice. Study approved clinical roles and care coordination as foundations for integrated supervised clinical practice. The subject develops case reasoning and observed competence, then examines professional feedback and reflection. Complete an approved placement with qualified clinical supervision and authenticated records.
5. Project Development and Feasibility. Examine problem definition, evidence review and their relationship within project development and feasibility. The subject develops requirements and method selection, then examines feasibility and evaluation criteria. Develop an approved discipline-specific project proposal with a supervisor.
6. Integrated Project and Technical Report. Develop your understanding of integrated project and technical report through implementation and evidence collection. The subject develops analysis and verification, then examines limitations and communication. Complete the approved project and maintain an auditable evidence record.