FORENSIC CUSTODY NURSING
Part 1: GRADUATE CERTIFICATE LEVEL

This module (Part 1: Graduate Certificate) is taught part time over 1 year and contributes 60 SCQF credits (30 at Level 9 and 30 at Level 11).
Satisfactory completion of Part 1 allows exit with a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Custody Nursing or progression onto the Post-Graduate Diploma level module.
Course Fee: £1300

Part 2 (Post-Graduate Diploma) is is taught part time over a further 1 year and contributes a further 60 credits at Level 11.
The Part 1 module (Graduate Certificate) is a prerequisite for this second module.
Satisfactory completion of Part 2 allows exit with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Forensic Custody Nursing or progression onto the Masters level module.

Part 3 (Masters) is is taught part time over a further 1 year and contributes a further 60 credits at Level 11.
The Part 1 (Graduate Certificate) and Part 2 (Post-Graduate Diploma) modules are both prerequisites for this third module.
Satisfactory completion of Part 3 allows exit with a Masters in Forensic Custody Nursing.

MODULE GUIDE 2009-10

Introduction
Staff
Aims and Objectives
Teaching Arrangements
Recommended Texts
Detailed Syllabus
Assessment
Important Student Information
Difficulties and Feedback
General Regulations
SCQF

Last edited 10-11-10

INTRODUCTION

STAFF

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

By the end of the module students should be able to:
1. Understand and discuss the complex medical and medico-legal issues presented by detainees in a police custody setting.
2. Recognise and act upon the clinical danger signs associated with illness, injury and intoxication in a police custody setting, in particular fitness to be detained and fitness to plead
3. Recognise and discuss injury patterns, including those associated with assault.
4. Demonstrate a practical awareness of the importance of forensic scientific trace evidence, particularly its application in relation to handling detainee's clothing and property.
5. Understand the medico-legal issues relating to alcohol and drug abuse and react appropriately.
6. Understand and discuss the rationale, principles and procedures of police powers and the workings of the Courts.

TEACHING ARRANGEMENTS

Classroom delivery will take the form of 2 hour lectures extending over the first and second semesters. The majority of sessions are accompanied by substantial lecture notes, most of which are provided through the Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment. Students unable to attend a specific session should check the Blackboard VLE for lecture notes. The majority of sessions will involve structured learning but further sessions will be semi-structured, based on discussion of students' own case experiences.

Lectures: Lectures are currently at 2.00-4.00 p.m. on Wednesdays, monthly.
The current venue is conference room 2, Tayside police Headquarters, Bell Street, Dundee.
See separate lecture schedule on Blackboard VLE

Students should note that the lecturers practice forensic medicine and may be called away at short notice to fulfil their service obligations to procurators fiscal and the courts. Consequently sessions may be cancelled at short notice. NOTICE OF CANCELLATION WILL BE MADE ON BLACKBOARD AND DISPLAYED ON THE DOOR OF THE CLASSROOM. Cancellation of sessions will necessitate re-arrangement of the schedule THESE ARRANGEMENTS PLACE UPON STUDENTS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THEMSELVES OF CHANGES IN THE TEACHING SCHEDULE

Attendance and participation: Attendance at every lecture (subject to work commitments, illness or other good cause) is required if a student is to meet the standards of attendance and participation. If a student fails to attend lectures, absence will be noted on the student record and so be a consideration at any stage where decisions about progress and future are being made and when references are being prepared. A student may be required to do additional work to compensate for absence (whatever the reason for the absence) and to demonstrate that there has been coverage of the materials and skills which that lecture was designed to address. Such work must be completed. If a student has good reason for missing a class, eg illness, the student can self-certify absence for up to 5 days and should also inform the module organiser so that this can be noted. If an illness results in absence for more than 5 days, students must go to their doctor for confirmation of the illness and obtain a medical certificate signed by the GP. Please note, however, that self-certification of illness is not permitted in relation to late submission of assessments.

Work based learning is central to the learning process for students undertaking this module. Students will spend a large percentage of time in their place of work. This presents an essential opportunity to maximise learning within the context of forensic custody nursing. Work based learning requires the integration of communication, psychomotor, management, analytical and reasoning skills. By maximising exposure to work-based learning students have the opportunity to develop a reflective approach to their clinical practice. Reflection in practice and reflection on practice enables students to develop a deeper understanding, as well as integration, of theory and clinical practice. This reflective approach will be documented by a portfolio of interesting and educational cases. This results in meaningful learning, contributing to positive behaviour change which should impact on future practice.

Student supervision: Students will be supported by an educational facilitator from the module team.

Online learning environment:Online discussion boards will be available for students to collaborate their learning through discussion, sharing information and working together to problem solve. This latter learning facility is essential while students are undertaking work based learning elements of the module and enables continuing contact between staff and students between classroom sessions. Discussion boards are monitored by the module team to ensure any student learning queries can be addressed.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

Core Texts:
1. Forensic Nursing, by Virginia A. Lynch, Elsevier Mosby, St Louis, MO. 2006
2. Clinical Forensic Medicine; a Physician's Guide edited by M. Stark, Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. 2nd Edition, 2005.
3. Clinical Forensic Medicine, edited by W.D.S. McLay, Cambridge University Press, 3rd Edition, 2009

A sufficient number should be available in the University library on short or three day loan. Other relevant journal references may be distributed in class or listed in lecture handouts.

DETAILED SYLLABUS

ASSESSMENT

Work based learning is central to the learning process for students undertaking this module. Students will spend a large percentage of time in their place of work. This presents an essential opportunity to maximise learning within the context of forensic custody nursing. Work based learning requires the integration of communication, psychomotor, management, analytical and reasoning skills. By maximising exposure to work-based learning students have the opportunity to develop a reflective approach to their clinical practice. Reflection in practice and reflection on practice enables students to develop a deeper understanding, as well as integration, of theory and clinical practice. This reflective approach will be documented by a portfolio of interesting and educational cases. This results in meaningful learning, contributing to positive behaviour change which should impact on future practice.

The Portfolio should comprise 10 cases, each of 1200-1500 words. These cases should be chosen carefully to reflect a wide range of clinical forensic nursing situations, to cover as many of the teaching syllabus subjects as possible and to demonstrate the 6 Aims & Objectives of the module as a whole (see above).
Confidentiality: All identifiable data should be removed from any written work, photocopies, abstracts etc. No colleagues, police staff, FMEs, detainees, custody sites should be identifiable from the written text.
All evidence should be written using a reflective model e.g. Gibbs or Johns.
References and bibliography must be provided.
Students should feel free to seek advice from the course tutors in case selection and to discuss progress.

There will also be 2 Computer Aided Assessment exercises (CAA) which will address all 6 module objectives.

Finally, there will be a 1500 word limit written assignment which is likely to focus on one or two of the course objectives. The module will have a strong problem-solving orientation and this is reflected in Computer Aided Assessment Exercises and the written Assignment which requires students to provide a critical analysis of case material.

The University Alpha-Numeric Reporting Scale and Aggregation Scale (see below) is used throughout the module for all assignments. A pass is awarded to any student achieving an average mark of D3 = 10 (Satisfactory) in the various elements. Consequently it is possible for a student to pass the module without obtaining a pass mark in all individual elements, so long as the aggregate mark allows for a pass. Students who fail to submit an assignment will receive no mark for that element of the assessment though the circumstances of your non-completion will be considered by the board of examiners. With respect to the written assignments, the attention of students is drawn to the University policy on plagiarism. Plagiarism is not acceptable, and may result in a student failing to achieve any marks for that work as well as activation of the University disciplinary procedures.

IMPORTANT STUDENT INFORMATION

All students undertaking any module offered by the Centre for Forensic & Legal Medicine must read and be familiar with the following important regulations and requirements detailed on the Important Student Information page of the CFLM website:

University Policy on Academic Dishonesty
University Senatus Academicus Regulations on Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty
Submission of Assignments
Late Submission of Assignments
Marking of Coursework
The University Standardised Alpha-Numeric (15 point) Marking Scheme
Centre for Forensic and Legal Medicine Performance Descriptors

DIFFICULTIES AND FEEDBACK

GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN FORENSIC CUSTODY NURSING

Duration of Study

Assessment and Progress

SCQF

Information on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) can be found here (http://www.scqf.org.uk/home/home.aspx). The Level Descriptors are contained in the SCQF Handbook, available as a PDF download.

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