FORENSIC CUSTODY NURSING
Part 3: MASTERS LEVEL

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.

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.

This 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.
Course Fee: £1000

MODULE GUIDE 2010-11

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

Last edited 10-11-10

INTRODUCTION

The Masters program is the third phase of teaching and is intended to equip the FCN with the advanced knowledge and skills necessary to perform many of the clinical forensic medical examinations and tasks currently performed by the FME.

The Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma are prerequisite for this course and together comprise 120 of the 180 required credits

STAFF

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

By the end of the module students should be able to:

1. Provide reasoned unbiased scientific interpretation of individual injuries and injury patterns, particularly those associated with physical assault, sexual assault and child abuse.
2. Demonstrate deep practical awareness of the importance of forensic scientific trace evidence, its collection from the victim of a physical or sexual assault and the potential for cross-contamination.
3. Take the lead in forensic clinical examinations relevant to their own area of practice (most likely to involve physical assault, sexual assault or child abuse).
4. Critically appraise medico-legal reports and demonstrate their own ability to write an unbiased and scientifically sound medico-legal report.
5. Understand and critically reflect upon court procedure and demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to appear in court as a professional witness.
6. Write a comprehensive scientific literature review.

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.

Practical sessions will include shadowing and assisting the duty FME in clinical examination of physical assault, child abuse, sexual assault cases. In addition, attendance at scenes of death, attendance at the mortuary to view external and autopsy examination procedures, and practical small group work with a CAMIC breath alcohol measurement device will be offered.

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

• Session 1: Documentation and Interpretation of Injuries, Writing a Report
• Session 2: Interpretation of Findings in Sexual Assault
• Session 3: PM Changes & Time of Death
• Session 4: Asphyxia, Suicide
• Session 5: Identification & Fingerprints
• Session 6: Hairs & Fibres, other Trace Evidence
• Session 7: Blood stains & DNA
• Session 8: Case discussions
• Session 9: Criminal Personality Profiling - Homicide, Rape & Child Abuse
• Session 10:Court Procedure & Giving Evidence

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.

Firstly, the Portfolio should comprise 5 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 Aims & Objectives of the module as a whole (see above). For most students, case reports should include examples of physical assault, sexual assault and child abuse.

Secondly, there will be two 1200-1500 word limit written assignments which are likely to focus on one or two of the course objectives.

Finally, students will be allocated an agreed topic, relevant to their area of work experience, on which to perform a comprehensive literature review. This should be prepared and formatted for submission to a relevant academic journal.

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 MASTERS IN FORENSIC CUSTODY NURSING ( Regulations not yet finalised)