Learning Skills for Nursing Students

Nicola Davis is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences at the University of the West of England, where she teaches and researches on inter-professional working, work-based learning and evidence-based care. She is particularly interested in reflecting on the experiences of service users of health care. An experienced registered nurse, she has worked in critical care, general medical nursing, research and staff development within the NHS. Alison Clark is a Lecturer in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy at the University of Nottingham. She teaches across nursing theory and practice with a specific remit for public health and health promotion, and also teaches health psychology, professional development and mentorship. She has implemented learning sets to support practice-based learning for mentors and students and has developed practice-led portfolios and web based resources for mentorship, securing funding from two Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence sites. Alison continues to work with a local cancer support group to maintain her interest in the psychological care of people with cancer and their carers. Martina O’Brien is Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing at London South Bank University, where she teaches on pre-registration courses. Martina’s clinical nursing background is mainly in surgical nursing and practice development. She has taught at the University since 2004. Her particular units of study she has responsibility for include medicines management and professional role development for adult branch nurses. She also manages OSCE’s for final year students. Karen Sumpton is a Digital Skills Trainer at the University of Salford. Her background is in librarianship and IT training. She currently runs the ECDL programme and provides training in a wide range of IT software and learning technologies. Caroline Plaice is Faculty Librarian in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of the West of England where she leads a library team providing resources and support to students, staff and health professionals Suzanne Waugh is Learning Skills tutor at the University of Salford. Her background is in both Archaeology and Psychology, and she currently runs the University’s study skills programme. Suzanne is also a qualified adult numeracy teacher, and is developing numeracy provision for student nurses.

• IntroductionBeginning Your Learning in NursingOverview of Study and Writing Skills Necessary to Be an Effective Nursing StudentBeing Numerate: Number Skills for Nursing PracticeWorking with Others: Interpersonal and Communication SkillsBeing Literate: Writing Skills for Nursing PracticeTechnology Skills: Making the Computer Work for YouInformation Literacy: Making the Library Work for YouEvidence-Based Practice: Aspiring to Achieve QualityReflection: Looking backwards, Moving forwardsPortfolios and Personal Development Plans: Keeping Track of Your Learning