Human Factors and Patient Safety
MSc

Full-time
Part-time

Nursing, Midwifery & Health Professions

January 2020: Apply now to start January 2020.

Course overview

This course is delivered through distance learning, making it suitable for those working in clinical or leadership healthcare roles in the UK or internationally. You study part-time or full-time, with the flexibility to engage with the interactive learning materials at a time suitable to you.

The content of the course reflects contemporary issues in human factors and patient safety theory, including the exploration of human-centric design, understanding systems that contribute to mistakes, team effectiveness and dynamics. The course equips you with opportunities to use a range of tools and techniques to explore why errors occur.

In a global society where digital technology is rapidly developing, the impact this has on reliable and safe healthcare features as part of the course.

Online learning

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Course details

The course comprises seven core modules, one of which is a 60 credit dissertation.

Course structure

Core modules

Advanced Human Factors

You explore ergonomics and examples of human factors influences with more complex tools and techniques explained.

Developing Research Projects

You gain the knowledge and skills you need to design and manage a primary or secondary research audit or evaluation project that’s relevant to your practice. You also cover research governance and ethics, and prepare for applying for ethical approval or release. And we prepare you for your dissertation if you choose to progress to the master’s course.

Dissertation

Here you consolidate and develop further skills and knowledge from previous modules. More specifically you synthesise learning as you apply your research-related knowledge to identify a researchable problem, plan and execute a study. You use a range of different methodologies for your study, such as quantitative, qualitative or systematic review.

Human Factors

In this module, you review the science of human factors, and you consider the tools and techniques for implementing the assessment of errors. The psychological capital and systems thinking approaches are features of the module.

Leadership, Culture and Context

This module explores how the organisational culture impacts on the leadership style and effectiveness of clinical areas. You consider how the context of where you work impacts on the safety of patients

Legal and Ethical Influences of Leadership

In this module, you study wider influences of leadership and the impact this has on performance. A personal review of ethical philosophy is a feature of the indicative content.

Principles and Practice of Patient Safety

This module focuses on the governance and involvement of service users in the service provision. You explore risk assessment and management strategies.

Modules offered may vary.

How you learn

The course is entirely on-line so there will be engagement with Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and different strategies will be used:

Recorded key lectures
Directed reading
Video resources
Webinar type events
Group seminar through Collaborate Extra

The assessments also range in type and include on-line presentation.

How you are assessed

The transition to master’s level study is embedded in the first core module, which is formatively assessed.

All material is available through the virtual learning environment. Summative assessments include poster presentations, written assignments, contribution to written commentary as well as a final dissertation.

Entry requirements

You should have an honours degree at 2.2 classification or above.

Applicants who do not have English as their first language are expected to demonstrate an IELTS score of 6.5.

For additional information please see our entry requirements

International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country