6NU580 Nursing Therapeutics and Medicines Management Assessment Brief 2026

6NU580 Assessment Brief

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment and this module, you will have demonstrated your ability to:

1. Explore and critically analyse concepts of nursing therapeutics in healthcare settings.
2. Examine and evaluate nursing therapeutics related to practical, legal, and ethical dimensions of medications management in the healthcare context
3. Critically appraise nursing therapeutic approaches and their influence on patient care.

Specific Assessment Component Guidelines

Formative Assessment: (NOT GRADED)

The formative assessment is an opportunity to submit your draft patient scenario so that your tutor can offer feedback for you. Guidance on this is in Planning a Patient Scenario in the next section. The activities at the end of unit two and in unit three will also help you with your patient scenario.

The deadline for posting your draft patient scenario into the formative submission point is 27th February 2026 by 12:00 Uk time. Feedback will then be provided by Friday 13^th March.

Please note that you are only to submit the draft patient scenario, including medical diagnosis and the nursing diagnoses on one A4 page word document.

If you miss this formative deadline, you may not get feedback. Please contact your group tutor if you feel you may not meet this deadline.

Summative Assessment (Detailed Guidance)

The summative assessment for this module is a care plan analysis with clinical justification for medicines management and wider therapeutics in patient care. It is a practice-based assessment approach for demonstrating your knowledge, evidence base and critical application for patient care planning. This is in keeping with the learning outcomes for the module.

For the purposes of this assessment, care planning focuses on nursing-specific, individualised care plans only (not multidisciplinary shared care plans or standardised care plans).

You will be developing a patient scenario for the care plan analysis, with a focus on medicines management and related therapeutics. This offers an ideal basis for meeting the learning outcomes for this module.

1. Planning a patient scenario (this section will also help with your formative assessment)

This subsection is part of LO1, LO2 and LO3

The patient care plan must be based on a patient scenario relevant to your practice. Time is set aside for you to plan your patient scenario in the final activity of unit two and in unit three. You may choose to use the example template plan of care provided at the end of this assessment brief, or you may choose to use a format from your organisation or other source.

You are unlikely to use reference material for planning a patient scenario.

Instructions

Identify a patient scenario based on your experiences with previous patients in practice (rather than an actual patient you are currently caring for). You can create a fictitious patient scenario, so long as it represents an accurate example of a patient related to your practice context.

Your patient scenario can be selected in one of two ways:

1. Your scenario can be based on your previous experiences with patients in your care. Please ensure confidentiality is maintained throughout your assessment so that your work cannot be directly linked to a patient.
2. Your scenario can be based on a fictitious patient. If you decide to create a fictitious patient scenario, it needs to be realistic and reflect care processes accurately. As such you could still draw on your experiences and knowledge from your practice to help you.

Important

To meet the learning outcomes for this assignment, your patient scenario should be based on a patient whose care will require medicines management and wider therapeutics

Examples

To make things more manageable for your care plan analysis, it is recommended that your care plan is based on the beginning of a patient care journey for a new medical diagnosis – even if this relates to an ongoing health issue. For example:

• A patient with a history of asthma who has been admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation of asthma; in this example, the acute exacerbation should be the focus of the care plan and care plan analysis.
• A patient who is known to you with schizophrenia who has presented at a community health centre with hallucinations and suicidal ideation: in this example, the patient’s symptoms since arriving at the community health centre should be the focus of the care plan and care plan analysis.
• A normally healthy patient admitted to high dependency following a car accident in which he/she sustained a fractured right femur and pelvis 12 hours previously and is now showing signs of internal haemorrhage: in this example, the patient’s admission to the high dependency unit should be the focus of the care plan and care plan analysis.

2. Completing the patient care plan

This subsection is part of LO1, LO2 and LO3

Please note the care plan will form the basis for your 3000word (+/- 10%) care plan analysis and is a crucial part of your summative assessment. It must be included in an appendix at the end of your work for your markers to refer to throughout. The care plan template in the appendix IS NOT included in the word count.

You are unlikely to use reference material for completing the patient care plan. Time is set aside for you to complete your care plan draft during unit three of the module.

It is important that your patient care plan contains the following information:

• Patient demographics, social history and past medical history.
• Current health status/presenting issues/symptoms of your patient with the main medical diagnoses.
• Medications prescribed and over the counter (OTC) medications, if any. It might be easier to include this data in a table Here is an example medications table for a fictitious Mr X with a history of asthma and a new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation:

Table 1 Mr X’s medications

• Assessment – collection of data. Physical health – e.g.vital signs, bloods, mobility. Mental and emotional – cognitive state, mood. Social/personal/life style needs. Safety – risk assessments.
• Nursing diagnoses – Identify three main nursing diagnoses, what are the main issues/problems for your patient? Remember: for the purposes of your assignment, at least one of the nursing diagnoses should provide a focus on medicines management when it comes planning and nursing interventions.
• Planning – What are the goals/desired outcomes for your patient? What is hoped to be achieved from planned interventions?
• Implementation – This is the actions phase of the nursing process. What are the interventions for your patient?
• Evaluation – At the end of the care plan template, you will see a space for evaluation notes. Were the interventions successful? Were the goals/desired outcomes met, partially met or not met? Was the plan of care effective? You can make a few brief comments here about the purpose of evaluation and why it is important for quality of care.

Care Plan Analysis

Clinical justification for medicines management and wider therapeutics in patient care: 3,000 words (+/-10%).

Your care plan analysis should provide a critical analysis of different stages of care outlined in your patient scenario. Sub-headings should be used. You can refer to your appendix as necessary to direct your marker to your care plan.

This subsection is part of LO1, LO2 and LO3

The following structure, and suggested word count for each section, is advised: 

Introduction (approx. 250-300 words)

Suggestions:

You can use some of the terms and language in the learning outcomes in your introduction to set the scene for your assessment.

• What is the aim of your care plan analysis?
• What are you going to explore/evaluate/appraise/examine/analyse?
• How will you do this? (through the development of a care plan from a patient scenario)

Provide a brief overview of your patient scenario in your introduction (you can then signpost to your appendix where your marker can refer to the full care plan).

You could include a BRIEF overview of the nursing process and the importance of formulating person-centred individualised care planning within healthcare practice.

Assessment and Nursing Diagnoses (approx. 700 words)

This section should include a rationale and critical discussion for the nursing diagnoses you plan to analyse.

In BRIEF: why assessment is important and what is meant of the term nursing diagnosis?

How did you formulate your nursing diagnoses? Diagnostic reasoning (unit two learning) can be brought in here – Looking at your patient needs – what information did you need? Signs? Symptoms? Relevant PMH? Who was included in this assessment process? MDT? Patient? Family? How did you ensure a patient-centred/therapeutic approach in your assessment to come up with the nursing diagnosis for your patient? Can you highlight any theories of diagnostic reasoning to support your assessment process for your patient scenario? Intuitive/analytical? Alternatives?

Direct your marker to the care plan in the appendix as required so that they can see that you are analysing the information in the care plan.

It would be useful to highlight why you have selected the three main diagnosis eg. for the purposes of exploring/examining/analysing nursing therapeutics related to practical, legal, and ethical dimensions of medications management. Use the terms in the LO to focus your work and ensure you cover them!

Planning and Implementing Care (approx. 1200 words)

This section should critically analyse expected outcomes and planned interventions for your patient, related to medicines management and wider therapeutics for the nursing diagnoses.

In BRIEF: Why is the planning and implementation stage of the nursing process important? It may also be appropriate to include a couple of sentences about the meaning of nursing therapeutics.

Then concentrate on your patient and care plan.

Think about your patient care plan in terms of the safe, effective and evidenced- based administration of medication along with the therapeutic interventions utilised to reach or maximise your desired outcomes/goals.

Medications management (work through the units for summative content and learning!)

This section should include analysis of patient involvement and analysis of planned shared/collaborative care with MDT.

Suggestions:

The nurse role, practical elements of drug administration, legal framework for administration (five rights), principles of drug administration, safety and compliance, monitoring and assessment, ethical and legal considerations, laws and legislation, accountability, Policies and procedures, education.

Pharmacokinetics (how the body interacts with the drug), pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body) and drug calculations ( all of this facilitates competence), adverse drug interactions.

Show an appreciation of other areas of practice in terms of meds management e.g. mental health setting, prison setting, hospital or community?

Nursing Therapeutics in Medications Management

Anayse/examine/discuss/explore

Suggestions:

Clinical skills – monitoring vital signs/physical responses to treatment

Communication, communication theories and strategies, complimentary therapies, social prescribing, patient choice, community groups- smoking cessation group

How did/can the adoption/adaption of these influence patient care?

Even if theses were not implemented can you show an appreciation of them and discuss how they could have been beneficial?

Evaluation of Care (approx. 600-700 words)

This section should evaluate, from an evidence-based perspective, the intended short and/or longer-term health benefits of the planned care for the patient.

In BRIEF: Overview of the importance of continuous evaluation of patient care and care plan. Why should we do it? What does it achieve?

What were the primary goals for your patient? What were the desired outcomes? Were the interventions successful for your patient? How do you know? Were the goals/desired outcomes met, partially met or not met? Was the plan of care effective? Is modification needed? If so, what?

Reflect on the interventions for your patient from a meds/therapeutics perspective.

Conclusion (approx.250-300 words)

Summarise the concluding points related to your care plan analysis.

No new information should be started here!

All sections of your care plan analysis must be evidenced based: Please ensure that you aim to access the most current literature sources available to you. This refers to literature published within the last five years as much as possible, and not using sources that are 10 years old or more, unless referring to seminal literature.

Reference list (not included in the word count)

Referencing correctly demonstrates academic rigor and integrity and therefore is an essential part of your work. You must include a full reference list at the end of your care plan analysis. Even if you have referenced before do take the time to access the library resources and workshops to help you with referencing.

Appendix (NOT included in word count)

This will include your care plan template and medications table.

Feedback, marking criteria and grading of your assessment

This section tells you how the marker will assess your work fairly. All markers aim for our feedback to be timely, individual to you, helpful, empowering and manageable.

They will also offer you opportunities to discuss the marking criteria they intend to use, and the type of feedback they intend to give you. You should create a shared understanding of this with them and your peers during the course of the module. They may also give you opportunities to assess your own work and the work of your peers. Look out for these opportunities.

Assessment markers can give you feedback and allocate marks to you using a range of methods and tools that are appropriate to the specific module and assessment. The marker may make comments within your script (in bubbles) and may also give you written comments in the long box. They may give you a form of audio or video feedback.

When they give you feedback on your assessment, as a minimum, your marker will tell you:

• if and how you have met the relevant learning outcomes
• the areas within which you did well in this assessment (they will commend you)
• the areas you could have improved in this assessment (they will make suggestions)
• what activities you can work on to help you in your next studies – you can take these ideas forward with you and may discuss them with your next module tutor.

Your work will be marked based on the rubric below. Please familiarise yourself with these criteria as they are used to determine grades for your assessment.

Assessment Rubric

Content and Knowledge

Professional Standards

Understanding / Cognitive Ability

Assessment Presentation

Presentation is an important part of your academic work. Please follow the presentation guidelines below.

Title page

Your title page must include: 1) the name of the university, 2) the course title, 3) the module code and title, 4) the name of the module tutor, 5) the word count, and 6) declarations (see below).

Originality statement

‘I declare that this assessment is my own work and that I have correctly acknowledged the work of others using the Harvard referencing. This assessment is in accordance with University guidance on good academic conduct.’

Confidentiality statement (if applicable)

‘I declare that confidentiality of people discussed in this work is maintained; there is no identifiable information of these individuals.’

Manuscript

Your manuscript needs to;

• Include page numbers (pages should be numbered at the top right).
• Be double-spaced
• Have a 1-inch (2.54 cm) margin, Times New Roman or Arial, 12 font.
• Maintain the confidentiality of service users/patients/clients and persons associated with them, service colleagues and organisations.
• Include a reference list (Harvard referencing), headed with ‘References’ centred, do not make it bold. Please refer to Cite Them Right.
• Use ‘the author’ to describe yourself (however you can use ‘I’ or ‘my’ etc. in self-reflection e.g., this phenomenon was often present in my practice).

Assessment Regulations

The standard University assessment regulations apply for this assessment. Please note that in line with the University common assessment regulations, failure to submit coursework (i.e. non-submission) could lead to you failing the module.

Details of assessment regulations are available at: https://www.derby.ac.uk/about/organisation/academic-regulations/ (sections F and G).

Work submitted late will be marked according to University regulation, please see the University guidance on Late Submissions within the UDo Student Portal.

Where to get other help to do your assessment

During the course of the module your tutor will offer you a range of help and support. There are contact details for them within the module.

Other colleagues will offer help and guidance on the Student Portal.

In addition, the Academic Administrators will post helpful notices on your module announcement board.

You could also use the following links if you want extra help with:

Referencing and avoiding making an academic offence Study skills support

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