Principles and Practice of Breast Care Nursing

Course unit fact file
Unit code	NURS60035
Credit rating	30
Unit level	FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s)	Semester 1
Offered by	Nursing & Midwifery
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

You may undertake this unit as part of the specialist cancer MSc or BSc degree pathways, or as a ‘stand-alone’ CPD unit.

The unit is predicated on an ethos of close collaboration between the University of Manchester and dedicated Breast Care Teams from both The Nightingale Centre and The Christie, with contributions from breast care specialists across the region.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with approximately 57,900 women and 400 men being diagnosed every year in the UK (CRUK, 2026). This equates to around 160 people a day. Indeed, 15 out of 100 (15%) of all newly diagnosed cancers in the UK are breast cancer (CRUK, 2026).

WHO (2025) estimates that in 2022, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 670,000 deaths globally. 7.8 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer. Breast cancer occurs in every country of the world in women at any age after puberty, with increasing rates in later life and a rising incidence in younger women.

It is widely recognized that breast disease often evokes feelings of fear and dread, giving rise to a range of psychological and psychosocial problems. There is a growing recognition that this cohort of individuals need support in adjusting to their diagnosis and accepting subsequent treatments. It is acknowledged that breast cancer nurses with appropriate training and expertise should be integral members of all MDT’s.

You will be given the opportunity to develop, extend and integrate your existing knowledge and skills in relation to the delivery of care to this client group. The unit will enable you to explore a range of issues affecting the organization and delivery of breast care across institutional and community settings, enhancing your knowledge and skills in relation to risk factors, screening and the facilitation of the therapeutic frame within nursing care; including critical consideration of MDT working, holistic symptom management and effective communication with individuals and families living with a breast disease diagnosis. Current and emergent treatment options, policy developments and research will be critically discussed alongside concepts such as assessment, personalised care, quality of life and supportive oncology.

Aims

Enable nurses working with individuals who have breast cancer:

To develop and extend knowledge and skills in both the theory and practice of breast cancer care
To improve interpersonal skills to detect and address psychological sequelae of breast disease
To increase skills of reflection, analysis and critical enquiry into current issues relating to breast cancer care, including the evaluation of current research, policy guidance and protocols to promote optimal breast cancer care
To recommend changes to enhance multi-disciplinary team working (MDT) and improve wider service provision for individuals living with breast cancer

Teaching and learning methods

The unit is delivered online via a combination of asynchronous lectures, directed study, problem-based and independent learning. Opportunities to participate in optional synchronous group discussion with speakers are offered each study day to recap and reflect on content, followed by dedicated tutorials – discussions are recorded so that students can access and revisit issues. Two synchronous days are timetabled for mandatory formative presentations in the final week of the unit.

Knowledge and understanding

A1: Critically evaluate how and why a diagnosis of breast cancer may cause significant challenges for individuals and their families.
A2: Demonstrate an in-depth, critical understanding of the common problems associated with breast cancer and the complexities surrounding treatment.
A3: Critically appraise a range of evidence-based strategies and interventions to provide high quality care and explore the evidence relating to management options.
A4: Critically appraise different models of care delivery that can be used to support individuals with breast cancer and their family.

Intellectual skills

B1: Critically analyse and reflect upon the psychosocial consequences that can arise following a breast cancer diagnosis.
B2: Critically examine the ethical, legal, political and professional issues relating to the management of individuals with breast disease.
B3: Critically appraise the concepts of rehabilitation, support and palliation and consider their relevance in the context of breast disease and advanced breast care practice.
B4: Critically analyse different models for assessing patient
concerns and evaluate their utility within the context of a breast
care setting.

Practical skills

C1: Critically reflect upon their own level of interpersonal
competence and identify key areas for further personal
development.
C2: Apply interpersonal skills to enable the assessment, identification and exploration of key patient concerns in the context of a breast cancer diagnosis.
C3: Critically consider the value and purpose of the therapeutic relationship and evaluate strategies for the development of therapeutic patient relationships in the context of their professional role.
C4: Critically reflect on their own professional role and sphere of influence to identify and critically evaluate appropriate strategies to promote developing practice and policy in breast cancer care

Transferable skills and personal qualities

D1: Critically reflect on their own academic performance and utilise a range of strategies to improve these and overcome any difficulties.
D2: Further develop and enhance skills in effective communication to a range of audiences in a variety of settings.
D3: Demonstrate skills in working collegiately and effectively with others as a member of a team.
D4: Effectively utilise a range of information sources including information technology and health informatics.
D5: Utilise systematic and creative approaches to problem-solving and decision-making in relation to complex issues.

Assessment methods

Formative presentation and draft work feeding into summative case-study of 3,500 words

Feedback methods

Students will normally have the opportunity to receive feedback on formative work submitted prior to the summative assessment. Other feedback opportunities will also be available in class and online discussion boards. Online feedback is provided in Grademark. Provisional feedback based on internal marking will be made available prior to the Exam Board on the basis that these marks are yet to be ratified at the Exam Board and therefore may be subject to change. A standard feedback mechanism in Grademark is utilised across all postgraduate programmes within the School which provides detailed and constructive feedback on each component and aspect of assessment and identifies areas of strength and those aspects which could be enhanced.

Student feedback is obtained through open discussion forums on Canvas, in class discussions, via formal University unit evaluation forms and also qualitative, in house evaluations at the end of the unit.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	84

Independent study hours
Independent study	216

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Joanne Timpson	Unit coordinator