We often take for granted how we became who we are and how our behaviours are intimately related to our thoughts and emotions. These thoughts and emotions are in turn, influenced by the groups of people we come in contact with through this thing behavioural scientists called Social Status and Roles. 

In short, human behaviours are fairly complicated things and thus, they need to be looked at from a scientific point-of-view using theories than mere common sense .  

So welcome to what we hope will be an exciting journey of self-discovery and the construction of new knowledge that will enable you to understand the behaviours of both yourself and your future patients. 

This module aims to equip you with the foundational knowledge of the behavioural sciences. This way, we hope that you understand its role in nursing and in healthcare in general. This is a learning journey (and we hope, an adventure!) in two parts. 

In Term 1, we will look at Psychology and look at how the mind influences behaviour. We will use the application of behavioural sciences (specifically the Health Belief Model) in key areas of nursing (child, adolescent, adult, elderly). Through this, we hope that you will, as future nurses, understand your patients better. 

In Term 2, we will look at Sociology and how sometimes, our behaviours are deeply affected by our social surroundings. In this term, you will learn about how social factors can affect and influence your individual nursing practice, as well as your patients’ own perspective with regards to health and illness.