Specialist Community Public Health Nursing & District Nursing

A range of different assessment strategies will be used including, individual presentations, essays, OSCE and a practice portfolio. The programmes require attainment of both the theoretical and practice components, with the programmes centred on application of the theory to the student’s chosen specialist pathway.

A combination of workplace learning and University attendance, depending on the selection of modules and the modes of teaching and delivery identified for each module.

Students will be committed to the programme for five days per week. The days will be split between theory and practice, with the overall structure of the programme comprising 50% theory and 50% practice.

The programme will normally be completed during one 52-week academic year. Students are expected to attend for all theory and practice sessions.

• Research Methods for Evidence Based Specialist Community Practice

  Specialist community nurses need to have the knowledge and skills to locate, identify, critically evaluate, and proactively apply multiple sources of evidence and research relevant to people, communities, and populations, to promote health and well-being and prevent ill-health. The module will focus on developing the student’s ability to appraise health and social care evidence and research and to use this knowledge to consider what works in practice, explain what may need to change in practice, and why. The module will allow students to propose and lead on implementing new and innovative ideas and research to inform and improve the health and wellbeing of people across the life course.

• Leadership in Specialist Community Practice

  Leadership is a fundamental aspect of the specialist community practitioner role for both the Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (Health Visiting and School Nursing) (SCPHN) and the Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualifications (SPQ) District Nurse (DN) awards. The ability to lead teams, services, and individual caseloads, while acting as a role model for good practice are key roles and responsibilities of registered nurses with a SCPHN and DNSPQ qualification. To provide the skills and knowledge for students on these programmes to fulfil these roles, the course will look at a range of topics associated with leadership, with a particular focus on effective collaboration and communication, managing conflict and delegation ensuring the appropriate use of available resources.

• Supporting Adults with Long Term Conditions

  The number of people living with a long term condition is on the increase. This contemporary module gives you the skills, knowledge, approaches, and behaviour needed to support people living with chronic illness.

• Promoting Health in Individuals and Communities

  The module will provide students with key theoretical knowledge to prepare them for their role as a Specialist Practitioner (District Nurse) in promoting health in individuals and communities. Being able to engage effectively and work with people in their own homes to support them to make informed decisions to improve their mental and physical health are key roles of the District Nurse. This module will focus on health promotion at individual and community level, the assessment of health needs in partnership with people, families, communities, and populations to support them to take decisions and actions that improve their own mental, physical, and behavioural health and wellbeing and involving families in health promotion. The use of technologies in health promotion will also be explored.

• Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning

  The NMC (2022) Standards of proficiency for community nursing specialist practice require the District Nurse to exercise a high level of professional judgement and be capable of complex decision making. They need to be highly skilled in using an evidence-based approach and undertake an individualised holistic assessment. This module will focus on developing the students’ ability to conduct a precise and thorough consultation and holistic patient assessment enabling them to co-produce evidence-based care plans with people.

• Professional Practice for Specialist Community Nursing (District Nursing)

  This module is a practice-based learning module that culminates in the students achieving all of the core standards and field specific proficiencies for their Specialist Field of Practice (District Nursing). Students are required to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and critical thinking consistently in practice with minimal guidance and supervision by the end of this module.

• Family Focused Public Health Practice

  Health Visitors and School Nurses have a key role in ensuring that the health of children, parents, carers, families, communities, and populations are promoted, improved, and protected to create the best foundation for their long-term sustainable health and wellbeing. This module will equip students with knowledge and skills to develop open and meaningful dialogue with children, young people and families, and advanced assessment and communication skills to identify and assess need and prioritise support based on assessed risk. The module will focus on the core skills for Health Visitors and School Nurses in developing interventions to support and empower school-aged children, parents, and families in their life choices to promote health and wellbeing, prevent ill health, manage emerging health risks, and improve ongoing health and life outcomes.

• Working with Families and Communities to Safeguard Children and Young People

  Designed for public health nurses and other community nurses and practitioners, this module will give you the up to date knowledge of the theory and practice skills to work safely to safeguard children and young people.

• Public Health and Health Promotion

  The module will equip students with the theoretical knowledge to prepare them to practice with a high level of autonomy and innovation as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse. School Nurses and Health Visitors are required to actively seek out opportunities to promote and improve health services and the quality of health care that is provided to children, parents, carers, and families. The module will focus on equipping School Nurses and Health Visitors with the skills and knowledge in health promotion, for collaborative working with other services while recognising the individual needs of children, young people, parents, and families.

• Professional Practice for Specialist Community Nursing (Health Visiting or School Nursing)

  This module is a practice-based learning module that culminates in the students achieving all of the core standards and field specific proficiencies for their Specialist Field of Practice (Health Visiting or School Nursing). Students are required to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and critical thinking consistently in practice with minimal guidance and supervision by the end of this module.