community nurse and patient

Faculty of Health Sciences

BSc/PGDip Community Nursing

Continuing Professional Development BSc/PGDip

Start in September

Full time
BSc/PGDip 1 year
How to apply

About the course 

This programme is for qualified nurses (and qualified nurses or midwives in the case of health visiting) who are registered on the NMC register. This course enables you to qualify as a Specialist Community Nurse or Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, dependent on your chosen pathway. In accordance with NMC standards, it will prepare you to exercise higher levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care.

Within the programme, there are the following specialist pathways:

  • Community Nursing in the Home (District Nurse Specialist Practice Qualification)
  • Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing or Health Visiting)

 

Assessment information

A number of different assessment strategies will be used, including an examination, a literature review, a seminar presentation, a group presentation and a practice portfolio. Each core module has both practice and theory learning outcomes that you will need to attain to complete the programme successfully.

Attendance requirements

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.

Full-time students will be committed to the programme for five days per week. The days will be split between theory and practice.

The overall structure of the programme comprises 50% theory and 50% practice.

The full-time option will normally be completed during one 52-week academic year and the part-time programme will normally be completed over two 52 -week academic years.

 

Get in touch

+44 (0)1482 463103 Admissions

What you'll study 

The modules you'll study depend on which pathway you choose to study. There are four core modules for each pathway, plus a choice of optional modules to enhance your practice.

Specialist Practice Qualification in District Nursing

Core modules

  • Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribing

    This module enables you to prescribe for the patients you currently work with and prescribe from Nurse Prescribers Formulary for Community Practitioners.

  • Consolidation of Practice (District Nursing)

    (Specialist Practice Qualification in Community Nursing DN SPQ (District Nursing))

    This is the final module for the Community BSc / PGDip programme. It is designed to allow you to consolidate your learning from all the other modules undertaken during the programme and to facilitate the holistic application of learning in practice.

    It is undertaken as a full-time period of practice during Trimester three, in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements for the District Nurse Specialist Practitioner Qualification and is a core module for all Community Specialist Practice Pathways. For successful completion of the module, competence to practise within the specialist area in accordance with the NMC standards must be demonstrated.

    Additional Study days are planned throughout the trimester.

 

Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

Optional modules

 

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Benefit from the amazing facilities of our new £28-million Health Campus with its mock operating theatre, hospital ward and intensive care unit.

Find out more

Developed with our NHS partners, our programmes are constantly updated to reflect the very latest in health care thinking.

Clinical placements give our students the skills, experience and support to become confident and compassionate health practitioners.

Expert staff work with NHS clinicians to deliver programmes from ‘bite-size’ taster sessions to PhDs in some of the UK’s finest facilities.

Fees and funding

Your tuition fees will cover most costs associated with your programme (including registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examination).

There are some extra costs that you might have to pay, or choose to pay, depending on your programme of study and the decisions you make. The list below has some examples, and any extra costs will vary.

  • Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the library, but you may want to buy your own copies)
  • Optional field trips
  • Study abroad (including travel costs, accommodation, visas, immunisation)
  • Placement costs (including travel costs and accommodation)
  • Student visas (international students)
  • Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and PC’s on campus, but you may want to buy your own)
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Professional-body membership
  • Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Remember, you’ll still need to take into account your living costs. This could include accommodation, travel and food – to name just a few. 

Tuition costs for the Community Nursing Programme are currently funded through Health Education England.

There are some extra costs that you might have to pay or choose to pay. The list below has some examples and any extra costs will vary.

Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the library, but you may want to buy your own copies)

Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and PCs on campus, but you may want to buy your own)

Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Exciting future developments

In line with the publication of the new NMC Post Registrations Standards expected in Spring 2022, and the Institute of Apprenticeships (SCPHN and District Nursing), exciting changes are being developed for the Community Nursing Programme. These will begin in September 2023.

Entry requirements 

In order to apply for this programme you must hold current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of the United Kingdom (NMC).

For the BSc (Hons) programme applicants must have 120 credits at level 4 and 120 credits at level 5. For the Post Graduate Diploma applicants must possess a Bachelors degree.

Applicants will also need to demonstrate evidence of recent academic study or equivalent, i.e. within the last 5 years.

How to apply

Sorry, this course is currently closed to new applicants. Applications for the September 2023 intake will be accepted from January 2023.

All pathways enable you to effectively monitor and improve the standards of care through: supervision of practice; clinical audit; development of practice through research; teaching and the support of professional colleagues; and the provision of skilled professional leadership.