BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

Start date: September (UK and EU students only)

Course length: full time: one year, part time: two years

Campus: Kedleston Road, Derby

This course is for qualified nurses who want to gain a professional qualification in either health visiting or school nursing. If you have either a Diploma or Advanced Diploma in nursing studies this course can be studied at degree level to top up your qualification. You will build your skills in clinical practice, leadership and management, and public health, while developing research skills which will help when looking at the quality of care.

During this course you'll:

• develop the skills you need to become a practitioner in your own area of expertise, and work as a specialist public health nurse.
• learn how to share the core values of a practitioner with your colleagues to help them with their professional development.
• build up your skills in clinical practice, care and programme management, leadership, and public health, which will be essential when you become a practitioner.
• develop research skills that will help you to look at the quality of care in your current practice and suggest improvements.
• improve your understanding of professional roles and functions by networking, team building and communicating with other professionals.

You'll spend half of your time on placement and the other half of your time in university. This means you'll gain an equal mix of theory and practical experience ensuring you are ready to provide effective individual, group and community care when you graduate. You'll also have the opportunity to go on an additional placement applied to a theme of your own choice for three weeks. Throughout the course you'll study the following topics:

• Specialist professional issues
• Public health
• Supporting vulnerable people within a family context
• Evidence based practice
• Leadership and management
• Independent study

You'll study these modules:

• Specialist Issues and Development in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
• Public Health, Inequality and Associated Vulnerability
• Evidence Based Practice
• Leadership and Management in a Commissioning Based Health Care Environment
• Independent Study

• An entry on an appropriate part of the NMC Register.
• Employed by the Primary Care Trusts providing sponsorship.
• 120 credits at Diploma level or equivalent academic credits or Accreditation of Prior Learning.

You will need to be working in an area that enables achievement of the individual pathway aims and module learning outcomes.

If you are undertaking a registerable pathway, you must have completed a period of sufficient length to have consolidated pre registration outcomes and to have gained a deeper understanding in relevant professional practice. This will normally be one year.

It will be the Employers responsibility to ensure that any necessary CRB checks and health checks are carried out prior to confirming the offer of a course place.

Please contact us for details of the fees for this course.

We’ll teach you in a variety of ways, through clinical practical sessions, group discussions and lectures. You will spend half of your time on practice placement, so you will get the hands-on experience as well as learning the theory at University.

How you're assessed

You will be assessed through exams, observations, assignments, a presentation and a practice portfolio. You will also be assessed on your placement by your practice teacher.

When you’ve completed this course, you will be able to apply for registration on part three of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register. This will allow you to practise as a specialist community public health nurse in the UK. Specialist community public health nurses practise in areas including occupational health, health protection, health visiting and school nursing. You could also find a career within safeguarding, teaching or family nurse partnerships, or work with various agencies in the community.

Jess Williams, one of our current students
"I would recommend this course at Derby as it adequately prepares you for practice and the aspects of the role that you will encounter when qualified."