Undergraduate Course
Available for January start

Course details

Study options

Full-time: 18 months

UCAS points

112 (September 2025 entry)

UCAS code

B71D

Start date

January

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

The best bits

  • Our nursing programmes are approved against the NMC's Future nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses
  • Upon successful completion of the programme, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in Child Nursing
  • Gain essential practical experience on a range of placements in different healthcare and community settings
  • Benefit from some of the best university facilities of their kind, including our clinical skills suite and our state-of-the-art immersive suite
  • Learn from a highly experienced, enthusiastic and research-active team who provide full support to help you achieve your ambitions
  • You could be eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund which, if you are eligible, could provide a grant for training, childcare costs and travelling to placements
Top15for Children's Nursing The Guardian University Guide 2024

This programme is a holistic learning experience, enabling students to become emotionally resilient and transformational Registered Nurses, equipped to meet the unique challenges of Child Nursing. This is a full-time 18-month course for applicants who already hold a Foundation Degree and are Registered Nursing Associates.    

Children’s Nurses have the unique opportunity to make a difference to the lives of children and their families. It is an impactful and rewarding career choice. On successful application, students will develop an in-depth and comprehensive understanding about Children’s Nursing and recognise the principles of nursing across all fields and across the lifespan. Modules provide the foundation for students to develop a compassionate professionalism whereby they are trusted in the care they provide. Learning will be facilitated through a range of classroom-based activities, skills laboratories and by electronic means such as online learning, web-based training and technology-delivered instruction.    

Expertise to inspire you  

You'll be supported by enthusiastic and dedicated academic staff who are immersed in their areas of practice and committed to supporting you at every stage of your studies. All academic staff are current NMC registered professionals with some continuing to work in clinical practice alongside their teaching role.  The academic team includes renowned professionals whose work features regularly in leading journals and books and who help shape national policies.  

This course is mapped against the NMC standards to ensure that your learning is up to date and relevant. In delivering the programme, we respond to national changes such as the latest government policies. As a result, some of the information about the course may change.  

Wide-ranging placement experience  

A compulsory part of the course is practice learning which equates to 50% of the overall programme in line with the NMC standards (NMC, 2018). Students must complete a range of placements to meet the minimum hours requirement for practice learning and to support the application of theory to practice.   

Practice learning is achieved through a variety of placement experiences to enable you to gain essential practical experience by participating in 24-hour care, including weekends and bank holidays. Throughout, you'll benefit from the support of Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors who will help you get as much out of the experience as possible.   

Students experience a wide variety of simulated learning activities throughout the programme to prepare for the real world of nursing. This also ensures students continually link theory to practice and feel supported for entering the clinical environment.  

First-class facilities 

Our state-of-the-art facilities include a clinical skills suite built to professional standards, with replica wards, counselling rooms and treatment rooms fully equipped with the latest resources.

As health care is increasingly delivered by multi professional teams, we offer opportunities for you to learn with, and from, students from other disciplines. This is really important in preparing you to work in more flexible ways after graduation. By learning to work together, you can help achieve the best outcomes for patients and service users.  

You will participate in learning that is specific to your field but is also co-taught across the four fields of nursing. There is opportunity to study at different academic levels to learn with, and from each other. This provides opportunity to meet the NMC standards whilst replicating professional relationships that you will encounter in clinical practice.  

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Big spaces for big ideas

Kedleston Road offers it all: study in our largest library, relax at Basecamp, train in real-world healthcare settings, and stay active in our state-of-the-art Sports Centre.

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What you will study

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus entrance

Undergraduate Open Days

The best way to find out if studying at Derby is right for you is to experience an Open Day. Get a feel for the city and campus, tour our first-class facilities and see where you could be living.

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How you will learn

How you’re assessed

There are a diverse range of authentic assessments within the programme. Assessments are aligned to module learning outcomes and support students to build academic skill and professional development. Assessment feedback and feedforward mechanisms encourage dialogue, provide action plans, and utilise academic, student, and practice support staff where required. This ensures that students are fit for practice, purpose, award, and professional standing on completion of the award.   

Each assessment within the programme has the following underpinning characteristics:  

Assessment of practice learning is recorded in the Practice Assessment Document (MYEPAD), which is designed to support and guide students towards successfully achieving the criteria set out in the Future nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses and Standards for Education and Training (NMC 2018).  The MYEPAD is a regionally validated document developed collaboratively with other local universities. The University of Derby continues to work in partnership to support a consistent approach to student supervision and assessment.    

Who you will meet  

You will be taught by qualified health professionals with extensive experience of nursing and leadership roles. They have proven, sustained track records in higher education teaching, with most holding Fellowships of the Higher Education Academy.  

Our staff keep up to date with latest developments in the sector by undertaking continuing professional development as part of their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.  

Research is an integral part of our work and we make key contributions to the University’s Health and Social Care Research Centre. There may even be opportunities for you to work alongside our researchers to gain an insight into the value of research.  

The teaching team is supported by ‘experts by experience’ – leading practitioners who regularly share their knowledge in teaching sessions at the University, together with clinical staff from our placement providers.  

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Personal Academic Tutoring

Our Personal Academic Tutoring programme supports your academic journey, helping you achieve your goals and unlock your potential.

Learn more

Entry requirements

2024 entry

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS pointsN/A
A LevelN/A
BTECN/A
GCSEGCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Access to HEN/A

Additional entry requirements

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skills area)

2025 entry

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS points112
A LevelN/A
BTECN/A
GCSEGCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Access to HEN/A

Additional entry requirements

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skills area)

Applicants must submit supplementary evidence using the Recognition of Prior Learning template as part of the application process. This is to evidence: relevant qualifications, NMC registration (via PIN number), evidence of completed theory and practice hours, practice experience and to provide an academic reference to detail how they meet the professional requirements of the programme.

After application submission and providing all entry requirements and initial evidence is satisfactory, suitable candidates may then be required to attend an interview as part of the professional Recognition of Prior Learning requirements of this Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK) approved programme.    

Non-submission of a fully completed Recognition of Prior Learning form and/or non-attendance will result in your application being withdrawn.   

Please contact the programme team to discuss if you have any queries about your education/work experience. 

Please note: Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will only be considered where evidence has been provided on completion of the supplementary evidence. After application submission and providing all entry requirements and initial evidence is satisfactory, suitable candidates may then be required to attend an interview as part of the professional Recognition of Prior Learning requirements of this Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK) approved programme. Non-attendance will result in your application being withdrawn.   

Fees and funding

2024/25

Type Full-time Part time
UK £13,875 for the full course N/A
International N/A N/A

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

All new and continuing nursing and allied health students on pre-registration courses will also receive a grant of at least £5,000 per year that is not means-tested and will not have to be repaid. This is provided through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) and is not managed by the University. Please check with the LSF for residency requirements and eligibility criteria.  

If you're eligible, you can get:  

Among others, the shortage specialisms have been confirmed to include:  

All NHS LSF applications must be submitted within six months of the start of the academic year and you will need confirmation of your Student Finance in order to complete your application. You need to set up an NHS Learning Support Fund online account to apply.  

Additional costs and optional extras

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.


Apply directly to the University

Careers

Employability  

On completion of the programme, students are eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC link) in their field of practice. Students have five years to register their award with the Nursing and Midwifery Council following completion of the programme. A variety of careers and career pathways are open to Registered Nurses and may choose to work in hospitals, community services, primary care services, mental health services, children’s services, learning disability services, general practice, and private, voluntary, and independent services across the NHS or other health and care organisations.   

Further Study 

Graduates of the programme may wish to return to academic study, further developing their skills and knowledge to undertake a range of specialist or advanced roles.  There is a wide offer of post-registration provision within the College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care, and many students chose to return to the University of Derby for postgraduate study, both at masters and doctoral level and for continuing professional development. 

Getting you career ready

Your degree is only part of your story.

We're here to help prepare you for life after university.

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96%
of UK graduates are in employment or further study.

Top 5
for employability.
Uni Compare Annual Student Review Rankings 2025.

87%
of UK graduates say their current activity is meaningful.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

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Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

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