Nursing: Specialist Practice

• This programme enables you to acquire and demonstrate the knowledge and skills of specialist nursing practice

This programme is directly affiliated with our related programme, BSc(Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Post-registration).

The two programmes comprise six awards/routes which address the requirements of healthcare practitioners working in variety of primary care settings.

The BSc(Hons) Specialist Practice Programme comprises three awards these are Community Nursing in the Home - District Nursing, General Practice Nursing and Community Mental Health Nursing. The BSc(Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing programme has three annotated routes in Health Visiting, School Nursing and Occupational Health Nursing.

The specialist practice qualification is recorded and the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Award registered on the Nursing and Midwifery Council Professional Register.

The two awards are organised and monitored by an award leader who, with the team have specific expert knowledge and skills within the particular specialty. A programme leader monitors, co-ordinates and oversees the total programme.

The aim of all the awards is to provide and support opportunities that enable students to develop in-depth specialist knowledge and skills about their particular specialty and to demonstrate they have appropriate attitudes to carry out the professional role required by specialist practitioners. All awards can be studied on a one year full-time or two year part-time basis; are all creative and flexible.

A carefully selected range of core, route specific and option modules mean that students will be exposed to a range of opportunities enabling them to become critical reflectors; able to analyse and evaluate theory and practice from an evidence base; identify need; instigate, lead and manage change in complex and demanding clinical settings. In addition students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the impact of local and national policy within their clinical environment and in health care generally. The V100 Nurse Prescribing is included in all awards/routes.

The programme is 52 weeks long, (104 for part-time students), 50% theory and 50% practice; both components are equally weighted for assessment purposes. A practice teacher/mentor identified by the sponsoring Trust will work in collaboration with the academic team and has a key role in facilitating practice opportunities, providing support, supervision and guidance in clinical practice to ensure the award outcomes for practice are met.

A variety of teaching and learning methods including web based learning are incorporated into the modules. Assessment strategies are planned to ensure that theoretical concepts are linked to practice.

This programme enables you to acquire and demonstrate the knowledge and skills required of a specialist practitioner. Graduates have a range of career options available to them in clinical practice, management or education.

For more information about Nursing: Specialist Practice please contact: