School of Nursing

PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing)

Award
PGDip
Start date(s)
9 September 2024,15 January 2024,13 January 2025
UCAS Code
Course specifications
Course length
Full-time (1 year)
Campus location
University: City Campus
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

This course aims to develop you as safe, competent and professional a Specialist Community Public Health Nursing practitioner, fit for practice in the designated field of school nursing. On successful completion of the course, you will be able to register on the third part of the Nursing and Midwifery register as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse School Nursing.

The course will also:-

  • Equip you with the knowledge, skills and understanding to evaluate, enhance and develop your public health practice
  • Develop and enhance your leadership and management skills within the context of public health nursing practice to support others and to benefit the health of children, families and communities.
  • Enable you to adopt critical reflective practice and lifelong learning that fosters a spirit of scientific enquiry and research promoting personal and professional development.
  • Equip you with cognitive skills and knowledge to lead, innovate, advocate change and contribute to an evidence base of practice in order to benefit the health of children, young people, families and communities.
  • Support you to work with codes and standards of professional practice to protect human rights, promote equality and manage risk to deliver safe effective health care.

What happens on the course?

You are normally seconded or sponsored by a an NHS Trust or equivalent to study for this pathway. You will focus on educational issues that are related to school nursing, public health and primary healthcare. The course is 50 % theory and 50% practice and so learning experiences also take place in a community setting. The programme steers strongly towards public health and health promotion, and is designed to encourage the empowerment of patients/clients. The theoretical modules are underpinned with evidence based practice and application to practice is highlighted throughout. Other key aspects of the course are interprofessional working, leadership and management and innovation.

The course will involve both assessments in theory and practical elements. Your theoretical assessments involve measuring academic knowledge at masters level which will underpin your professional practice. Practice assessments are aimed at measuring knowledge, skills, expertise and attitudes to ensure that an appropriate theory/practice balance is achieved.

Potential Career Paths

You will by the end of the course be able to apply to the third part of the NMC register to practice as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse / School Nurse.

Further career opportunities are available in specialist clinical roles; Education and Management.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

Students accessing this course are from a wide range of areas from within the West Midlands area. Networking between students is encouraged and the extensive support offered to students is considered to be a strength of the course as evidenced in previous student course evaluations. Students are also visited individually in practice by a member of the course team to provide additional support.

The school nursing award has a designated full time member of staff who acts as course leader and who has expertise in the specific field of practice that the student is studying and as well as having experience of working as a practitioner in the same specialist area. In addition the award, course leader and course team have engaged in research, published books, chapters and journal articles within school nursing and public health and are members of national professional groups and forums.
Innovation on the course is strongly encouraged and several school nursing students have gone on to win regional and national awards for work initiated on the course.
 
Students will be required to undertake fifteen days alternative public health experience in order to enable them to experience the breadth of public health services available. In addition students will have the opportunity to undertake the V100 Nurse Prescribing qualification as part of the award. On successful completion of the Post Graduate Diploma students are able to continue (subject to funding) and undertake a dissertation to complete a Masters in Primary Care.
 
There is also an active practice teacher support network forum and practice teachers are provided with an annual update each year along with other professional development opportunities.
 

On completion of this course you will:

  •  Have an understanding of the principles of Specialist Community Public Health Nursing, including the development and maintenance of the health of communities and individuals.
  • Use theories of research and evidence based information to identify trends in Health Policy and the implications for health care and health care services. 
  • Help to promote health and wellbeing, influence policies and develop smooth effective health care services through partnerships and collaborative working. 
  • Be able to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and present information, constructing rational and logical arguments to support
  • Practice competently and evaluate personal and professional performance as well as being able to organise and lead others
 
 

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Full-time £ per year 2022-23
Home Part-time £ per year 2022-23

These fees relate to new entrants only for the academic year indicated for entry onto the course, any subsequent years study may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

Students must be a Level 1 Registered Nurse or Midwife on either Part 1 or Part 2 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Register.

They must be seconded or sponsored by a NHS Trust or equivalent employer. The minimum academic entry requirement is a first degree.   Students will be required to undertake a DBS check and occupational health clearance which is arranged by the sponsoring or seconding organisation.   Applicants should apply direct to the University.  

 

" I feel this course is vital and relevant and should be mandatory for all school nurses."

 "A very full year which was hard work but interesting, stimulating and very worthwhile. I feel much more confident now in my practice."
 
 "Completing the course has given me confidence to apply for promotion."
 
 "Wolverhampton University offers an excellent course I was very well supported by the school nurse course leader and other teaching staff."
 
"I have gained so many new friends and colleagues whom I will stay in contact with."
 

Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

You can get 20% discount on a taught postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate on-site programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.


Self-funded:

If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.


Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Charitable Funding:

You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts; please see the following websites Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Action. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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