School of Nursing

BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Nursing (District Nursing) (Top Up)

BSc (Hons) Full-time 1 year, Part-time 2 years

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BSc (Hons)
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
UCAS Code
Course specifications
Course length
Full-time (1 year),Part-time (2 years)
Campus location
University: City Campus
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

This course aims to prepare you to become a competent Specialist Community Nurse, fit for practice in caring for patients in their own home in the Community setting. The aim of the course is to provide educational theory to enable you to develop higher levels of decision making, develop a range of skills, including reflective practice and leadership, which will enable you to evaluate and enhance your practice in your clinical area.

What happens on the course?

  • You are normally seconded by your employer to study for this pathway
  • You will focus on educational issues that are related to primary healthcare. The course involves 50% theoretical input and 50% clinical practice and your practical study takes place in a community setting.
  • Core modules will involve exploring issues in public health, physical assessment and case management of patients in primary care, collaborative working, preparing an evidence-based proposal and completing a project module, dedicated to innovating practice in primary care.
  • The broad areas under which the programme is developed are those of:
Clinical practice
Care and programme management
Clinical practice development
Clinical practice leadership
 
There are a variety of learning and teaching strategies which are adopted during the course as well as a variety of assessment methods which are all designed to assess knowledge which will underpin professional practice.  

Potential Career Paths

Applicants who access this programme are actively seeking advancement in their career (or a change of career). This programme enables the student to meet the professional requirements for practice.

The majority of nurses who work in primary healthcare follow a structured pattern of career development – following initial registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the sequence is Primary Practice followed by Specialist Practice culminating with Higher Level Practice.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

The core modules and the specialist modules are designed specifically for the development of practice, as well as facilitating generalist, specialist and multi-agency approaches. As roles within Primary Care over recent years have become altered and diverse the course has been developed to reflect the needs of this changing community. The focus of the programme is on enabling the monitoring and improvement of standards of healthcare through the supervision of practice, clinical audit, development of practice through research, teaching and the support of professional colleagues, through the provision of skilled professional leadership. This programme supports professional progress by developing professional awareness and decision-making.

 

 

 On completion of this course you will:

  •  Develop your subject knowledge and understanding of the principles of primary care as well as the development of maintenance of health of individuals and communities.
  • Understand the theories of research and evidence based practices that contribute to health care and identify trends in health policy and their effects on primary care.
  • Exercise high levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in areas of Clinical Practice, care and management, Clinical Practice Development and Leadership.
  • Apply a range of skills including communication, organisational, analytical, presentation and interpersonal skills and be able to approach situations with an open mind.
  • Draw on a wide range of evidence to support decisions and critically analyse them and be able to justify your actions and beliefs.
  • Practice competently and evaluate personal and professional performance as well as being able to lead others and work to deadlines in an efficient manner.

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

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed

# Undergraduate part-time fees for 50% rate of study

 

  • If you require the specialist practice qualification, you must be registered on the appropriate part of the NMC Register   and ideally have a minimum of 2 years post-registration experience
  • You must have 120 diploma credits and have access to a practice placement in the community in your chosen pathway
  • Applicants should apply direct to the University

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) click here.


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


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

If 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.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

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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