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Neonatal Critical Care (Professional Practice) - BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc

Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 Entry.

The Professional Practice Course is flexible, practice-led, responsive and aims to foster excellence. This course will develop knowledgeable, critical thinking, proactive, professional practitioners who are fit to meet the changing demands of modern healthcare provision in the global arena....

  • Level Top-Up Pathways
  • Study mode Part Time
  • Award BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc
  • Start date September 2024, November 2024
  • Fees View course fees

This course is:

Overview

The Professional Practice Course is flexible, practice-led, responsive and aims to foster excellence. This course will develop knowledgeable, critical thinking, proactive, professional practitioners who are fit to meet the changing demands of modern healthcare provision in the global arena. 

The Professional Practice Course consists of a selection of modules that can be studied on their own or as part of an BSc/BSc (Hons) undergraduate or PG Cert/PG dip/ MSc postgraduate award. For help in deciding which modules to study or your outcome award please contact our Professional Navigators on navigator@bcu.ac.uk or potential Route Lead.

This course is not open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

This Neonatal Pathway will support your professional development in neonatal nursing. All aspects will be covered from the fundamentals to high dependency and intensive care. The course aims to develop your knowledge in clinical practice and underpinning physiology. This will enable confidence to work as a competent practitioner within the speciality and  is key to ensuring the best outcome for neonates and their families.

During the programme you are given the clinical-based knowledge which will be reinforced by some sessions being delivered by experts within the area. The broader issues associated with such an emotional area of work are often overlooked. The course will attempt to introduce you to key aspects of this to enable you to consider how you will manage these issues in the future. This will also enable you to assist others who need your support. 

This clinical-based knowledge will be underpinned by supporting physiology that will be delivered by an experienced physiologist and expert in the field. This depth of expertise will reinforce the appreciation of the families’ situation and increase your satisfaction.

Learning and assessing is carried out with the overview of delivering skills that you will benefit from being able to use throughout your career; such as being able to make a poster to display at a conference.

We anticipate that a blended approach to learning will be used with some face-to-face sessions but the majority of the course will be delivered online. Face-to-face sessions will be delivered at Birmingham City University’s City South Campus to encourage the use of the facilities available. Support for all types of learning is provided on campus and online to enable you to maximise the experience of being a student on this course.

Why Choose Us?

  • The programme is devised to give you the 360 degree experience and as such is a course to complement the beginning of your career in neonatal nursing.
  • Neonatal programmes are used to map career progression with the clinical area. By offering the course at level six and level seven, we can also aid with your academic progression, as you feel is appropriate for your planned career pathway.
  • The wide range of clinical experts that provide their breadth of know-how enable you to be really aware of how this knowledge can impact on your clinical practice. This ultimately helps develop your relationships with the families and improves their experience too.
  • The detailed physiology that is taught on the course enables you to be able to truly understand what is happening and gives you the confidence to deal with each situation confidently and with a high level of competence.
  • As the role of the neonatal practitioner develops, completing this programme will enable you realise where you are most comfortable within the clinical area and facilitate the best outcome for the neonate and their family.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.

Award: BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc

Starting: Sep 2024

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Part Time
  • 30 Weeks
  • £820 per 20 credit module

Award: BSc (Hons) / PgCert / PgDip / MSc

Starting: Nov 2024

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Part Time
  • 30 Weeks
  • £820 per 20 credit module

International students

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.

Entry requirements

Level 6 study

For entry onto the BSc/ BSc (Hons) students must have a relevant Diploma In Higher Education or 240 credits of which at least 120 credits are at level 5.

Students who have a Dip HE or equivalent but do not have any previous BCU credits will need to complete three modules at Level 6.

For entry onto the Graduate Certificate award, students must have a relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent or a 60 credit Level 6 award in an appropriate subject area.

Level 7 study

For entry into the Post Graduate Certificate/Post Graduate Diploma/MSc award students must have a relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent or a 60 credit Level 6 award in an appropriate subject area. Applicants with evidence of successfully completed Level 6 study within the preceding 2 years.

Where appropriate and on an induvial basis students may be required to undertake a pre-course assessment to enable the course team to support students study skills. We will use this to navigate your appropriate pathway assessment.

To prevent duplication of study, a student that has previously completed a Level 6 module or pathway award within the last 5 years cannot access the equivalent pathway award at Level 7.

Recognition of Prior Learning – RPL

If students have gained Level 6 or 7 credits either at Birmingham City University or elsewhere in the last 5 years, it may be possible to use them towards an award. The amount of RPL is stipulated by the regulations that apply at the time of enrolment.

Access

Diploma HE in nursing or equivalent appropriate for level 6 study

EU/International students

IELTs of 6 with no element below 5.5.

Course structure

You can choose to study this programme as a complete pathway award (full or part-time) or as a standalone module, dependent on your individual need and the needs of your organisation. All programmes offer a convenient part-time format to fit around home and work commitments

Pathway awards in Neonatal Critical Care can lead to:

  • Module only Professional Practice Level 6
  • Module only Professional Practice Level 7
  • BSc Professional Practice
  • BSc (Hons) Professional Practice 
  • Grad Cert Professional Practice 
  • PG Cert Professional Practice
  • PG Dip Professional Practice
  • MSc Professional Practice

How to apply

Complete the online application form via the link above, including the name of the pathway or module you are enrolling onto. 

If you have any queries please contact the pathway leader: Laura.maguire2@bcu.ac.uk

Course in Depth

Degree (Level 6)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: Grad Cert / BSc Professional Practice (Neonatal Critical Care)

At least 20 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules for Year 1:

Year 2 Pathway Award (BSc (Hons) Only) – Exit Award: BSc (Hons) Professional Practice (Neonatal Critical Care)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 60 credits from the List of Additional Optional Modules* for Year 2.

*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.

Postgraduate (Level 7)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):

Year 1 Pathway Award – Exit Award: PG Cert Professional Practice (Neonatal Critical Care)

At least 20 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules for Year 1:

Year 2 Pathway Award - Exit Award: PG Dip Professional Practice (Neonatal Critical Care)

In order to complete this route a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the List of Additional Optional Modules* for Year 2.

*Any appropriate module (relevant to Pathway / Speciality) from University / Faculty portfolio as agreed with the Pathway Leader.

MSc

Year 3 Pathway Award – Exit Award: MSc Professional Practice (Neonatal Critical Care)

Option 1

Option 2

Download course specification

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Facilities & Staff

 

Our Facilities

Our Nursing and Midwifery courses are based at our City South campus in leafy Edgbaston.

We’ve spent £41million expanding our facilities at City South. These facilities offer hands-on practical experience, replicating the spaces you will come across in professional practice.

In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, we work hard to ensure that you learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. Alongside physical spaces such as a mock operating theatre and wards, we also make use of online and virtual technology, such as our virtual ward and virtual case creator.

See more of our skills facilities at City South

Centre for Skills and Simulation

The Centre for Skills and Simulation offers a range of different spaces which replicate situations that you will encounter in practice. These include hospital wards, an operating theatre and a home environment room.

Our mock wards enable you to get a feel of what a ward is really like before you head out for your first placement. The hospital wards can be adapted from low care to high dependency care environment with the necessary monitoring equipment.

The home environment room is the perfect space for teaching communications skills and allows us to simulate a community setting for our students. It is particularly useful for mental health nurses, learning disability nurses and midwives.

Simulation Manikins

We have several Simulation men (SIM men) and simulation babies (SIM babies) which are anatomically correct manikins used for teaching specific techniques such as advanced adult and paediatric life support skills, acute and high dependency clinical skills, first aid and communication skills. The manikins contain software which replicates real symptoms, and can manipulate indicators such as blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism. SIM man can even ‘talk’ to the students as they are treating him, to add another dimension to learning.

Computer Facilities

The Seacole building has two open-access IT Suites which offer PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. There is also an IT Helpdesk for quick and easy help with your computing or internet issues.

Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:

  • Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
  • Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Research and statistical software
  • Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home

Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.

In addition to desktop PCs, we also offer a laptop loan facility, allowing students to borrow a laptop for up to six hours while on campus.

Our staff

Laura Maguire

Pathway Lead - Neonatal Critical Care

Laura qualified as a registered Children’s Nurse in 2009. She chose to specialise in neonatal nursing and worked as a Junior Sister in a busy Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During this time, Laura’s particular interests were working as part of the bereavement team and in the provision of parental support. Laura has also worked in an...

More about Laura

Enquiries

Enquiries

For all course enquiries please email Laura Maguire on: Laura.maguire2@bcu.ac.uk

Any applicant must be in a job that enables them to care for sick and premature newborn and must have a qualification that enables them to work within a neonatal unit setting as a qualified member of the team. A minimum of six months.

Professional Navigator

The Professional Practice Programme consists of a selection of modules that can be studied on their own or as part of an award. For help in deciding which modules to study or your outcome award please contact our Professional Navigators on navigator@bcu.ac.uk