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Community Health Nursing Specialist Practitioner - District Nursing - PgDip
Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 Entry.
If you’re looking to develop your nursing career within a community setting, as a District Nurse you can play an important role providing holistic care to patients in their own homes. District Nurses work autonomously, giving often complex care in non-clinical settings, and take a leading role in promoting the health of the community they serve.
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Full Time
- Location City South
- Award PgDip
- Start date September 2024
- School School of Health Sciences
- Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences
This course is:
Overview
If you’re looking to develop your nursing career within a community setting, as a District Nurse you can play an important role providing holistic care to patients in their own homes. District Nurses work autonomously, giving often complex care in non-clinical settings, and take a leading role in promoting the health of the community they serve.
What's covered in this course?
This course balances expanding your theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience of the range of practical skills you need for the challenging but rewarding role of District Nurse. We will also encourage you to develop a critical approach to care delivery so that you are able to adapt to rapidly changing situations, prevent hospital admissions, support self-care and independence using a holistic, patient-centred approach, manage complex caseloads, and provide education to patients, their families/carers and other healthcare staff effectively.
As a District Nurse, you will become an effective leader of teams, managing staff with a varied mix of skills to drive quality improvement, ensuring that the care delivered is high-quality, evidence-based, safe and effective. We will help develop your ability to assess risk, work within multidisciplinary teams to coordinate care and service delivery and expand your understanding of the political landscape which drives change within the NHS.
We will work in partnership with you, your practice assessor and supervisor to develop your knowledge, skills and behaviours in preparation to practise as a District Nurse in this crucial area that requires highly-skilled practitioners. One of the team will be allocated as your academic assessor to support and supervise your assessment in practice.
This course is designed in line with the NMC standards of proficiency for specialist community practice nursing qualifications (2022) so that you’re prepared for the role of District Nurse and can register with the NMC with this title. The programme also prepares you to practise as a V300 Independent and Supplementary Prescriber, ensuring you can safely prescribe for patients within the scope of your practice in line with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Competency framework for all prescribers (RPS, 2021).
Accredited By
Accredited by:
Why Choose Us?
- This course offers comprehensive support from a team of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge, ensuring you are well-prepared to enter a specialist practice profession. The course runs over 52 weeks, with each week being split between theory and practice learning.
- We accept direct applications to the University and from students seconded by Trusts (visit NHS Careers for adverts) or employing organisations.
- Theory and practice are integrated throughout the programme, culminating in a period of full-time practice learning at the end of your course to consolidate learning.
OPEN DAY
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Event: 24 November 2024
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
You must have all of the following:
- For PgDip you will need to provide evidence of successful completion of a BSc or have completed accredited Level 6 or Level 7 study within the last 5 years.
- Have a minimum of 12 months post-registration experience.
- NHS England funded applicants must evidence support from an employer who provides District Nursing Services.
- Self-funded applicants must arrange their own placement experience within an employer who provides District Nursing Services.
- Self-funded students will need to provide a current DBS and Occupational Health Clearance prior to course entry.
- NHS England funded students will need to provide a signed declaration of good character form from their employer.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
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. View fees for continuing students.
Award: PgDip
Starting: Sep 2024
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 Year
-
TBC
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
This course is not available to International Students
Please note: All communication from the University is sent via email. Please ensure that you supply an email address on your application form that you check regularly.
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
Level 7
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Health services in the UK are undergoing unprecedented reform particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic; this is transforming the way healthcare is provided. Greater emphasis is on prevention, health promotion and supporting self-care. The Nursing and Midwifery Council have produced proficiencies which reflect the specialist knowledge, skills and behaviours required by nurses working in the community. The role of the District Nurse involves autonomous decision making, the ability to manage greater clinical complexity and risk, both in terms of the people they care for, the caseloads they manage and the services they work within. District Nurses also lead and manage a team who provide a service that works closely with other agencies, professionals, and disciplines within the community in a range of non-clinical environments.
This module explicitly addresses students’ personal and/or professional development with a view to enhancing competence for service improvement in a rapidly changing health and healthcare environment. Through a flexible provision, students are inspired to reflect critically upon their individual learning needs as well as their organisations’ practices, to appraise and apply concepts from the literature on leadership, to issues of relevance for their role, organisation and overall programme of stud.
The module is designed for registered practitioners who are looking to critically develop their knowledge and skill in health assessment of the individual patient. The module introduces and develops the skills required to undertaking a systematic holistic patient assessment. The module content is designed and delivered by lecturers from different specialities to ensure the provision of comprehensive learning which intends to foster and develop your awareness and critical analysis of health assessment.
This double module is designed for registered first level nurses and midwives and also SCPHNs to enable development of safe, competent and knowledgeable prescribing practice. It will develop your professional knowledge; skills; understanding; analysis and theoretical frameworks of prescribing working within your scope of practice.
This module aligns with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) Competency Framework for all Prescribers and is designed to adhere to NMC prescribing standards. You will undertake practice based learning and complete assessments to enable achievement of the RPS competencies. In line with NMC standards for supervision and assessment practice, you will be supported and assessed by practice supervisors and a practice assessor, who will liaise with your academic assessor here at the university.
You will have the opportunity to develop skills of enquiry, reflection and problem solving. A blended learning approach is taken (incorporating both classroom and online activities via Moodle) in line with the university’s learning and teaching strategy. You will be encouraged to think critically and share practice experiences with your fellow students, as well as engaging in both directed and self-directed learning activities. You will be an active partner in your own learning and development and in return you will receive regular feedback and feedforward aimed at developing your academic skills, and have the opportunity to discuss your progress with your academic assessor.
This module is aligned with the NMC Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SSSA) with a focus on becoming prepared for being involved in the teaching, learning and assessment for students undertaking NMC regulated post-registration qualifications. The module aims to build upon the theory behind the support and assessment of students in practice as practice assessors and practice supervisors and within the context of specialist practice qualifications.
This module will prepare students to undertake the role of practice assessor for students undertaking the SPQ and will support the development of key skills required such as advanced communication skills, understanding of the relevant NMC standards and supporting students with a range of learning styles.
Download course specification
Download nowCourse aims
The course aims to:
- Enable nurses and midwives to work as specialist practitioners in the field of district nursing.
- Support the application of theoretical knowledge and high-quality practice within the community setting.
- Help you make the most of your learning, whether you're keen to develop your knowledge and skills to become a specialist practitioner in the community.
Assessment methods
You will be assessed through a variety of methods, which include invigilated examinations, assignments, presentations, written assignments and professional practice competencies that will allow you the opportunity to creatively demonstrate your role and development as a specialist practitioner.
![Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)](https://cphfcrflaa.cloudimg.io/_bcuimages/nmc-280x158-130790413586851342.png?w=200)
The Nursing and Midwifery Council
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) works with partner organisations to set and maintain high standards of nursing and midwifery education across the UK.
This course has been approved and monitored by the NMC to make sure that the education and training on offer meets their standards.
To work as a nurse or midwife, you must pass an NMC approved course at a higher education institution (HEI) in pre-registration nursing and midwifery, leading to registration with the NMC.
Employability
Enhancing employability skills
The course will prepare you to work autonomously in the role of the District Nurse Specialist Practitioner delivering highly skilled care to patients in the community setting. You will develop leadership, practice education, and quality improvement skills that will support future career progression.
Facilities & Staff
We have invested over £400 million in our facilities, including an upgrade to our Skills and Simulation facilities at City South Campus. We boast up-to-date, innovative facilities that simulate the real situations that you may come across in the workplace. These resources are essential in offering you a hands-on introduction to health and social care practice.
Mock Wards
These are set up to look like typical hospital wards, with four-six bays. Depending on the topic in hand, different manikins can be used as patients and relevant equipment is provided to practise clinical skills. Some of the manikins are interactive and can simulate different scenarios e.g. some allow you to cannulate, check pulses, intubate etc, and some can talk to you. One ward is often used as an adult ward, and the other as a child ward.
These rooms also allow for scenarios to be set up for other professions such as dietetics, paramedic science and social work.
The Operating Theatre and Recovery Suites
The operating theatre and recovery suite gives you the sense of what it would be like in a real surgical environment.
These spaces emulate the full surgical journey from anaesthetics, through surgery and into recovery. ODP students can practice a range of skills including gowning, hand washing, preparing instrument trays, and working with a patient. Nurses and midwives may experience a surgical placement and need to go to theatre or be part of the midwifery team involved with caesarean sections. Many other Allied Health Professionals may also see patients in recovery if necessary.
Home Environment Room
This space is used to simulate non-clinical settings, as not everything health professionals deal with is hospital based. This is used for simulations of home visits and home births. It also houses soft matting and a bubble machine that are used by the Learning Disability Nursing team.
Assisted Living Space
This space replicates a flat and is used for scenarios such as home visits. The sitting room area provides a different space to practise skills and simulations and work with service users and other students.
Assisted Kitchen
This specially designed kitchen has different areas where you can practice cooking, cleaning, boiling the kettle etc., with someone who has actual or simulated visual impairments. There are adapted devices to help, and simulation glasses for you to wear to experience visual impairments.
Physiotherapy Room
This is a space for physiotherapy students to use, with various equipment to practise client meetings.
Radiotherapy Planning Computer Suite
Our computers allow you to plan hypothetical treatments, in terms of angles and directions, ensuring that radiotherapy reaches where it is needed on a patient’s body.
Radiography Image Interpretation and Reporting Stations Computer Suite
These facilities allow you to view and analyse x-rays.
VERT - Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training
This room contains 3D technology to view virtual patients and look at trajectories for treatment.
Radiotherapy
This room contains the same bed/couch used when patients are given radiotherapy treatment. While students of course do not administer radiotherapy in this room, it does allow them to practise adjusting the equipment to make sure both it and a patient would be in the correct position to receive treatment.
Telehealth Room
This room allows for small group teaching in a central area (large boardroom type table) with five small telehealth booths down either side. These are to allow all our health professions students to practise delivering healthcare and advice remotely, either over the phone or on a video call. This addition to our teaching reflects moves in the sector to offer more flexible access to healthcare services, particularly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Imaging Academy
This new facility is a larger version of our existing image interpretation computer facilities and forms part of the Midlands Imaging Academy Hub, funded by Health Education England. These expanded facilities will mean we can further develop our courses and expertise in radiography and imaging.
Speech and Language Therapy Resource Room
Our Speech and Language Therapy Team have developed a collection of tools, books and resources to help you learn and understand the implications of a speech or swallowing limitation. You can practise one to one client meetings and clinics and use the video recording equipment to review role play scenarios.
Ultrasound simulation suite
You have access to a wide range of Ultrasound simulation equipment to develop your clinical skills and aid in training. The equipment includes two ultrasound machines with a range of phantoms, scan training stations and eve body works.
Our staff
Rachel Hogan
Senior Lecturer
Rachel qualified as an Adult Nurse from BCU in 2003, post qualifying she spent some time in the acute setting within Trauma and Orthopaedics and Critical Care. As a student, Rachel fell in love with community nursing and moved into that setting in 2006. She spent the next 10 years working within community nursing undertaking further qualifications...
More about Rachel