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Nursing - Child - BSc (Hons)

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Are you a compassionate individual with an interest in caring for children? Our Children’s Nursing BSc (Hons) course expertly supports you in gaining the knowledge and skills to deliver professional and compassionate Family Centred Care.

  • Level Undergraduate
  • Study mode Full Time

This course is:

Open to International Students

Overview

Course is Full for 2024/25 Entry

This course is now full for 2024/25. If you'd like to apply for 2025/26, applications are open now.
If you'd still like to apply for September 2024 - take a look at some of our other available courses.

Are you a compassionate individual with an interest in caring for children? Our Children’s Nursing BSc (Hons) course expertly supports you in gaining the knowledge and skills to deliver professional and compassionate Family Centred Care.

The University is commissioned to deliver one of the UK’s largest cohorts of nurses every year, so you’ll benefit from studying at one of the country’s biggest nursing schools and be part of a community of student nurses in a diverse and vibrant city.

Successful completion of the course will make you eligible to apply for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

Our aim is to develop you into a graduate nurse who is able to work flexibly across a range of settings and meet the health needs of the whole person throughout their lifespan. We will work with you on your development to help you become a skilled, knowledgeable, emotionally intelligent nurse, able to lead and co-ordinate compassionate, evidence-based, person- and family-centred care while working as an integral member of interdisciplinary teams. 

The university-based elements of the first two years of your course are integrated, with all fields of nursing working together. In your final year, the theory you learn will be specific to child nursing. You will study five modules each year. In year one, you will complete a year-long practice module which will prepare and support you to develop your confidence and competence in practice as you work towards independently leading and co-ordinating care.  

In your first year, you will gain theoretical and practice knowledge to develop a range of key skills. This will include: exploring the evidence that underpins person- and family-centred care; professional values; self-leadership; and the role of the registered nurse. Second year modules will further enhance your first-year learning and explore evidence-based complex care incorporating a wide range of research, skills, team leadership and principles of co-ordinating care. During your third year you will continue build on your previous learning and develop proficiency in child nursing. The modules you study will develop you as a leader who uses research-informed critical thinking to co-ordinate care, supervise other health professionals and gain confidence in the safe management of medication. You will also have access to personal tuition throughout the course which will enrich your learning experiences and will enable to reflect meaningfully on your practice and the development of your individual field identity. 

Your practice placements will be specific to your field, child nursing, throughout the three years. To help you become a more rounded nurse, you will also have opportunities to learn across the four fields of nursing. Your placement learning experiences may be within community, hospital or home environment settings and at a location anywhere within the West Midlands and potentially into neighbouring counties. While on placement you will be supported, supervised and assessed by practice and academic staff to develop your knowledge and skills.  

We are committed to providing excellent, innovative, learning, teaching and assessment experiences through the use of technology, which we use to enhance your learning, through lectures, seminars, skills simulation and virtual learning. Engaging with practice partners and service users is also integral to our approach.

Our BSc (Hons) Nursing course has been designed to comply with the new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards (2018) meaning that successful completion of this course makes you eligible to apply and be entered onto the NMC register in one of the four fields of nursing: Adult, Child, Learning Disabilities or Mental Health. 

Accredited By

This course is accredited by:

  • Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
  • Athena Swan Bronze Award

I knew I would enjoy working with children, but when I started placement I was surprised how satisfying it was, even after a 13 hour shift. Honestly placement for me is the best part of my course, because you get to put into practice what you have learnt.
Sarah Gyamfi

Bethany Dennis

Beth has always gone above and beyond to make a difference in children’s healthcare. She knew that BCU’s placement opportunities could help her become the best nurse possible and pursue her passion for helping young people.

Read in full

Why Choose Us?

  • Funding - Nursing students will receive at least £5,000 a year in additional funding for maintenance and associated study costs. Download the funding FAQs
  • Birmingham is one of the UK’s most diverse cities outside of London, which provides you with a wide variety of experience that will be valuable to take forward into your future career
  • Opportunities to go abroad, if this is something you would like to explore during your time studying with us
  • Our strong partnerships with local employers result in fantastic employability. 
  • You will study at our recently extended £71 million City South Campus, complete with real-life hospital environments and simulation equipment so you can practice your practical skills at all times – not just on placement.
  • We offer two intakes a year in January and September so that you can start at the right time for you. Contact our Admissions team to find out more
  • Strong links with some of the largest NHS Trusts in the country, including University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham Women’s Children`s Hospital and many others, enabling you to build a network of invaluable contacts and gain valuable experience
  • Real-world placements are supplemented by our Virtual Case Creator specialist software whilst on campus, enabling you to learn valuable observation, analytic, diagnostic, problem-solving and decision-making skills in an online simulated environment
  • Student finance - have you already had a student loan to study an undergraduate degree but would like to do a second degree in nursing, midwifery or the allied health professions? You may still be eligible for funding.

Similar Courses

Open Days

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.

Next Open Day: 24 November 2024

Book your place

Entry Requirements

These entry requirements apply for entry in 2024/25.

All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.

Essential requirements

120 UCAS tariff points

Please note: If you qualify for our BCU Accelerate scheme, you could receive an offer that is two grades below our normal entry requirements. Find out more about BCU Accelerate.

Applicants will also need to complete an interview for this course; see interview arrangements below.

If your level 3 qualifications do not meet the UCAS tariff for this course, you may be offered a place on our Foundation Year instead. You do not need to submit a separate application but will automatically be considered for this if your predicted grades fall below the UCAS entry tariff.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Successful candidates will be required to obtain a satisfactory occupational health check, an enhanced DBS check and registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority prior to enrolling on this course. If you have any queries please refer to DBS Frequently Asked Questions or contact admissions@bcu.ac.uk.

If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.

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. View fees for continuing students.

Award: BSc (Hons)

Starting: Jan 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 3 years
  • £9,250 in 2024/25
  • Applications Closed

International 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: BSc (Hons)

Starting: Jan 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 3 years
  • £16,085 in 2024/25
  • Applications Closed

This course offers both September and January start dates. If our places for your chosen start date are full, successful applicants will be offered a place for the next available start date instead.

Please note that applications are processed in the order in which they are submitted, so please apply early to ensure you have the best chance of securing your preferred start date if your application is successful.

You do not need to apply for both intakes as we will consider your application for the first available place if there are no places for your preferred intake.

Access to computer equipment

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms.

Printing

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment.

Field trips

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees.

Access to Microsoft Office 365

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation.

Key Software

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research.

Key subscriptions

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library.

Uniform

You will be provided with four sets of uniform (tunic and trousers). If you need additional sets of uniform, you will need to purchase them.

Clothing and safety equipment

You will need to buy suitable placement shoes, cardigan and fob watch (price from £5).

Placement expenses (mandatory)

There may be some costs for travel or temporary accommodation associated with placements. The NHS Learning Support Fund can help with these costs. Information about what the fund covers and eligibility criteria can be found online.

Excess printing (optional)

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet.

Books (optional)

All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy.

Field trips (optional)

This course includes the option of additional trips that may enhance your experience, at extra cost.

Memberships (optional)

You may wish to join a union or professional body related to your course. We would advise joining the Royal College of Nursing or Unison. You will need to pay membership fees to join the Nursing and Midwifery Council on graduation.

Subscriptions (optional)

You may wish to purchase subscriptions to additional journals and websites.

Accommodation and living costs

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

This course is now full for 2024/25 but you can apply for 2025/26 now via UCAS.

Frequently asked questions

How will I know what has happened with my UCAS application when I have submitted it?

You'll be notified via UCAS if your application is unsuccessful. If your application is successful you'll be invited to attend an interview from our Health Admissions department.

What will the interview consist of?

You'll have a face-to-face interview with academic and clinical staff.

How will I know the outcome of my interview?

You'll be notified via UCAS track.

If I'm not offered a place, can I have some feedback?

Yes, you can request feedback from NMSW.Admissions@bcu.ac.uk

Course in Depth

Year One

In order to fully complete this course and be eligible for application for entry onto the NMC register, a student must successfully achieve all 360 credits.

Year Two

Year Three

Optional Modules

Download course specification

Download now

Course structure

The course is delivered using a modular approach and divides the course into manageable elements of study and practice learning opportunities.

The first year prepares you for further study and facilitates the understanding of the principles which underpin nursing. This is supported by numerous placement learning experiences.

In year two there is an increasing field-specific focus. Core modules help to contextualise nursing whilst Field Specific modules prepare you for placement experiences.

In year three all the modules are Field Specific but there are opportunities for shared learning with the other fields of nursing and you will complete placement experiences.

You'll experience a mixture of teaching, self-directed study and practice-based clinical placements, spending half of your time each year on placement.

Upon successful completion you will graduate with a BSc (Hons) Nursing degree worth 360 credits and be eligible to apply for Registered Nurse status with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

This course is accredited by the following organisation:

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
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.

Athena Swan Bronze Award
Athena Swan Bronze Award

We have successfully secured the Athena SWAN Departmental Bronze Award recognising a commitment to gender equality.

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.

Employability

Employment opportunities

Once qualified and registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council you can practice in the UK and many countries overseas. As a qualified nurse you could find yourself working within the NHS, the private sector, in the community, at GP surgeries, at schools, plus many more - the options are endless.

Placements

Placements take place across a range of settings. You may experience care in acute, critical care, long-term care and community settings which are related to your Field. During your second year there will also be the opportunity to undertake a placement learning experience elsewhere in the UK or abroad* (*subject to selection criteria).

A placement is your chance to be a part of the working world of health and social care as it really is: your first taste of your career. For most of our courses, it's a compulsory part of your training; it's that important.

Placements help you with your confidence, by putting theory from the classroom into practice. We make sure you get a quality experience and that you are fully supported by a workplace mentor on hand throughout your placement.

More about our placement opportunities

International

Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

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

Jody Perry

Course Lead for BSc Nursing and FdSc Assistant Practitioner (Health) and Senior Lecturer

Jody initially joined the University as a Health and Safety Advisor has a back ground in Risk Management/Clinical Governance as well as Learning and Development. Before joining the University, Jody worked in the NHS for almost twenty years.  In 2014, Jody moved into academia as Senior Lecturer to undertake the role of Undergraduate Lead for...

More about Jody