PgDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - School Nursing/Health Visiting (MSc)

For January starters there will be induction on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of January 2024.

Please ensure you select and apply for the correct course and level, failure to do so will impact on your registration and may delay your access to the course, if you are unsure please contact the Programme Lead or CPD Admissions.

About this Course

The Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing course gives you the opportunity to develop and demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills in public health nursing. It is designed to support professionals to establish skills and strategies necessary to promote health and well-being in partnership with individuals and groups in a variety of community settings.

The course is suitable for all registered nurses who want to achieve registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse in health visiting or school nursing.  

Health Visiting and School Nursing professionals have very different roles in the community and this programme will support your role as a:

Health Visitor to deliver on the Healthy Child 0-5 Programme to children and families, planning, delivering and evaluating an efficient and cost-effective Health Visiting service.  You will also deliver the national and local public health agendas in response to identified health and social need. You will be expected to work in partnership and liaise with the multi-disciplinary/multi-agency team.

School Nurse to work across education and health, providing a link between school, home and the community to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.  You will work with families and young people from five to nineteen and are usually linked to a school or group of schools.  A school nurse’s day-to-day role varies greatly from area to area and depending on the type of school.

Why Choose this Course

The course gives you the opportunity to gain specialist skills in both areas of community public health nursing: health visiting and school nursing.

During the PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing course you will

·       Evaluate the current organisational and professional agendas that influence care delivery in primary healthcare and community settings.

·       Study leadership and management skills so that when you graduate you will be able to provide effective leadership within a mixed skill team and multi-agency work setting as well as to work proactively in a commissioning environment.

·       Combine learning at the University with hands-on experience in a practice environment, with an equal allocation of practice and theory hours.

·       Achieve the V100 prescribing qualification, where local arrangements allow.

Entry Requirements

The normal entry requirements for the PGDip Specialist Community and Public Health Nursing course are:

·       You will need to have access to an appropriate specialist community practice placement with a designated practice supervisor and practice assessor for the duration of your studies on the course. This is normally provided through the sponsoring employer. If you are self-sponsored you are required to negotiate this with a Primary Care Organisation To find sponsorship/secondment opportunities in healthcare organisations please visit the NHS jobs website.

·       A UK degree, or other qualification at equivalent level, in a health related subject (excluding a specialist community degree leading to professional recognition as a specialist community public health practitioner).

·       All applicants are required to demonstrate effective registration on part 1  of the NMC register.  Or midwife

All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency. The following qualifications and grades will be considered:

·        GCSE English language grade A-C

·        IELTS 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in any band)

If you do not have the required level of English for entry, our academic English and foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.

Course Structure

To attain a PgDip award you need to complete 120 credits.  To top-up to an MSc you will need to complete a further 60 credits (180 credits).  There is an interim award available of a Postgraduate Certificate which can be awarded after completing 60 credits.  There is no professional qualification associated with this award.

Teaching Methods

You will experience a wide variety of learning styles on the PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing course. During your studies you will develop your capacity for self-directed study and your interpersonal skills.

We particularly emphasise the importance of structured research: well-prepared written and verbal presentations and computer literacy. Alongside elements of standard lectures, seminars, tutorials and laboratories, you also learn through case studies, individual and group projects and other student-centred activities.

You will develop your capacity for independent study and interpersonal skills on this programme. There is an emphasis on structured research, well-prepared written and verbal presentations and computer literacy.

Modules are assessed by a variety of methods for example essays, presentations, reports, posters and practical examinations.