MSc (PG Diploma entry) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

Why study this subject?

Are you ready to take the next steps in your nursing career? Do you want to increase your expertise? As a nurse it is good practice to keep building on your skills, so you can consistently deliver high quality, evidence-based care.

This course will expand your knowledge, help you make decisions more effectively, and enhance your existing qualifications and experience in either health visiting or school nursing.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

You will benefit from an excellent standard of teaching provided by staff from the University and practice, in partnership with our NHS Trust partners. As well as this you will be taught by lecturers who have a wide expertise in the field. Our lecturers also maintain close links with practice, ensuring that the programme is up-to-date with modern practice.

We offer continuous support throughout the programme, and you will receive personal tutoring and benefit from a high level of research within the teaching team. Your personal tutor will help guide you through your studies, support you with your academic development and give advice when needed.

Highly regarded by students and practice partners for our teaching in this area, BNU has a strong reputation for its health visitor and school nurse training. You will work with highly skilled academics, who have worked in the community – and spend some of your time in practice yourself, consolidating and deepening your understanding and skills.

What facilities can I use?

We have a range of state-of-the-art facilities for you to access, including our Nursing Simulation Labs, multistorey library and IT suites. Students will be able to access our full range of support services, including the Learning Development Unit for skills and study support, the Careers and Employability Team, Student Finance Team, Accommodation and Counselling Services.

What will I study?

Specialist Community Health Nursing is an area of nursing practice which has a focus on assessing and reacting to, the health needs of young people aged 0-19 and their families. Working in the community requires specialist knowledge, skills and behaviours that are distinct from working in the hospital setting.

This course covers all the areas needed to meet the NMC professional requirements for specialist community public health nurses, with a focus on either health visiting or school nursing.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• understand the complexities of working in a community setting
• better appreciate strategic influences on policy
• take a critical approach to identifying the health needs of individuals, groups and populations in the community
• consider aspects of safeguarding children, young people and their families. As you may be working with at risk or deprived groups, it is important you recognise when a child is at risk of harm and what action to take
• develop leadership, innovation and management skills to be able to contribute to successful health outcomes for children
• show you have the necessary skills for working in the community, so you can qualify for the third part of the NMC register.

How will I be taught and assessed?

Honing your critical thinking and leadership capabilities, you will build the capabilities needed to become highly successful at leading large teams of nurses in your chosen area of practice. You will also learn to take a more strategic view of community healthcare provision, drawing on the latest research, ideas and policy – as well as carrying out your own piece of research.

The course makes use of a range of flexible learning and assessment approaches, to ensure you learn in the way that suits you best. We will be looking, in particular, at how well you apply the theory to your own nursing and leadership practice.

You will benefit from strong support throughout, with personal and link tutors at the university, and a practice teacher supporting you to learn in your trust.

As well as spending half your time in practice, learning opportunities at the University such as case study-type simulations will enable you to develop your skills in a safe environment. You will also work closely with students from other community nursing courses at BNU, building your experience of working in a multi-professional way.

Our programme incorporates a unique ePortfolio that you can engage with throughout the programme, helping you to develop the skills required to integrate the concept of lifelong learning within your professional careers.

We will give you the support you need to complete your dissertation on a topic important to your workplace while you work in the field. The course will cover the whole research process from ethics approval to writing your final report.

By the end of the course, you will have developed the higher level of skills and knowledge you need to become a leader in this specialist field of nursing. Your e-portfolio will provide evidence of this, to validate your learning with the NMC.

You will spend two days a week at university and two days a week in practice.