OVERVIEW

Our Specialist Community Public Health Nursing course is designed to enable you to study at academic Level 7 (Masters level) whilst also preparing you to become proficient practitioners within a chosen field of specialist community public health nursing (Health Visiting HV or School Nursing SN).

Successful completion of this course which has 120 academic credits and includes evidence of achieving all core and field specific SPCHN Proficiency outcomes (NMC 2022), will allow you to work at specialist practitioner level following achievement of the academic and vocational award that can be registered on Part 3 of NMC register as SCPHN HV or SN.

Course Details

This post-registration award prepares you for a career in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing at both strategic and operational levels. The postgraduate diploma consists of six compulsory modules, two of these modules are practice focused and incorporate key theoretical concepts enabling theory to inform practice and vice versa.

There is a balance of theoretical and practice learning within the programme and the third time (for full-time students) is a period of focussed learning in practice to consolidate and apply learning and demonstrate achievement of core and field-specific SCPHN Proficiency outcomes as Health Visitor (HV) School Nurse (SN).

All modules are linked to service delivery and developments within contemporary Public Health practice and are intended to develop your core skills in protecting health, promoting wellbeing and preventing ill health for individuals, families, communities and populations. A balance of the programme occurs in a SCPHN HV or SN practice environment which is commensurate with the specific annotation you are following: for example, Health Visiting or School Nursing. This element of the programme is supported by designated practice assessors who hold a SCPHN annotation in the same chosen field and have undertaken a formal education programme to fulfil this role. There is a focus on work-based learning throughout this course which ensures clear integration of practice-based learning, assessment and university-based work.

The course will be delivered using a range of active blended learning approaches with teaching methods such as core lectures, group work, online activities, use of case studies and directed learning approaches. There is also a balance of practice learning via a field-specific SCPHN placement across the programme. Shared learning with other professionals may be available on this course and you will be encouraged to develop a critical, evaluative approach to the knowledge which underpins current specialist community public health practice.