PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

Why study this subject?

As a school nurse, you will play a vital role working with children and young people, and act as an important link between home, school and the community with the ultimate goal of improving wellbeing.

On the other hand, as a health visitor, you would be working with children from birth to five years old and their families, providing much-needed support to families, assessing their health needs and monitoring growth and development.

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 50% 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?

Studying at postgraduate diploma level will hone your critical thinking and leadership capabilities, so that you become highly skilled at caring for children in the community, and leading large teams of nurses in one of these much-needed areas of practice.

Learning about key aspects of contemporary community nursing, you will study topics such as protecting children and the vulnerable, and supporting developmental needs through their lifespan, to effective caseload management. You will also learn to take a more strategic view of community healthcare provision, drawing on the latest research, ideas and policy.

How will I be taught and assessed?

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.

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.

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.

Study this course full time for a year. You will spend two days a week at university and two days a week in practice.