PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: One Year
- Start Date: September 2026
If you’re ready to take the next step in your nursing career, this dynamic course will give you the strong professional foundation you need to excel in health visiting or school nursing.
Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the course equips you with the essential knowledge, skills, and confidence to make a lasting impact supporting children, young people, and families to thrive and ensuring every child has the best possible start in life.
Designed for qualified nurses and midwives with a degree, this postgraduate diploma is delivered in partnership with sponsoring health organisations and NHS trusts. As you study, you’ll gain advanced expertise in your chosen area of public health nursing, combining academic excellence with hands-on experience that prepares you to make a real difference in the community.
I would highly recommend this course to any nurse or midwife looking to become a Health Visitor. The course is extremely well structured; the modules for the programme are interesting, relevant, and link in appropriately to the practice element of the course. The course lead Carole is fantastic; she is always happy, keen to teach and engages students in her lectures. She also goes above and beyond to support students. It is apparent the University has built positive working relationship with the local Trusts, ensuring a seamless transition between University and Practice.Toni Bull Health Visitor, Buckinghamshire NHS Trust
Our course is fully approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), ensuring that the content, teaching, and practice elements meet the highest professional standards. This NMC approval means you’ll be studying a programme that is nationally recognised and designed to prepare you for registration as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN), specialising in Health Visiting or School Nursing.
Through a carefully developed curriculum, you’ll explore the core principles of public health, safeguarding, leadership, and evidence-based practice, alongside specialist modules focused on promoting child and family wellbeing. You’ll learn how to assess and respond to the needs of children, young people, and their families, supporting healthy development, preventing illness, and reducing health inequalities.
The programme integrates academic learning with practical experience, giving you the confidence and competence to work effectively in community settings. During your time with us, you will undertake a practice placement, in either a health visiting or school nursing environment.
For the first three terms Practice placements will typically take place two days a week, a further two days a week is spent learning on campus with every third week taught online. The final term will be full time in your practice placement.
By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge, professional values, and advanced leadership skills required to make a positive impact on the lives of children and families and in the communities where they live, helping to give every child the best possible start in life.
We have a range of state-of-the-art facilities designed to enhance your learning and prepare you for real-world practice. These include our Simulation Labs, where you’ll develop your clinical, communication, and decision-making skills in a safe, controlled environment that mirrors real world settings. Through realistic scenarios and interactive technology, you’ll gain hands-on experience in assessing, planning, and delivering care, helping you to build confidence and competence.
You’ll also have access to a simulated living room with a viewing gallery, specifically designed for practising community home visits. This unique environment enables you to experience the dynamics of working in people’s homes, developing key skills such as professional communication, safeguarding awareness, and situational judgement.
We recognise that specialist community public health nursing is an incredibly rewarding profession, but one that also comes with emotional and personal challenges. That’s why we place your wellbeing and development at the heart of our programme - equipping you with the support and guidance needed to grow into a confident, capable SCPHN.
Some days may be emotionally demanding, which makes having a supportive environment essential. We take pride in truly getting to know our students. Throughout your course and out on placement, you’ll benefit from personalised, one-to-one support from your tutors and the wider academic team.
You will benefit from an excellent standard of teaching delivered through a strong partnership between the University, experienced practitioners, and our NHS Trust partners. This collaborative approach ensures that your learning is firmly grounded in both academic theory and the realities of contemporary public health nursing practice.
Our lecturers are highly experienced professionals with extensive backgrounds in health visiting, school nursing, and wider public health and nursing roles. Many continue to work closely with practice settings, bringing current insights, case studies, and examples from the field directly into the classroom. Their ongoing engagement with the sector ensures that the course remains relevant, evidence-based, and aligned with the latest developments in nursing and healthcare policy and practice.
I developed so much both as an individual and as a professional during the course. It has reignited my spark for academic learning. I became more reflective in both myself and my practice. I feel more confident to go forward in my career and make positive changes. It has also significantly improved my communication skills with both clients and professionals. All of the modules and academic learning covered within the course have been hugely relevant and have developed my knowledge and enabled me to become a competent Health Visitor.Toni Bull Health Visitor, Buckinghamshire NHS Trust
What will I study?
Studying at postgraduate diploma level will enhance your critical thinking, clinical judgement, and leadership capabilities, preparing you to deliver high-quality care to children and families within the community. You will develop the confidence and expertise to lead teams and contribute effectively to the most vital areas of public health practice.
You’ll explore the key aspects of contemporary public health nursing, studying topics such as safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children, supporting developmental needs across the lifespan, and effective caseload management. You will also learn to take a strategic and evidence-based approach to community public health, analysing the impact of current research, policy, and innovation on practice.
Specialist Community Public Health Nursing focuses on assessing and responding to the health needs of children and young people aged 0–19 and their families. Working in community settings requires a distinct set of skills, knowledge, and professional behaviours, different from those used in hospital-based care. This course covers all the areas needed to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (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 and dynamics of working in a community setting.
- Critically evaluate and apply strategic influences on public health policy.
- Identify and respond to the health needs of individuals, families, and wider populations.
- Recognise and act appropriately when safeguarding concerns arise.
- Develop leadership, innovation, and management skills to promote positive health outcomes for children.
- Demonstrate the competencies required to register on the third part of the NMC register.
The course tutors make excellent use of outside speakers to really enhance your learning experience. It was fantastic to undertake the course alongside the District Nurses, Community Children’s Nurses and School Nurses. It really highlights the importance of working closely alongside other community specialities and gaining a greater understanding of each other’s roles. In my opinion, the academic element of the course is essential to build competent and confident Health Visitors on qualifying, and BNU most definitely delivers this to an extremely high standard.Toni Bull Health Visitor, Buckinghamshire NHS Trust
How will I be taught and assessed?
The course combines academic learning with practical experience, using a flexible and supportive approach designed to suit your individual learning style. You’ll learn through a variety of methods, including lectures, seminars, workshops, and simulation-based learning, all of which encourage you to apply theory directly to your practice.
You’ll spend approximately half of your time in practice, working within your NHS Trust or employing organisation, supported by a practice assessor and supervisor and link tutors from the University. This partnership ensures that your academic learning is continually reinforced and contextualised within real-world community settings.
At the University, you’ll take part in case study simulations and interactive sessions that allow you to practise complex decision-making in a safe, supervised environment. You will also collaborate closely with students from other community nursing disciplines at BNU, building your understanding of multi-professional teamwork, an essential skill in public health practice.
Assessment methods are varied and designed to reflect professional practice, including written assignments, reflective portfolios, presentations, and practical assessments. Your e-portfolio will serve as a comprehensive record of your progress and achievements, providing the evidence required by the NMC to validate your learning.
What are the course entry requirements?
You need to be registered as a level 1 nurse on the appropriate part of the NMC register.
You also need to be working in UK clinical practice, so this course is just available to UK students.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £9,630 per year *
Please note all of the 2026/27 fees stated are subject to parliamentary procedure. Tuition fees are expected to increase each academic year in line with the maximum permitted value set by the Government for that academic year. The expected rise for Home undergraduate students (including those on a foundation year course), may impact both new and continuing students.
Additional costs
Your tuition fees cover most course costs, but you may need to budget for additional expenses. These can include specialist equipment, project materials, professional memberships, field trips or placements, as well as everyday student costs like printing, books and stationery.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our enquiries team by completing this form.
What are my career prospects?
As a graduate of this course, you will be well prepared to progress in your career within Health Visiting or School Nursing, using your specialist skills and knowledge to make a genuine difference in the lives of children, young people, and families. You’ll be equipped to provide high-quality care, promote health and wellbeing, and contribute to reducing health inequalities within your community.
This qualification also provides a strong foundation for a range of career development opportunities. Many graduates choose to advance into roles such as practice educator, or SCPHN practice assessor or supervisor, helping to support and guide new practitioners. Others move into service development or specialist advisory positions, influencing improvements in public health services. With further study, you may also explore a career in teaching or research within higher education, shaping the future of community and public health nursing.
Overall, this course opens the door to a rewarding and impactful career, where you can continue to grow professionally while making a positive difference in community health.
Course leader
- Associate Professor - Lead for Quality Assurance and Enhancement
