Course Summary

If you care about people, enjoy being with them, and value challenging yet rewarding work, nursing is an ideal career choice. Almost nothing beats the sense of fulfilment that comes from helping someone to successfully manage a difficult life event.

These courses develop the skills and knowledge necessary for meeting the diverse and changing health needs of people from a range of communities. Success will result in your being awarded a degree with Honours, as well as achievement in the proficiencies required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to be eligible for Registration as an Adult, Child, or Mental Health Nurse on Part One of the Councils Register.

The course is divided into three stages. Stage one introduces you to the fundamentals of nursing in a range of settings. In the second and third years, you will specialise in your chosen field of nursing.

Practice-based education accounts for 50 per cent of the course. During this time you will be supported by University staff and practice-based mentors.

Following the integrated first year of the course, you will spend two years acquiring the specialist knowledge and skills needed to care for children, young people and their families in a variety of hospital and community practice settings. You will learn about the development and care of healthy children and young people as well as the nursing of sick children and adolescents aged 0-18 years who require acute or longterm care.

Why choose this course?

Key Features

• Supported practice placements in partnership with local NHS Trusts
• Evidence-based practice, interprofessional working, research, patient safety, diversity and ethics spiral throughout the course
• First year shared by all nursing students irrespective of their field of practice
• As a childrens nurse you will play a key part in helping families deal with their crises

Areas of study include:

• Professional practice, legislation and ethics
• Supporting parenting
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
• Nursing children and young people who are ill or disabled
• Health research and evidence-based care
• Leadership and management
• Working with families and carers

BSDGC-S

Assessment

Assessments are timed to enable you to develop the skills required to successfully complete the given tasks.

The Units of learning for the course are assessed to demonstrate your development in both the theoretical and practical elements. Your portfolio of learning will be summatively assessed on completion of year one, formatively at the end of year two and summatively at the end of year three.

A mentor who has worked with you in the practice setting and helped you to identify and meet your learning needs will summatively assess your development and performance in practice using the Practice Assessment Document.

The lecturing team will assess your theoretical work. This will be comprised of examinations (Multiple Choice (MCQ), short answer, OSCEs and scenario based), essays, group based assessments, presentations, reflective essay, care study, and numeracy tests. For students undertaking the Honours component a conference style presentation will also form part of the assessment strategy.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Advanced Diploma course, you should be able to:

1. Select and use relevant literature and experiences in order to assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care required by service users, carers and families.

2. Use and adapt a range of nursing and academic skills pertinent to the chosen field of practice.

3. Review the evidence on which care decisions are based in order to promote the development of effective care.

4. Reflect on experience in order to gain new insights and thereby promote enhanced practice.

5. Consider the political contexts of care in order to inform practice.

6. Practise independently in a safe, accurate and effective way, organising and managing the care for a group of service users.

7. Establish and maintain constructive relationships and partnerships with service users, carers, families and other professionals / agencies.

8. Demonstrate sensitivity in relation to the individual cultural and religious values, beliefs, abilities and needs of others.

9. Demonstrate an awareness of what it means to be a professional and the implications and requirements of responsibility, accountability and autonomy.

10. Consider the impact of technological advances, clinical governance, and related local and national policies on nursing and the caring services.

Upon successful completion of the Degree course, you should be able to:

1. Select and use relevant literature and experiences in order to assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care required by service users, carers and families.

2. Use and adapt a range of nursing and academic skills pertinent to the chosen field of practice.

3. Critically analyse the evidence on which care decisions are based in order to promote the development of effective care.

4. Reflect on experience in order to gain new insights and thereby promote enhanced practice.

5. Critically analyse the political contexts of care in order to inform practice.

6. Practise independently in a safe, accurate and effective way, organising and managing the care for a group of service users.

7. Establish and maintain constructive relationships and partnerships with service users, carers, families and other professionals / agencies.

8. Demonstrate sensitivity in relation to the individual cultural and religious values, beliefs, abilities and needs of others.

9. Fully comprehend what it means to be a professional and the implications and requirements of responsibility, accountability and autonomy.

10. Evaluate the impact of technological advances, clinical governance and related local and national policies on nursing and the caring services.

And, in addition, as an honours degree student you should be able to:

1. Undertake a service improvement project at honours level.

2. Disseminate best practice to Trust colleagues and peers.

External Benchmarking

Nursing and Midwifery Council:

• Standards of Proficiency for Pre-registration Nursing Education (2004)


• Essential Skills Clusters (2007)

Educational Aims

The principal course intentions are to:

• Prepare you to achieve the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency (2004) in order to be registered on the register of qualified nurses and midwives as maintained by the NMC


• Provide advanced broad-based education and develop your general intellectual competence to the level of eligibility for an award of BSc / BSc(Hons) Nursing conferred by the University of Bedfordshire


• Ensure that you are prepared to practice safely and effectively to such an extent that the protection of the public is assured

Student support

You will have access to all student support services from within the University. You will also have access to a BREO site that will give you further guidance and support.

In addition you will also receive support from the following:

• Personal Tutor


• Unit Lead


• Field of Practice Lead


• Field Chair


• Head of Department


• Link Lecturer / Practice Educator


• Placement Officers


• Director of Placements and Deputy


• Practice Mentor

Team working

Working collaboratively within and between teams and services, is essential in the provision of effective and timely care to service users and families. Working with others is a professional requirement for good practice. Therefore group work, presentations, simulations and seminars will allow you to develop and practice these skills throughout the course in a safe environment. In practice you will be expected to work with a diverse range of other health and social care professionals.

Career Management Skills

You will be actively encouraged to participate in the development of your career management and will take the lead on accessing the Centre for Personal and Careers Development. You will undertake a self assessment to identify your strengths, interests and development needs in relation to external criteria e.g. the requirements of an occupation and employer. You will be introduced to the concept of the Knowledge and Skills Framework in your practice assessments.

Career/Further study opportunities

As a Registered Nurse, you will be able to work in a range of healthcare environments, including the community, and residential and hospital settings.

Career:

On completion of this course you are likely to progress into the following areas:

• Acute Care


• Rehabilitation


• Community


• Specialist Areas of Practice


• Residential Care Settings.

Further study:

This course will be the first step in a process of lifelong learning and professional development. Once qualified, practitioners will be able to access a wide range of health and social care courses leading to first degree, masters degree or doctoral degree qualifications.

Entry

BSc / BScHons: 200 UCAS Tariff points of which 160 must come from 2 A Levels or an equivalent qualification or an AVCE Double Award, an Access qualification (successfully completed with at least 30 merits), or equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma. Plus all applicants need to demonstrate their literacy and numeracy by attaining at least a grade C in English and Mathematics at GCSE or equivalent for example Level 2 adult literacy and numeracy.

IELTS Grade 7 overall and in each area where English is a second language.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire

Teaching Strategy

The aim of this course is to facilitate development of the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable you to become a knowledgeable doer in healthcare practice. Your development will be facilitated through learning in the classroom, the simulated environment, personal study and practice settings.

The course team believe that it is important to promote good practice in teaching and learning and want to optimise your learning opportunities. You will have the opportunity to experience direct tuition via the form of lecturers and seminars and learning will be facilitated via tutorials and group work. Participating in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) will enable you to practice clinical skills in a safe environment.

We believe that your learning should be inclusive and occur within the culture of higher education using practice as an integral part of the educational process. Our aim is that on completion of the course you will have made a significant move towards the state of being an independent, self-directed life long learner.

The practice component of the course comprises 50% of your learning with the remaining 50% being University based. Your learning will be supported by Bedfordshire Educational Resources Online (BREO) website.

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Students with disabilities

You will have access to Student Services and will be encouraged to actively seek any assistance you require in order to have your needs met in relation to a disability they may have.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

• Communicate with a range of health and social care professionals, service users and carers


• Use effective communication methods to negotiate and develop your skills and knowledge


• Effectively disseminate verbal and written information

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

• Access literature from a range of sources


• Use a range of resources to develop your knowledge in practice


• Construct and undertake an effective literature search strategy in order to underpin knowledge development

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

• Analyse the information found


• Evaluate the evidence underpinning care


• Undertake self evaluation

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

• Demonstrate an ability to think both logically and laterally in the development and application of theory to nursing practice and problem solving


• Use appropriate analytical skills in evaluating the information obtained from service users to identify their specific needs and problems

Improving learning and performance

The ethos underpinning this course is one of personalised learning. Personalised learner development is a key feature of the Universitys distinctive curriculum, the purpose of which is to develop the identity of you as a learner, your self-awareness and your preparedness for future opportunities.

In order to meet the ethos of personalised learning the course teams strategy for engaging you in your own learning and development and for making you more aware of how you learn, is as follows:

• You will be given formative and summative feedback on your continuing development and will be encouraged to reflect on your progress. This will engage you in the process of using assessment feedback


• You will be actively involved in the assessment process in relation to your academic and practice assessments


• You will be given responsibility for your own development. This process will be supported by a personal tutor and will be reflected in your Portfolio of Learning


• The personal tutor will play a key role in facilitating you identifying your learning needs and refer you to support as necessary


• Study skills will be developed throughout the course


• Screening of your numeracy and literacy will take place during the first term to enable you to identify your strengths and weaknesses

Progress files

You are required to develop and keep a Portfolio of Learning, Demonstrating an Ongoing Record of Achievement as part of your course. This Portfolio details your growth and achievements throughout the course. You will be required to give practice mentors access to this portfolio and it will form an integral part of the final sign off decision in practice.

Professional standards

Professional attitudes are important to enable engagement in the world beyond the University. It is expected therefore that you will adopt behaviours and attitudes that reflect a sense of professionalism in how you approach different learning opportunities and situations. In return the course team will respond positively towards this. You and the course team are therefore expected to do the following:

You

Course team

• Be punctual for session and tutorials


• Respect the learning environment and others in the group


• Inform the course lead or personal tutor if you are unable to attend a class or tutorial meeting


• Take the lead in your learning and development


• Follow University policies and procedures especially in relation to the writing and submission of assessments


• Inform the student in advance if you need to cancel a session or tutorial


• Respond to email within 5 working days unless on leave


• Ensure assessment results are published on the expected date


• Promote a learning environment that facilitates mutual respect

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

You will be introduced to the concept of professional standards in your induction programme and will have the above outlined to you. Adherence to these standards will be monitored by the course lead who will liaise with the unit leads. If there are any issues that need to be addressed the personal tutor will be informed and will document this in your progress file and contact you to discuss the issues further. You will be offered support to address the issues. However any persistent non-adherence to these professional standards may result in you being discontinued from the course.