Health & Social Care

This is a Nursing and Midwifery Council approved course which leads to registration on Part 3 of the register as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting). A public health approach to healthcare provision requires particular knowledge and skills. This course is designed to educate nurses and midwives to become public health nurses so that they can contribute positively to the new public health agenda and gain employment as health visitors.

What you study

The course outcomes reflect the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Specialist Community Public Health Nursing and encapsulate the ten principles which underpin public health nursing. The course is a practice-centred course. It is delivered on a 50% taught theory and 50% practice basis over 52 programmed weeks for the one-year full-time route and 104 programmed weeks for the two-year part-time route. Practice-based learning is central to the course and you are allocated a practice teacher by your sponsoring organisation who facilitates your learning in practice and is responsible for the assessment of your competence in practice.

During the course you explore evidence appraisal. This facilitates understanding of the evidence which underpins and supports practice. You explore public health and practice facilitating development of your relevant knowledge in relation to the current public health agenda. Leadership in relation to health visiting practice is also addressed. The health needs, protection and surveillance of the child and family in a health visiting context are also investigated and community practitioner prescribing. Your practice experience enables you to link your theoretical knowledge base to practice. There is a ten-week period of supervised practice at the end of the course.

How you learn

Theory encompasses a range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, problem-based learning scenarios, peer review and presentations. Learning in practice placement is supported with the development of a practice portfolio, which includes self-assessment activities, learning contracts and reflective dialogue and discussion.

How you are assessed

Assessment strategies include examinations, case study analysis, reflective essays, written assignments' progress file and a dissertation. Practice is assessed via the progress file and the development of the practice project, through the mechanism of tripartite visits - where you, your practice teacher and your academic mentor meet to assess your progress and competence in practice.

Professional accreditation/placement

On successful completion of the course you’ll gain a professional qualification registrable on Part 3 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Register and annotated as a Community Practitioner Prescriber.

Career opportunities

Increased employment opportunities are available in the public health sector including public health nursing and health visiting.

Entry requirements

You're expected to

• have at least 120 credits at diploma level or above


• have a valid registration on Part 1 or 2 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) professional register (defined area of practice regulations apply)


• be sponsored by an employing organisation that guarantees your supernumerary status throughout the course (see standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nurses, pp19-20, NMC, 2004)


• have a nominated practice teacher* who contributes to your teaching and assessment process, providing you with the opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills you need for complex and professional practice and to lead as a specialist community public health nursing practitioner.

*In accordance with the NMC (2008) Standards to support learning and assessment in practice.

Supporting information for applicants

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