Course overview
This course is approved against the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualifications (2022) and mapped to The Queen's Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) (2022) Health and Justice Nursing for Specialist Practitioner Qualification. This provides a strong framework rooted in health and justice nursing for the apprentice to develop their learning, providing relevant context to the professional standards.
Designed in consultation with local employers, professional standard bodies, students, service users, carers, and experts from across the UK, this course prepares the apprentice for the dynamic and motivating world of health and justice nursing, so they are in a strong position to apply for a position as a team leader in this setting.
The course enables the apprentice to have an NMC annotation against their name on the register, recognising their advanced specialist knowledge and skills in health and justice nursing.
The apprentice is taught by tutors with expert knowledge in the field, including clinical skills, leadership, prescribing and district nursing. Learning is structured around four areas: clinical practice, leadership and management, facilitation of learning and evidence, and research and development. This reflects the field-specific standards set by The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) – this course has been endorsed by the QICN against these standards.
The apprentice must study this course while employed full-time as an apprentice health and justice nurse.
Please note, we can only respond to enquiries from employers, or individuals with agreement from their employer to undertake an apprenticeship.
Supporting information for applicants
Course details
Course structure
Core modules
Advancing Health and Justice Nursing 1
You learn key aspects of district nursing, including building a community profile, safeguarding, risk, teaching and learning, promoting independence, the experience of service users and carers, and understanding associated research.
Advancing Health and Justice Nursing 2
You incorporate the professional standards of proficiency for community nursing specialist practice qualifications management and leadership skills, developing service improvements, patient safety and understanding research methodology for project design.
Advancing Non-medical Prescribing
Independent and supplementary prescribing is an integrated feature of health service delivery – some health-specific professionals are qualified to prescribe across a range of healthcare settings. Advancing roles within both nursing and allied health professions have provided a greater access to medicines. This award provides nurses and allied health professionals (physiotherapists, radiographers, podiatrists, dietitians and paramedics who are working in advanced practice roles) with the knowledge and skills to prescribe safely and effectively. You must work within your own scope of practice and area of competence, and be in a position to complete the care cycle in a holistic manner for clients within your care. You must meet the individual entry criteria for this course.
Advancing Physical Assessment Skills for the Specialist Practitioner
You explore clinical assessment and management, focusing on the assessment of the individual. You develop knowledge of anatomy, pathology and physiology applied to the diagnostic process. Theory is combined with practice learning, supported by a supervisor, providing you with the key skills for safe and effective decision-making that considers individual client needs and the key people around them. You draw on current guidelines and policies to inform your clinical assessment and management plans.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
The apprentice commits to a comprehensive and individual approach to learning. Teaching includes group discussions, presentations, project work and clinical skills development in practical labs. Teaching is mostly in-person with some online learning.
The apprentice shares some learning with students on the district nursing apprenticeship course and students on other courses during the Advancing Non-Medical Prescribing module. The apprentice is encouraged to explore different perspectives and ideas and share experiences of problem-solving in practice. Employers and the clinical learning team are supported by our course team to assist the apprentice’s learning in the placement area through regular forums, websites, designated academic tutors and workplace quality coaches.
We value the experience and knowledge of service users and other professionals within the team involved in the programme, for example, through teaching activities and assessment. The practice assessor plays a significant role in ensuring the apprentice has access to great learning opportunities during placement. Their skills and experiences also provide an excellent role model.
How you are assessed
Assessment includes a modified objective structured long examination review, essays, verbal tasks, presentations, portfolios, exams and assessment of proficiencies in practice. All modules include the opportunity for formative feedback. Work is generally submitted online with online feedback. On successful completion of the course, the apprentice is awarded through an academic assessment board with a fully integrated End Point Assessment.
Entry requirements
The apprentice must:
- have an NMC-valid registration as a registered first-level nurse and at least one year’s experience post-registration
- be successful at interview
- have a degree or RPL equivalent
- be professionally practising in a role where there is an identified need to prescribe
- be approved by the employing trust or organisation’s non-medical prescribing lead and service manager who must verify the apprentice’s suitability to prescribe
- have an NMP practice assessor or designated prescribing practitioner to provide supervision, support and opportunities to develop competence in practice
- pass a 20-question drug calculations entry test with a mark of 80% or above
- successfully complete a clinical skills module or provide written evidence of assessment within practice (successful completion of the clinical skills module within the course enables the applicant to meet this criteria).
- appropriate learning opportunities
- supervision and assessment from the practice learning team, specifically a practice assessor
- a completed work-based risk assessment
- a satisfactory DBS.
We cannot accept applications from international students requiring a student visa.
Employability
Career opportunities
This course leads to a diverse range of career opportunities, combining clinical and leadership skills and professional proficiencies tailored to the specific field of health and justice nursing.