BSc (Hons) Children's Nursing

The course emphasises a vocational approach to teaching, and prepares you for a career in a range of rewarding children's nursing opportunities across primary care, specialist and intensive care children's units. It will develop your abilities as a student nurse to consider the wider aspects influencing children's health needs, preparing you for future leadership in an ever-changing health care system.

Experience is gained in several world-renowned central and outer London hospitals including:

• Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Barts Health NHS Trust
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Evelina London Children's Hospital
• Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
• Variety Children's Hospital at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
• Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
• Whittington Health NHS Trust

You will be allocated one of these hospitals as your host Trust during the course.

Methods of assessment for course overall: 53% coursework.

Some compulsory skills sessions may take place in the evening.

Year 1

• Assessing needs and planning care in Children's Nursing
  This module will introduce students to the values, frameworks and skills that underpin children’s nursing. The module focuses on different methods and frameworks for engaging in holistic assessment underpinned by evidence-based practice. The module is mapped against the NMC (2018) Standards and prepares students to carry out fundamental nursing skills across the four fields of nursing utilising a combination of teaching methods including simulated practice.
• Biosciences for nursing
  This module provides understanding of the structure and function of main body’s systems and how the human body maintains homeostasis. The content of this module has been selected and developed to equip student nurses with the necessary knowledge to inform their nursing practice and provide and for progression throughout the programme. This knowledge will enable students to go on to develop an understanding of pathophysiological processes and the fundamentals of pharmacology. Students are supported in their learning with extensive use of teaching strategies such as key-lectures, workbooks and e-learning.
• Introducing evidence-based practice for nursing
  This module introduces the nature of evidence in health and social care and the importance of evidence-based practice for patients and their families and their safety and quality of experience. Students will develop skills in accessing evidence, gain familiarity with the library, including the use of electronic databases and learn how to use the University’s referencing system for their material. Students will learn key terms relating to research and evidence-based practice and be introduced to an evidence-based practice model. The module also sets out the context for the conduct of health and social care research, including funding and ethical aspects.
• Communication for nursing
  The focus of this module is on interprofessional working to promote patient safety. Nurses need to learn how communication can influence practice as well as therapeutic relationships and how to assimilate theoretical knowledge into practice to improve patient safety. It will identify the need for a range of alternative communication techniques to effectively manage, maintain and promote safe care.

Year 2

• Providing care in Children's Nursing
  This module builds on students’ existing knowledge and skills and extends these for application to more complex scenarios in children’s nursing. The module focuses on the collaborative planning and delivery of holistic care. The module is mapped against the NMC (2018) standards and prepares students to think more critically about and carry out more complex nursing skills in their field, as well as developing skills shared across the four fields of nursing. The module uses a combination of teaching methods including simulated practice.
• Applied physiology for Children's Nursing
  This module further develops the anatomy physiology themes which were introduced in year one of the programme, with a specific emphasis on application to child health and children’s nursing, focusing on the following systems:
  - Respiratory System
  - Circulatory System
  - Endocrine System
  - Gastrointestinal System
  - Immune System
  - Neurological System
  - Integumentary System
• Appraising evidence for practice
  This module considers how research questions are generated from practice with application to nursing. The steps in conducting research and audit and the main research methods in health and social care are explained and associated ethical aspects are discussed. Methods of analysing and presenting different types of research data are introduced. The rationale for appraising research is considered and critical appraisal tools are reviewed. The module equips children’s nurses with the core skills and understanding to appraise evidence and assess its appropriateness to be implemented into practice. 
• Promoting health and preventing ill health
  This module introduces public health concepts and contemporary public health issues, the principles of which can then be applied at an individual and population level and within a local, national and global context. This module of study is aligned to the NMC Standard Platform 2, Promoting health and preventing ill health (NMC (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses).
• Safe and effective practice
  This module aims for students to reflect on their professional identity and to develop an understanding of multidisciplinary roles within teams. It will advance students’ knowledge in relation to interprofessional working and the skills needed to work in diverse teams such as teamwork, work environment, stress and fatigue and reflective practice. The focus of the module is on collaborative team practice from a service user perspective. It will link professional practice to theory through experimental learning.
• Mother and new-born
  This virtual learning module introduces the student to the nature of normal childbirth and neonatal care. It explores the concepts of antenatal care, childbirth and postnatal care and the role of the midwife in the delivery of woman centred care. Utilising a variety of on line resources, students will share knowledge gained with their peers on labour, infant feeding and maternal care. This module ensures compliance with European Union Directive 2005/36/EC.

Year 3

• Enhancing and evaluating care in Children's Nursing
  The module develops students’ abilities to utilise clinical reasoning to respond to and manage unfamiliar and complex scenarios in children’s nursing, to evaluate care that is provided and to develop the skills of other members of the team. The module is mapped against the NMC (2018) standards and prepares students to carry out fundamental nursing skills across the four fields of nursing utilising a combination of teaching methods including simulated practice.
• Pharmacology and prescribing ready for Children's Nursing
  This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of pharmacology and medicines optimisation in order to make students prescriber ready when they register with the Nursing Midwifery Council. This module focuses on the nursing care of children, young people and their families, with an emphasis on the theoretical process of medicine prescribing and practical application of medicine administration via all routes including intra-venous. It will explore and discuss the general principles of pharmacodynamics and the complexities of pharmacokinetics in relation to the child. Commonly used medications will be identified and explored in the context of a variety of care settings. This module will consider and evaluate the role and responsibilities of the nurse in relation to the safe administration of medication in clinical practice, including competency with drug calculations.
• Implementing best practice
  This module brings together all the learning from the two previous evidence-based practice modules undertaken in years one and two. It involves the implementation of available research into practice. The module equips the potential graduate nurse with the core skills and understanding to be able to implement appropriate evidence, utilise, and evaluate in practice. It helps the student to learn how to translate evidence into practice.
• Complex and critical care of children and young people
  This module has been designed to integrate the application of theoretical and clinical knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to underpin managing the caring of the complex, critically ill child and young person and their families. The module will build upon a student’s knowledge and help develop a clinical reasoning approach to the care of a complex, critically ill child or young person. The module aims to examine the assessment, observation, close monitoring and intervention required to manage critically ill child or young person.
• Transitioning to leadership
  This module will develop and build effective leadership skills in a complex and multidimensional health care setting. It will explore theoretical models of leadership, quality improvement and patient safety and provide an opportunity to explore how these concepts interrelate and impact on the delivery of care and prepare the students for their final clinical placement.

The role

Day-to-day duties for a children's nurse are varied; from administering drugs and injections, recording observations on vital signs, to explaining treatments and procedures to gain consent from parents/guardians.

With experience, there are multiple opportunities for specialisation as you progress, including neonatal care, intensive care, cancer care, child protection, ambulatory care, children's community nursing and emergency department. Long shifts, unsocial hours and possibly being called to work at the last minute are all common. A children's nurse starts on a salary around £24,000. However, with career progression and developed experience this can extend to well over £50,000 (Prospects).

After graduation

All graduates can apply for employment with the NHS Trusts/hospitals where they gained experience during training. We have an excellent record in graduate employment, including working overseas, and covering a range of qualified nurse positions.

Employability Service

We are University of the Year for Graduate Employment for the second year in a row - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018, 2019.

At LSBU, we want to set you up for a successful career. During your studies – and for two years after you graduate – you’ll have access to our Employability Service, which includes:

• An online board where you can see a wide range of placements: part-time, full-time or voluntary. You can also drop in to see our Job Shop advisers, who are always available to help you take the next step in your search.
• Our Careers Gym offering group workshops on CVs, interview techniques and finding work experience, as well as regular presentations from employers across a range of sectors.

Our Student Enterprise team can also help you start your own business and develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.

Personal tutoring

As a Health and Social Care student, you will be allocated a named tutor during your first three weeks at LSBU.  The role of your tutor is to be your primary contact for academic and professional development support.

Your tutor will support you to get the most of your time at LSBU, providing advice and signposting to other sources of support in the University. They should be the first person at the university that you speak to if you are having any difficulties that are affecting your work. These could be academic, financial, health-related or another type of problem.

You will have appointments with your personal tutor at least 3 times a year and after every placement throughout your course. You can contact your tutor for additional support by email or phone.

• A Level BBC/A*A* and 5 GCSEs including Maths and English at grade 4 or above (previously A*-C) or equivalent; or;
• BTEC Extended Diploma DMM and 5 GCSEs including Maths and English at grade 4 or above (previously A*-C) or equivalent; or;
• Access to HE Diploma in Nursing or similar with 15 Distinctions and 30 Merits at Level 3 and 15 Credits at Level 2; and GCSEs Maths and English grade 4 or above (previously A*-C) or equivalent; or;
• Equivalent level 3 qualifications worth 112 UCAS points; and 5 GCSEs including Maths and English at grade 4 or above (previously A*-C) or equivalent.

English language

If your first language is not English you must have the following minimum International English Language Test Score (IELTS) results at the time of applying:

• 7.0 overall or equivalent
• 7.0 in the listening and reading sections
• 7.0 in the writing and speaking sections.

Foundation Year

Been out of study for a long time? Or maybe you haven’t met the entry requirements of your chosen degree? Our entry year acts as a bridge to degree-level studies.

The international fee for this course shows as "£0" because this course is not open to international students.

For more information, including how and when to pay, see our fees and funding section for undergraduate students.

Please check your fee status and whether you are considered a Home, EU or International student for fee-paying purposes and for our regulatory returns, by reading the UKCISA regulations.

See our Tuition Fees Regulations (PDF File 160 KB) and Refund Policy (PDF File 102 KB).

Possible fee changes

The University reserves the right to increase its fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions.

The fees for international students are reviewed annually and the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fees in line with the RPIX measure of inflation up to 4 per cent.

Scholarships

We offer several types of fee reduction through our scholarships and bursaries. Find the full list and other useful information on our scholarships page.