PgDip Children's Nursing

Some compulsory skills sessions may take place in the evening.

You will be taught separately from the three-year undergraduate students and will study the following:

Year 1

• Assessing needs, planning and providing 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 engage 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.
• Applied physiology for children and young people
  This module fosters the knowledge development of human embryology, anatomy and physiology based on prior knowledge and experience. There is a specific emphasis on application to child health and children’s nursing.
• 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).
• Pharmacology & medicines management in Children’s Nursing
  This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of pharmacology and medicines optimisation to ensure students are prescriber ready upon NMC registration. This module focuses on the nursing of children and young people, with an emphasis on the theoretical prescribing and practical application of administration. It will explore and discuss the general principles of pharmacodynamics and the complexities of pharmacokinetics. Commonly used medications will be explored in the context of a variety of care settings. This module will consider the role of the nurse in relation to the safe administration of medication in clinical practice, including competency with drug calculations.

Year 2

• Enhancing and evaluating care in Children's Nursing
  The module develops students’ ability 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.
• Research in health and social care
  The purpose of this module is to consolidate and extend students' knowledge of research approaches and methods and enhance their ability to be critical users of research evidence. The module examines philosophical and theoretical perspectives underpinning health and social care research approaches including exploration of research design and key aspects of data gathering and interpretation of both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The module will develop practical skills for identifying, critical reviewing and synthesising research evidence relevant to professional practice.
• Acute and complex care in Children’s Nursing
  This module has been designed to integrate the application of theoretical and clinical knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to underpin managing the acute and complex care of the 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 complex care of the child and young person. The module aims to examine the assessment, observation, close monitoring and intervention required to manage the complex care of the child and young person.
• 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.
• Dissertation (MSc only)
  This module provides the student with the opportunity to undertake original enquiry in a chosen area of professional practice, either through a systematic review of the literature or a research/work-based project such as service evaluation or audit. Students will be able to consolidate and extend their knowledge and understanding of research and evaluation design and associated methods of enquiry during six taught sessions. They will subsequently be supported by a named supervisor to develop the practical skills necessary to plan and carry out their chosen project.

Children's nursing as a career

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

With experience, there are multiple opportunities for specialisation as your career progresses – such as: counselling, intensive care, cancer care, child protection, ambulatory care, orthopaedics and asthma.

Working hours and salary

Hours can be demanding for paediatric nurses. 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)

Career progression

All graduates are offered the opportunity to apply for employment with the NHS Trusts and hospitals where they gained experience during training when posts are available. The course has an excellent record in graduate employment, including working overseas, and covering a range of qualified nurse positions.

Successful graduates of the PgDip can top-up to an MSc in one year and will be qualified to study a range of further specialist postgraduate pathways. With additional experience, advanced practice is available at masters level with the potential to progress to doctorate studies. Find out more about professional development opportunities through our online CPPD prospectus.

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 4 times a year and after every placement throughout your course. You can contact your tutor for additional support by email or phone.

Applicants will be considered on an individual basis but will normally require:

• A Bachelor degree with a minimum 2:2 classification. Candidates without a health or science related degree are required to complete a Life Sciences work book package to satisfy the Life Sciences element of the APL portfolio.
• Please make sure you have the required GCSE qualifications (or equivalent Level 2 qualifications) before applying for this course.
• Maths and English GCSEs/equivalent (at C or above) to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) selection criterion.

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

Funding for pre-registration postgraduate programmes

Since August 2018 new postgraduate pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students have been able to access loans from the Student Loans Company. Accessing loans provides at least 25% more up-front living cost support whilst you study. You will also have access to the Learning Support Fund, which is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority, for support while attending clinical placements.

Background to these changes can be found on Gov.uk.

Council of Deans have prepared a briefing paper and Student Finance have outlined who qualifies. The Funding Clinic provides further information on what support is available.

NHS Bursary will produce guidelines and information once the information has received parliamentary approval.