BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing

On this course, you'll be taught and supported by leading academics and nurses. You’ll apply your learning in a variety of clinical and health care settings, including placements on general medical and surgical wards, critical care areas such as A&E departments or intensive care units in leading NHS Trusts and hospitals across London. You may also spend this time in community placements or services for the care of elderly people.

Overall, the course is 53% coursework.

Some compulsory skills sessions may take place in the evening.

Year 1

• Biosciences for nurses
  This module provides you with an 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 you with the necessary knowledge to inform your nursing practice and progression throughout the programme. This knowledge will enable you to go on to develop an understanding of pathophysiological processes and the fundamentals of pharmacology. You will be supported in your learning with extensive use of teaching strategies such as key-lectures, workbooks and e-learning.
• Assessing needs and planning care in Adult Nursing
  This module will introduce you to the values, frameworks and skills that underpin adult 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 you to carry out fundamental nursing skills across the four fields of nursing, utilising a combination of teaching methods including simulated practice.
• Professional skills for adult nursing 
  In this module you’ll be equipped with the essential and professional skills and knowledge that underpins contemporary nursing practice across the adult life span. Introducing key issues in providing safe and high quality care to older people including the assessment of delirium, dementia, and risk of falling, continence and key basic interventions to manage these conditions in older people. Using safe, simulated environments, supervised placement experiences, and independent learning opportunities, you’ll be enabled to develop and expand your knowledge, practical ability and professional attitudes in promoting high quality care. 
• Communication for nursing
  The focus of this module is on interprofessional working to promote patient safety. Students 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.
• Introducing evidence based practice in adult 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. You 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. You 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.
• Practice Placements Year 1
  You will have three clinical placements.  These are designed to introduce you to professional work and to develop essential care and basic assessment skills, as well as to learn about infection control and safeguarding vulnerable people. Two of these are in adult nursing and one in another field of nursing. In addition to this, you will have experience in a simulated nursing environment.

Year 2

• Providing care in Adult Nursing
  This module builds on students’ existing knowledge and skills and extends these for application to more complex scenarios in adult 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.
• Appraising evidence-based practice in adult nursing
  This module considers how research questions are generated from practice with application to adult 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 you with the core skills and understanding to appraise evidence and assess its appropriateness to be implemented into practice. 
• Applied physiology for Adult Nursing
  This module will extend and deepen students’ understanding of human physiology, which will then be applied to physiological changes that take place during disease processes. Knowledge of cell receptors and some receptor groups will be linked to physiological activity in different systems then linked to the effects of certain drugs and the changes they elicit within body systems.
• 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.
• Practice Placements Year 2
  Across year two there are three practice learning opportunities of varying lengths totalling 24 weeks and will include specialist settings, for example emergency care, intensive care, operating department, day surgery and a primary care setting and an acute care ward in a hospital setting. This will provide you with an opportunity to develop a range of skills across a range of areas. 

Year 3

• Implementing evidence-based practice in adult nursing
  A key aspect of evidence-based practice is the implementation of available research into practice. To equip you with the core skills and understanding to be able to implement appropriate evidence and utilise and evaluate in practice. 
• Enhancing and evaluating care in Adult Nursing
  The module develops students’ abilities to utilise clinical reasoning to respond to and manage unfamiliar and complex scenarios in adult 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 Adult Nursing
  This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of pharmacology and medicines management with an emphasis on clinical application. It will explore and discuss the principles of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics alongside the pharmacology of groups of drugs commonly used in clinical practice. It will consider and critically evaluate the role and responsibilities of the nurse in relation to the safe administration of medication and the principles of non-medical prescribing in clinical practice.
• Complex and critical care of adults
  The module focuses on addressing the care needs of an adult patient who has complex care needs in line with the NMC (2018) adult field proficiencies. It will enable students to recognise, respond to and act upon their clinical findings of a patient who is deteriorating. Using a period of reflection both in and on action, students will be supported to consolidate their knowledge and skills in a range of clinical proficiencies to enable them to become a registered nurse. This will be achieved by using an enquiry based learning (EBL) approach. Facilitation will include lectures, simulation and eLearning activities.
• Transition 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.
• Practice Experience Year 3
  You will have three clinical placements in adult nursing, the final placement being twelve weeks when you will have the opportunity to consolidate your skills and prepare for being a qualified nurse.

On successful completion of the course you'll gain your BSc (hons) Adult Nursing, which means you can register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). You can then work as a registered nurse (adult) in medical and surgical wards or in specialist units such as A&E or intensive care. As your career progresses, you could become a district nurse, occupational health nurse, sexual health nurse or specialist nurse.

An adult nurse typically starts on a salary of £21,000, which can increase to £30,764-£98,453 in senior posts. (Take a look at our Prospects section for more detail).

As a graduate from this course, you can apply for further study at postgraduate level. Browse our online CPPD prospectus to find out what courses are on offer to help with your professional development.

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 following every placement for 30-40 minutes throughout your course. You can contact your tutor for additional support by email.

• 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.

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.

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.

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 136 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.