Course description
Depending on your choice of pathway, this course leads to either
• Postgraduate Diploma Nursing Studies – Adult Nursing (UCAS code 3010)
• Postgraduate Diploma Nursing Studies – Mental Health Nursing (UCAS code 3110)
This course is for people who have a degree. We encourage applications from all graduates although a health-related degree is ideal. We take in to account your skills and previous work experience. After you successfully complete this course, you can apply for registered nurse status.
Placements throughout the course are in your chosen area of nursing and your placements reflect your chosen pathway. During the first six months, you also gain insight in to other branches of nursing.
Practise-based learning is central to your development and typically, you spend 30 weeks of each year on placement. The length of each placement depends on your chosen pathway. Placements are in South Yorkshire, in some of the UK’s leading healthcare providers.
In your final year, you can choose two of your placement areas. One of these placements will give you experience of nursing led services. The other will give you management experience, which guides your transition from student to registered nurse.
On your placements, you will be assigned a qualified and experienced nurse as a mentor. They support you and make sure you are comfortable in your surroundings, so you make the most of the experience. Also you gain experience of mentoring a student.
We base our nursing courses in our modern, £13 million, purpose-built Robert Winston building. It has teaching rooms that reproduce the work environment of hospitals and other related settings. These complement our latest teaching and clinical equipment and technology.
After you graduate from this course, you will have the clinical nursing knowledge and the interpersonal and management skills, vital for effective patient care.
Associated careers
There are vacancies in hospitals throughout the UK and internationally. Many nurses remain directly involved with patient care in • hospitals • health centres • GP surgeries • the armed forces • prisons • the community. Others choose to take on teaching roles and educate future nurses.
Once experienced, you may decide to specialise in a clinical area and concentrate on teaching and research. This can lead to you becoming a nurse specialist or consultant and an expert in your chosen field. There is also the option of moving into more senior management roles, such as a ward manager or modern matron.
Course content
Year one modules
• essence of care • clinical placement • essence of care 1 • clinical placement 2
For the first six months all students study these area together. In the second half of the year your studies of these topics are more specialised, focused around your chosen pathway.
Year one placements – adult nursing
Your first placement is in a hospital setting on adult wards specialising in general medicine or general surgery. You also gain insight in to other branches of nursing during the first six months. Other year one placements are in areas including • general medicine • surgery • emergency care.
Year one placements – mental health nursing
Your first placement is in a hospital setting on adult wards specialising in acute adult mental healthcare. You also gain insight in to other branches of nursing during the first six months.
Other year one placements are in areas including • rehabilitation and recovery • caring for the older adult.
Year two modules
• essence of care 2 • clinical placement 2 • personal and professional development
Your studies of these topics are specialised according to your chosen pathway.
Year two placements – adult nursing
Areas include • continuing care • palliative care • community care • nurse led services • management option
Year two placements – mental health nursing
Areas include • specialist community health teams • management option
