Course summary

If you want to build your career in health visiting or school nursing, this PG Dip Specialist Practitioner Qualification gives you the in-depth grounding you need. Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the course covers all the areas you need to qualify, and make a difference, in one of these fields, supporting children and their development and helping to give them the best start in life. Why study this subject? As a school nurse, you will play a vital role working with children and young people, and act as an important link between home, school and the community with the ultimate goal of improving wellbeing. On the other hand, as a health visitor, you would be working with children from birth to five years old and their families, providing much-needed support to families, assessing their health needs and monitoring growth and development. This course is for qualified nurses with a degree. You will be sponsored by a health organisation or trust and achieve a postgraduate diploma, while gaining advanced skills and knowledge in an area of public health nursing you want to specialise in. Why study at Buckinghamshire New University? You will benefit from an excellent standard of teaching provided by staff from the University and practice, in partnership with our NHS Trust partners. As well as this you will be taught by lecturers who have a wide expertise in the field. Our lecturers also maintain close links with practice, ensuring that the programme is up-to-date with modern practice. Highly regarded by students and practice partners for our teaching in this area, BNU has a strong reputation for its health visitor and school nurse training. What will I study? Studying at postgraduate diploma level will hone your critical thinking and leadership capabilities, so that you become highly skilled at caring for children in the community, and leading large teams of nurses in one of these much-needed areas of practice. Learning about key aspects of contemporary community nursing, you will study topics such as protecting children and the vulnerable, and supporting developmental needs through their lifespan, to effective caseload management. You will also learn to take a more strategic view of community healthcare provision, drawing on the latest research, ideas and policy. How will I be taught and assessed? This course covers all the areas needed to meet the NMC professional requirements for specialist community public health nurses, with a focus on either health visiting or school nursing. By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• understand the complexities of working in a community setting

• better appreciate strategic influences on policy

• take a critical approach to identifying the health needs of individuals, groups and populations in the community

• consider aspects of safeguarding children, young people and their families; as you may be working with at risk or deprived groups, it is important you recognise when a child is at risk of harm and what action to take

• develop leadership, innovation and management skills to be able to contribute to successful health outcomes for children

• show you have the necessary skills for working in the community, so you can qualify for the third part of the NMC register.