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District Nursing at Oxford Brookes University - UCAS

Course options

2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Our District Nursing PGDip is community nurses who want to prepare for (or consolidate) a leadership role. The course prepares you for the changing face of community nursing. You will:

  • strengthen your leadership attributes
  • become a skilful specialist practitioner
  • learn how to lead and bring about change in your practice environments.
A large amount of your time will be spent in the practice environment. You will have a practice teacher who will support the development of your professional practice. Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas. They maintain excellent practice links with those areas locally and across the region. We also have well-established links with national and international colleagues, organisations and institutions. This ensures that the curriculum reflects current practice issues. You will gain a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) community specialist practitioner (CSP) award.

Modules

Compulsory modules Foundations of Community Specialist Practice 1 (DN Leadership in Health and Social Care Advanced History Taking and Assessment Foundations of Community Specialist Practice 2 (DN) Non-Medical Prescribing (V300) Foundations of Community Specialist Practice 3 (DN) Optional modules Work-Based Learning Diagnostic reasoning in practice Care of the Older Person With Frailty Advance Health promotion Care of the Deteriorating or Acutely Unwell Adult Advanced Symptom Management Advanced Research Design This module equips students with the skills to find, appraise and utilise research, as well as plan and design a piece of research work. It helps students define a suitable research question and use this as a basis for identifying appropriate research methodologies for a small scale research project or dissertation. Students will gain the skills needed to plan and outline a rationale for a piece of primary research, secondary analysis, literature review or audit. This module focuses on research as a part of a body of evidence used for health and social care practice, and provides an overview of methodologies and methods commonly used in health and social care policies and working environments. Placement There will be an expectation that the course will consist of 45 weeks of structured learning in the 52 week programme (or 90 weeks - 104 weeks part time). This will comprise of 50% theory and 50% practice based experience. The student will be able to chose 5 days alternative practice placement experience in an alternative Health Visiting or School Nurse setting. In addition, the student will gain 10 days in alternative practice settings (public health days) which will be aligned to the public health nurse role in building a wider picture of community practice.

Assessment method

You will be assessed through a variety of methods: written assignments practice portfolio examinations. Your practice knowledge and skills will also be assessed. This allows you to demonstrate your ability to develop and critically reflect on practice in line with current professional standards. Your community practice teacher will assess your competence in practice.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Nursing and Midwifery Council

How to apply

International applicants

A requirement of the application is that you are UK registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and a working UK visa that would permit your employment in the NHS as a Nurse. Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.

Entry requirements

Access to the DN course is open to practitioners who meet the following criteria. This course is at level 7 (Master’s Degree) therefore evidence is required of recent study at level 6 (degree level). You must: be registered on Part One (Adult/ RN1/ RNA) of the NMC register as an Adult Nurse and active UK Nurse be able to demonstrate evidence of recent study at level 6 on entry have secured a student place within an NHS Trust which will ensure the following: access to a community practice teacher and placement area a source of NHS funding (employment) to enable payment of the course fees. Self funding for this course is not an option Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Funding is secured via application to an NHS Trust for a student post for the 52 week course (Student School Nurse or Student Health Visitor); this will involve an application to NHS jobs for the student vacancy followed by a joint interview with a community NHS Trust and the University. A values based recruitment strategy is used for all aspects of selection. please ensure that you are familiar with NHS Constitution values for professionals. You should not apply for this course at Oxford Brookes until funding has been secured with an NHS Trust and you have a conditional offer in writing from an NHS Trust to commence the course. For more information please contact the Programme Administrator. For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.
District Nursing at Oxford Brookes University - UCAS