PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting and School Nursing)

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Course details

Year of entry

2025

Duration

1 YR (FT)

Institution Code

G53

Location

Blended Learning

Course Highlights

Register

with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after successful completion of course. 

Study

is made up of theory and practice-based learning. 

Funded

by the Welsh Government. 

Why choose this course?

This programme of study is made up of theory and practice based learning, and is grounded in public health practice. This allows registered nurses and midwives to enhance their professional skills to a specialist level in one of the two routes offered.

Successful completion of the course enables you to register on Part III of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register ad practice as a specialist community public health nurse. The course also includes the Community Nurse Prescribing (V100) programme (integrated in the Specialist Practice modules), which you will be able to record with the NMC.

This 52 week full-time programme comprises 22.5 weeks of theoretical study and 22.5 weeks of learning in a practice setting, under the supervision of a practice teacher and specialist mentor. The full-time route comprises of two days of attendance at Wrexham University, two days in practice and one study day per week during term time. 

 

The course is funded by the Welsh Government, and entry onto the programme is through joint application and interview by the sponsoring NHS Trust and Wrexham University.

Key course features

  • Successful completion of the programme enables you to register on Part III of the NMC register and practice as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse.
  • The degree prepares you for practice through learning and assessment in the practice context.
  • The modular route allows part-time students to complete modules with full-time students as and when they can join the programme.
  • Students who follow the postgraduate routes may have the opportunity to return to complete a masters degree on a part-time basis if they leave with a postgraduate certificate. Also, if they complete a dissertation on a part-time basis they will also achieve the masters degree. This will develop your skills of evaluation, originality in thinking and research, so if you decide to study through to masters level you would also be able to go on to undertake doctoral level study.
  • The course is offered via a full-time and part-time basis.  There is an option to undertake standalone modules up to 40 credits which can later RPEL into the course on successful application.  
  • Please note that this course is only offered at Level 7.

What you will study

 MODULES

  • Fundamentals of Community Nursing (SCPHN): This module will introduce you to the context of specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN) when working with people in their own homes and within the wider community.   The module will enable you to explore and apply relevant, legal, regulatory governance and policies to practice, considering both global and UK policy and devolved Welsh legislature and policy. 
  • The Enquiring Mind: This module aims to build your academic and professional skills in independent, critical thinking at postgraduate level. You will refresh and advance your graduate ability to systematically search for and critically appraise research evidence.  
  • Advancing Population Health: The module aims to enable you to profile and critically evaluate an aspect of public health service delivery in order to promote the improvement of an aspect of delivery within the field of SCPHN practice. The module aims to facilitateyou to work independently in planning and designing an innovation, encouraging you to be entrepreneurial and influence local policy development aligned to a defined public health priority. 
  • Improving Health Outcomes HV or SN: This module aims to support you todevelop an in-depth understanding of the factors influencing human growth and development, including the application of genomics.It will build your ability to work in partnership with families, carers and other professionals, using and evaluating approaches to public health, health promotion, prevention and early intervention in health visiting OR school nursing (Route dependent).
  • Compassionate Leadership in SCPHN: This module aims to continue the theme of compassionate and inclusive leadership practice.  Develop leadership skills fostering a positive team culture through education, appraisal systems and peer support.  
  • SCPHN Practice Assessment Document (HV or SN Route specific): This module aims to support the practice learning and assessment of the specialist community public health nurse in school nursing or health visiting (route dependent). 

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal academic framework review, so may be subject to change.

Entry requirements & applying

  • Applicants must hold an honours degree at 2:2 or above in nursing, midwifery or related subject awarded by an approved degree awarding body with evidence of successful level 6 or level 7 study, in a relevant subject area in the previous 5 years.
  • Candidates who completed their 2:2 honours degree or above over 5 years ago should demonstrate in application how they have maintained ongoing continuing professional development at graduate level.
  • Candidates with a third-class or pass degree are required to complete and pass an appropriate module at level 6 or 7* as a condition of offer prior to entry onto the course.
  • Before you are offered a place on this course, you will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance (previously known as CRB), so that a check can be made on your suitability for working with children and vulnerable adults.

If you wish to apply, please contact Admissions to request the application forms by emailing postregadmissions@wrexham.ac.uk

 

Teaching & Assessment

Assessment is via written assignments, reflections, presentations, poster presentation, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and Practice Assessment Document (PAD). 

Teaching & Learning

Wrexham University is committed to supporting our students to maximise their academic potential. We offer workshops and support sessions in areas such as academic writing, effective note-making and preparing for assignments. Students can book appointments with academic skills tutors dedicated to helping deal with the practicalities of university work. Our student support section has more information on the help available.

Career prospects

Our dedicated Careers and Employability team is committed to helping you achieve your professional goals. They provide personalised advice, useful resources, and extracurricular employability events to prepare you for the job market.

Graduates of this course can pursue careers in:

  • Health Visitor - Health Visiting is a diverse, satisfying and challenging role that involves bonding with families over time. It suits nurses and midwives with an interest in health promotion, public health and working in the community. Health Visitors are best placed to help families and young children. In fact, a growing body of evidence underlines the importance of the role in the first few years of a person's life, and in recognition of these facts the Welsh Government have currently increased the recruitment numbers for Health Visitor training. The English Government have also increased recruitment of health visitors, and therefore employment prospects with the NHS are very positive.
  • School Nurse - School nurses provide a variety of services, such as health and sex education within schools, carrying out developmental screening, undertaking health interviews and administering immunisation programmes. School nurses can be employed by the local health authority, community NHS providers or by a school directly.

It may also be beneficial for individuals looking to pursue public health nursing as either a health visitor or school nurse, to try and spend some time shadowing a current health visitor or school nurse in order to find out more about what the role entails.

 

SCPHN nurses have been known to go onto such roles as:

  • Practice Supervisors for SCPHN students
  • Practice Assessors for SCPHN students
  • Management within SCPHN 
  • Children looked after specialist nurse
  • Safeguarding specialist nurse
  • Academic Educational positions for SCPHN

 

Fees & funding

You do not have to pay your tuition fees upfront.

The fees you pay and the support available will depend on a number of different factors. Full information can be found on our fees & finance pages. You will also find information about what your fees include in the fee FAQs.

All fees are subject to any changes in government policy, view our postgraduate fees.

Programme specification

You can see the full programme specification here.