MSc Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing)

Course overview:

This programme is for registered nurses or midwives who wish to gain registration on Part 3 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register as a specialist community public health nurse (school nurse) and be recorded as a community prescriber. It offers you the opportunity to gain registration as a school nurse, community prescriber and for academic development at master’s level.

You develop public health practice knowledge and skills in addressing health inequalities with individuals and communities along with public health leadership skills, to enable you to contribute to the new school nursing agenda.

Professional accreditation

Following successful completion of the required theoretical learning outcomes (120 credits at master’s level) and the specialist community public health nursing practice competencies (NMC 2004) you are eligible to register as a specialist community public health nurse (school nurse), and be recorded as a community prescriber on the NMC register. You continue your studies and complete a 60 credit master’s level dissertation module leading to an MSc Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing). This is undertaken as one year part-time or six months full time study after SCPHN (SN) registration with the NMC. It must be completed within five years of commencing the PgDip.

How you learn:

Teaching methods include lecturers, seminars, experiential learning, scenarios, problem based learning, case study work, simulations, action learning sets, and peer led seminars and discussions.

How you are assessed:

Assessments include examinations, a defended poster, essays, case study analysis, research proposal, simulations and a service evaluation project. Practice is assessed via the practice progress file through the mechanism of the tripartite meetings which include you, your practice teacher and your academic mentor.

Career opportunities:

The course prepares you to work as a school nurse and to take practice forward to meet the challenges of a dynamic school nursing profession.