Health Faculty Publications PG Study and Research 2016 | Page 35

Specialist Community Nursing:
District Nursing Pathway
LEVEL: BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Nursing /PgDip/MSc Specialist Community Nursing
Would you like to train as a District Nurse? Keele University School of Nursing and Midwifery has
developed an NMC approved, full-time one-year Specialist Community Nursing programme: District
Nursing. This course has been designed to produce specialist community nursing practitioners who are safe,
competent, and professional to lead district nursing in a community nursing setting, meeting Nursing and
Midwifery council (NMC) standards for Specialist Community Nursing, Education and Practice. Specialist
community nurses provide up-to-date, specialist and highly technical care to patients in their own environments as
well as supporting families and carers. The district nurse of today needs to be highly skilled and educated to manage
the changing demographics of communities and populations they serve, and to lead teams of both qualified and support
staff in an NHS increasingly being delivered by the community. Recent government policy outlines a call to action, and model
for district nursing services, and this award, providing a qualification in Specialist Community Nursing (District Nursing
Pathway), is timely to support this, leading to a recordable specialist qualification with the NMC. Students develop their leadership
skills on the programme, to plan and lead services and initiatives which promote health, support long term conditions and provide
specialist nursing care, including community practitioner prescribing as applicable to their role. Students studying at postgraduate level
have an opportunity to undertake a dissertation after the course to convert their Postgraduate Diploma to a Master’s degree.

Specialist Community Public Health Nursing:
School Nursing Pathway
LEVEL: BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing/PgDip/MSc Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
The School Nursing pathway reflects the current standards and initiatives for school nursing, developing public health awareness and the understanding of key
health challenges using a social model of health and well-being. The course has a particular in-depth focus on the physical, social and emotional aspects of
school-age health and well-being, recognising how these contribute to social capital and life chances. The programme will support students in applying their skills of
critical reflection to enhance their professional, personal and academic development. It will encourage the development of sound school nursing practice based on the
critical application of research and evidence, and will introduce students to theories and practice of leadership and partnership-working. Students' clinical placement
experience will enable them to gain expertise in the full range of School Nursing skills, through observation and practice supervised by a practice teacher. Through
undertaking the award, you will be prepared to work with communities, families and individuals to improve health and reduce health inequalities, to optimise life chances, in
partnership with people and organisations, in support of the government health and social agenda. On successful completion of this course you are able to register with the NMC
on the third part of the register as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse. This course has been designed to produce specialist community public health practitioners who are
safe, competent, and deliver professional practice in a community public health setting, meeting Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards for Specialist Community Public
Health Nursing. The programme will support you in applying the skills of critical reflection to enhance your professional, personal and academic development. It will encourage the
development of a sound school nursing practice, based on the critical application of research and evidence and will introduce you to theories and practice of leadership and
partnership-working. You will engage within clinical placements and gain expertise in the full range of school nursing skills, through observation and practice supervised by a practice
teacher. You will achieve the recordable qualification through the Postgraduate diploma; however, there is the opportunity to undertake a dissertation through a part-time route to convert this
Postgraduate Diploma to a Master’s degree.

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