Nursing (Adult)

• Our nursing programmes are approved against the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) new Future nurse: Standards of Proficiency for registered nurses
• Upon successful completion of the programme, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in your chosen field of practice.  
• Gain essential practical experience on a range of placements in different healthcare and community settings.
• Benefit from some of the best university facilities of their kind, including our clinical skills suite and our state-of-the-art immersive suite.
• Learn from a highly experienced, enthusiastic and research-active team who provide full support to help you achieve your ambitions.
• You could be eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund which, if you are eligible, could provide a grant for training, childcare costs and travelling to placements.
• This course prepares you for registration as an Adult nurse, enabling you to work with a range of client groups with acute, diverse and long-term conditions.

This programme is a holistic learning experience, enabling students to become emotionally resilient and transformational Registered Nurses of the future. This is a two-year, full-time programme and supports those with a prior degree (2:2 or above) to become a registered nurses at an accelerated pace. You will also need prior work experience in a service user context, allowing you to demonstrate the skills that underpin professional nursing registration. Your prior experiences will contribute to the learning opportunities within the course and together these will provide eligibility to apply for registration as a nurse with the NMC.

Students develop an in-depth and comprehensive understanding about their chosen field of practice and recognise the principles of nursing across all fields and across the lifespan. Modules provide the foundation for students to develop a compassionate professionalism whereby they are trusted in the care they provide. Learning will be facilitated through a range of classroom-based activities, skills laboratories and by electronic means such as online learning, web-based training and technology-delivered instruction.

A highly rewarding career choice

We have a strong track record in providing high-quality and innovative nurse education. We help you develop an in-depth understanding of the demands and rewards of the role so that you are fully prepared to work with adult patients who have diverse, acute and chronic conditions.

Expertise to inspire you

You'll be supported by enthusiastic and dedicated academic staff who are immersed in their areas of practice and committed to supporting you at every stage of your studies. All academic staff are current NMC registered professionals with some continuing to work in clinical practice alongside their teaching role.  The academic team includes renowned professionals whose work features regularly in leading journals and books and who help shape national policies.

This course is mapped against the NMC standards to ensure that your learning is up to date and relevant. In delivering the programme, we respond to national changes such as the latest government policies. As a result, some of the information about the course may change. 

Wide-ranging placement experience

A compulsory part of the course is practice learning which equates to 50% of the overall programme in line with the NMC standards (NMC, 2018). Students must complete a range of placements to meet the minimum hours requirement for practice learning and to support the application of theory to practice.

Practice learning is achieved through a variety of placement experiences to enable you to gain essential practical experience by participating in 24-hour care. Throughout, you'll benefit from the support of Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors who will help you get as much out of the experience as possible.

Students experience a wide variety of simulated learning activities throughout the programme to prepare for the real world of nursing. This also ensures students continually link theory to practice and feel supported for entering the clinical environment.

First class facilities

Our Derby campus offers outstanding facilities, including clinical skills suites built to professional standards, with replica wards, counselling rooms and treatment rooms fully equipped with the latest resources.

As health care is increasingly delivered by multi professional teams, we offer opportunities for you to learn with, and from, students from other disciplines. This is really important in preparing you to work in more flexible ways after graduation. By learning to work together, you can help achieve the best outcomes for patients and service users.

Students also participate in learning that is specific to their field but is also co-taught across the four fields of nursing. There is opportunity for students studying at different academic levels to learn with, and from each other. This provides opportunity to meet the NMC standards whilst replicating professional relationships that students encounter in clinical practice.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

So that you are fully prepared for your career, we ensure that your skills and knowledge match current working practices in health and social care. The practical abilities you develop on placement will be underpinned and extended by the knowledge you gain through lectures, tutorials, workshops and simulated practice activities.

We harness the latest technology in all aspects of the course. Modules are linked to the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), so that you have 24-hour access to relevant resources both on and off campus. We also capture ‘live’ lectures via Panopto which you can view at times that suit you via the VLE.

In addition, our students benefit from access to a range of online resources such as Clinical Skills Net, an online resource offering video tutorials in essential clinical skills. The anatomy and physiology content of the programme is supported in a similar way through Wiley PLUS.

Who you'll meet

You will be taught by qualified health professionals with extensive experience of nursing and leadership roles. They have proven, sustained track records in higher education teaching, with most holding Fellowships of the Higher Education Academy.

Our staff keep up to date with latest developments in the sector by undertaking continuing professional development as part of their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Programme Leader: Solomon Towuru.

How you are assessed

There are a diverse range of authentic assessments within the programme. Assessments are aligned to module learning outcomes and support students to build academic skill and professional development. Assessment feedback and feedforward mechanisms encourage dialogue, provide action plans, and utilise academic, student, and practice support staff where required. This ensures that students are fit for practice, purpose, award, and professional standing on completion of the award.

Each assessment within the programme has the following underpinning characteristics:

• Each assessment has value and distinct relevance to professional nursing practice.
• They support development and progression through the programme.
• Each assessment focuses on supporting students to meet the NMC standards for registration.
• They support the application of theory to practice.
• The assessment process is transparent, and students receive timely and constructive feedback to support their success.

Assessment of practice learning is recorded in the Practice Assessment Document (MYEPAD), which is designed to support and guide students towards successfully achieving the criteria set out in the Future nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses and Standards for Education and Training (NMC 2018). The MYEPAD is a regionally validated document developed collaboratively with other local universities. The University of Derby continues to work in partnership to support a consistent approach to student supervision and assessment.

On completion of the programme, students are eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in their field of practice. Students have five years to register their award with the Nursing and Midwifery Council following completion of the programme. A variety of careers and career pathways are open to Registered Nurses and may choose to work in hospitals, community services, primary care services, mental health services, children’s services, learning disability services, general practice, and private, voluntary, and independent services across the NHS or other health and care organisations.

Graduates of the programme may wish to return to academic study, further developing their skills and knowledge to undertake a range of specialist or advanced roles. There is a wide offer of post-registration provision within the College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care, and many students chose to return to the University of Derby for postgraduate study and for continuing professional development.

You will need:

Education

• Essential: Honours degree 2:2 or above
• Essential: GCSE Grade C or above (Grade 4-9) in Maths and English (or equivalent international qualification)
• Desirable: Experience of education or study within the last five years

Work Experience

• Essential: 800hrs of work experience in a service user context obtained in the last five years
• Desirable: Paid employment

In addition

• Applicants must complete an occupational health assessment and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as part of the selection process and any offer made will be subject to these. 
• Applicants must submit an Enhanced CV using the programme template to evidence how past experiences are relevant to a career in nursing and to evidence 800 hours of work experience.   
• Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate IELTS 6.5 overall with no less 6.0 in any element (or equivalent level in OET).  

Please note: The postgraduate programme admissions team will screen direct applications on the above criteria.  Application forms will then be sent to the Programme Leaders (or their nominated deputy) to review on an individual basis. 

Interview Information

Enhanced CV guidance

Applicants are required to submit supplementary evidence as an enhanced CV to demonstrate how their previous care experience and graduate studies have equipped them to undertake an accelerated programme. Applicants that meet the entry requirements will be provided with the Enhanced CV template from the Admissions team and once submitted will be reviewed by the academic team. This will be reviewed prior to any offer of interview. 

As a minimum the extended CV must include:  

• International applicants can demonstrate their English language from any of the accepted qualifications. Any testing with evidence of attainment needs to be completed prior to the submission of an initial application. If applicants are using a WAEC qualification as certified evidence this must be at a minimum of C6 for English and C6 for Maths. 
• Evidence of practice (minimum 800 hours).    
• Applicants must provide evidence of health and/or social care experiences within the last 5 years and include references verifying hours completed.   
• Evidence of theoretical learning (minimum 792 hours).   
• Original transcript of previous academic study, demonstrating 360 credits at level 6 study. 
• Evidence of achievement of standards for pre-registration nursing education commensurate with point of entry of the 2-year MSc Nursing programme (NMC 2018).   
• Mapping of experience and learning to the identified NMC Platforms.   

In preparing the claim, the applicant should demonstrate that the evidence provided is:  

• Valid, i.e., that it matches the learning outcomes against the claim is being made  
• Sufficient, i.e., the amount and level of evidence matches the outcomes against which the claim is being made  
• Authentic, i.e., it relates to the applicants own work and should be able to be verified   
• Current, i.e., within the last 5 years 

Please note: Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and will only be considered where evidence has been provided on completion of the enhanced CV. After application submission and providing all entry requirements and initial evidence is satisfactory, suitable candidates will then be required to attend an interview as part of the professional Recognition of Prior Learning requirements of this Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK) approved programme. Non-attendance will result in your application being withdrawn. 

Please contact the programme team to discuss if you have any queries about your education/work experience. 

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni Scholarship for Derby graduates

University of Derby graduates may be eligible for our Alumni Scholarship towards postgraduate study.

Learn more about the Alumni Scholarship Learn more about the Alumni Scholarship

By studying on this programme, you may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,250. The loan will support your studies and enable you to start a rewarding career in healthcare.

All new and continuing nursing and allied health students on pre-registration courses will also receive a grant of at least £5,000 per year that is not means-tested and will not have to be repaid. This is provided through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) and is not managed by the University. Please check with the LSF for residency requirements and eligibility criteria.

If you're eligible, you can get:

• A training grant of £5,000 per academic year
• Parental support of £2,000 if you have at least one dependent child under 15 years or under 17 years if registered with special educational needs
• Money back for excess travel and temporary accommodation costs while you're on your placement
• £1,000 if studying a shortage specialism

Among others, the shortage specialisms have been confirmed to include:

• Mental health nursing
• Learning disability nursing
• Diagnostic radiography

In addition to this non-repayable grant, you may also able to access a maintenance loan of up to £9,488 per year to support your studies, giving you access to over £17,000 per year of funding. Training grant payments will be paid in three instalments over the academic year. This is to provide you with a consistent flow of funding throughout the academic year as far as possible.

All NHS LSF applications must be submitted within six months of the start of the academic year and you will need confirmation of your Student Finance in order to complete your application. You need to set up an NHS Learning Support Fund online account to apply.

Additional costs and optional extras

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.