Nursing (Adult) with Foundation Year

Choose a career where you can make a difference every day. We will equip you to deliver exceptional care as a confident, capable and compassionate adult nurse.

• A good application/performance will be taken into account if you do not meet the criteria/offer conditions
• Benefit from some of the best university facilities of their kind, including clinical skills suites and our state-of-the-art immersive suites
• Learn from a highly experienced and enthusiastic teaching team who provide full support to help you achieve your ambitions
• The Foundation Year course leads on to the full Adult Nursing degree. that is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council meaning when you graduate, you’ll be eligible to register and practise as a nurse, as long as you meet the NMC’s requirements.

If you already hold a degree and are looking to qualify as a nurse, find out more about our MSc Nursing (Adult).

Nursing is challenging, satisfying and life-changing. This highly respected course represents your first step into a profession it is a privilege to join.

Beginning with a foundation year

Studying BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) with a Foundation Year is for you if you have the ability to study for a degree, but don’t have the necessary formal qualifications to enter directly on to the honours degree programme. It provides you with a firm grounding in the skills and knowledge you need and introduces you to the subject area, enabling you to achieve your full honours degree in four years.

On completion of the Foundation Year you will then commence study on the full Adult Nursing degree.

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

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.

From day one you’ll be part of the University of Derby Nursing community and receive the same student experience, plus extra support to help you build your knowledge, skills and confidence.

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. Some hold external examiner posts with other universities and some carry out clinical supervision for professionals working in their area of expertise.

We are committed to supporting you at every stage of the course. We offer enhanced personal tutoring which mirrors the professional relationships you will go on to have in practice with service users and colleagues when you embark on your career.

Research is an integral part of our work and we make key contributions to the University’s Health and Social Care Research Centre. Current initiatives include studies into dementia and a major long-term research project exploring values, compassion and care in undergraduate nursing. There may even be opportunities for you to work alongside our researchers to gain an insight into the value of research.

The teaching team is supported by ‘experts by experience’ – leading practitioners who regularly share their knowledge in teaching sessions at the University, together with clinical staff from our placement providers.

How you’re assessed

There is 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. 

We offer full support to help you achieve your career goals, including guidance on applications, CVs and interview techniques. Health care organisations large and small attend our annual employer fairs as part of their recruitment drives. Some of our students are fortunate enough to have several job offers by the time they complete their course.

Our graduates from our BSc (hons) Adult Nursing course have gone into hospital-based roles on a variety of wards, intensive care units, coronary care units, theatres and A&E departments. Others have secured posts within community teams, private hospitals, nursing homes, health and social care settings, and the voluntary sector. Many take up roles in settings where they gained experience on placement.

As a registered nurse, you could also pursue career opportunities in the armed services, prisons, travel companies and charitable organisations, to name but a few. Some of our graduates have even gone on to work overseas.

Take your studies to the next level

We offer a full range of post-registration courses to help you gain more advanced and specialist skills to take the next step in your career.  You could, for instance, focus on areas such as district nursing, health visiting, school nursing or the management of long-term conditions.

You could also explore broader issues such as leadership for healthcare improvement or inter-professional practice. If you would like to conduct independent research into a specialist aspect of health and social care practice, there are opportunities to progress to doctorate level study too.

Many of our post-registration courses and modules can be incorporated into your workplace practice as part of a programme of continuing professional development. Find out more about our Health and Social Care short courses.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

Additional entry requirements

• Interview: Yes view interview details
• An Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service certificate cleared by the University is required for this course. We will contact you with information on how to complete this once you have applied
• An Occupational Health Assessment and Clearance by the University is required for this course. We will contact you with information on how to complete this when required

Further information about our fees 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.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Minimum numbers

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