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Registered Nurse (Degree Apprenticeship) (Blended Learning) Child BSc(Hons)

2024-25 (also available for 2025-26)

Start date

16 September 2024

Duration

3 years full-time

Places available (subject to change)

40

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. You'll learn clinical skills, engage in simulation-based learning, learning in partnership with your employer and the University.
  2. This blended learning course gives you the opportunity to study flexibly around life commitments, through using digital technologies.
  3. You’ll learn key clinical skills through simulated-based learning, on-campus sessions in the clinical skills labs, as well as undertaking placements in a range of healthcare settings, including in patient and community settings relevant to the care of children and young people. You’ll also borrow a clinical skills kit and become part of an online community.

This course has been designed for those who would like to become a nurse and are located within the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, Cheshire and Merseyside, North West, Cumbria or North Lincolnshire. If you are located outside these areas please visit Health Education England for information on your nearest course provider.

This blended learning apprenticeship course has been designed to provide a flexible way to study whilst being employed in child healthcare services. During this apprenticeship you’ll get the opportunity to develop the vital skills, values and confidence you need to care for children, young people and their families whatever their circumstances, including those with acute illness, long-term conditions or those who need help to maintain their health.

  • You’ll develop and practise your clinical skills in a safe environment in our fully-equipped simulated children’s ward using our patient simulators.
  • Clinical placements provide opportunities for you to put what you’ve learnt into practice in a variety of acute settings, for example children's wards, accident and emergency departments and neonatal intensive care.
  • Opportunities are available to work with specialist nurses in a range of community settings, for example GP surgeries, health centres, children's hospices, as well as mainstream and specialist schools.
  • You’ll have opportunity to loan a clinical skills kit at the start of your course, to familiarise yourself with some fundamental equipment you may use in practice.
  • You’ll have the opportunity to become part of an online community where you can showcase your work, work collaboratively with peers and establish relationships with tutors.

This course provides a flexible way to study using mainly digital technologies and also include practical and hands-on experience. You’ll attend the campus in Huddersfield for a maximum total of 20 days per year of the course. This provides the opportunity for you to practise skills in a safe and controlled environment, attend occupational health sessions and mandatory training. You’ll also undertake practice placements across the NHS and healthcare organisations in a setting close to home.

In line with the apprenticeship model, the course is designed to support a training in practice approach. Whilst undertaking the course you’ll remain employed by your host organisation. You’ll be a supernumerary student for the full duration of the course and as such will not work for your employer. Instead, your time will be split 50% in clinical practice and 50% in the University. The course is designed to be progressively demanding and once qualified you’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and work as a Registered Nurse for Children.

If you’re thinking of studying an apprenticeship course or are an employer looking for an apprenticeship for your employees, you’ll also find useful information on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.

Course detail

Core modules:

Becoming a Professional - Child Nursing (Blended Learning)

This module involves exploring your development as a professional, examining your personal and professional attitudes and beliefs, as well as relating these to your future professional role as a child nurse. You’ll gain an understanding about how you can develop as a learner and maintain your physical and mental health, so you are able to promote and support children and young people with their health. You’ll also learn how to manage the transition to university and explore ethical and professional codes underpinning child nursing.

Introduction to Child Nursing (Blended Learning)

This module provides the opportunity for you to develop the fundamental knowledge and skills required to care specifically for children, young people and their families, as well as people of all ages from conception to end of life, with a range of physical, mental health and cognitive care needs. You’ll learn about the principles of holistic assessment and management of well and sick people of all ages. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain an understanding of development through the lifespan by exploring the principles of anatomy and physiology, as well as be introduced to pharmacology and medicines administration.

Nursing Practice 1 (Blended Learning)

This module provides the opportunity for you to develop the fundamental skills of nursing practice including personal hygiene, infection control, undertaking observations and basic life support. You’ll complete a practice learning experience where you'll put the theory you have learnt into practice.

Nursing Practice 2 (Blended Learning)

This module provides you with an opportunity to further develop the fundamental skills of nursing practice including personal hygiene, infection control, undertaking observations and basic life support. You’ll complete a practice learning experience, where you’ll put the theory you’ve learnt into practice.

Understanding Knowledge and Evidence for Nursing (Blended Learning)

This module introduces you to the nature of knowledge and how it supports evidenced-based nursing practice. You’ll learn about how to search for and read evidence to identify its value and relevance to nursing practice. You’ll explore how to evaluate published research and will be introduced to the concept of ethics within healthcare research. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop and use a variety of transferable skills including literature searching, critical appraisal of evidence and application of evidence to your own and the nursing practice of others.

Entry requirements

This course has been designed for those who would like to become a nurse and are located within the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, Cheshire and Merseyside, North West, Cumbria or North Lincolnshire. If you are located outside these areas please visit Health Education England for information on your nearest course provider.

You must:

  • Be employed in healthcare and supported to undertake the apprenticeship course by your employer.
  • Have BBB at A Level. If you are studying a Science A Level, the endorsement for practical work is essential and a requirement for entry to our degree course, DDM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, Merit at T Level, NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma/Level 3 Extended Diploma at grade B or a Pass in Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits 15 at Distinction, 30 at Merit.
  • Have access to a computer with a reliable internet connection and the ability to access and use online study guidance and support as this course is delivered through distance learning.
  • Have completed 12 years of general education and have GCSE English Language or English Literature and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme, or Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English.
  • Meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018c) entry requirements in respect of literacy and numeracy, good character and good health.

Offers will be subject to an interview and references. Please note all the information provided in support of your application may be checked and must be verifiable as a true record.

You’ll need a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and occupational health clearances prior to registration on the course. We arrange these as part of the application process. You’ll be required to sign a self-declaration at the start of each year and at the end of the course. All police contact during the course must be reported to the course leader as a matter of urgency and may lead to suspension or termination.

You’ll also be required to complete an Initial Needs Assessment.

Prior to starting the apprenticeship, you’ll need to agree to the terms set in the evidence pack. This will include the commitment statement, which will be signed by you, your employer and the University of Huddersfield as the main education provider for the apprenticeship.

You may be eligible to gain accreditation for your prior learning towards this course. Please note that the course you are applying for is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which allows a maximum of 50% of credits for the award to be conferred through accreditation of prior learning.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

If you have alternative qualifications, including the nursing associate foundation degree, you may wish to contact us for advice before applying. Please note places are limited and attainment of the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an interview or offer. You must include details of any previous study. Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

Ofsted Outstanding courses


The University’s apprenticeship provision was awarded an outstanding rating by Ofsted in a recent inspection.

Huddersfield is only the second university to be awarded Ofsted’s outstanding rating for its apprenticeship provision in the last four years.

It is also the only university in the Yorkshire and Humber region and the north-west of England to have both an outstanding Ofsted rating for apprenticeships and to be a TEF Gold-rated university.

The University was awarded outstanding in all five categories:

  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Leadership and management
  • Apprenticeships

The apprenticeship provision was praised by Ofsted for the positive experiences of the apprentices, the research-informed knowledge of teaching staff, and for the strong relationships between the University’s leaders and employers.

Placements


Nothing can really replicate working in the real-world, which is why practice placements are essential and a compulsory part of the course. The Nursing and Midwifery Council require you to complete the minimum of 2300 hours across the course in order to obtain registration.

You'll have the opportunity to complete your practice learning experiences in a range of healthcare environments close to home including NHS Trusts, charities, hospices, schools and community settings. You'll be supported throughout your practical experiences by a qualified professional who will provide you with any required help and advice. In order to provide you with the broadest professional experience possible, practice experiences generally cover 24 hour care including evening, weekend and nights.

Whilst on placement you'll be supported by trained supervisors and assessors, as well as by members of the academic team who will meet with you and your practice support team every 12 weeks.

Please note that you'll be required to travel to and during your placements.

Your career


Possible career opportunities include working in local and national hospitals, the community and children’s hospices. Child nurses also work in neonatal and paediatric intensive care areas, children’s community nursing teams and in regional children’s specialist centres.

After qualification there is also an extensive range of further professional development opportunities available, which may lead to possible careers as a health visitor or school nurse, as well as nurse specialist roles.

 

 

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

A wide range of resources are also offered within the School of Human and Health Sciences, which provides you with support in a variety of areas. These include:

Student Hub: a one stop shop for students, studying within the School. Their services include offering advice on extenuating circumstances, extension requests, course progression, suspension and welfare support, organising appointments with academic staff and signposting to other support networks.

Academic Skills Development Team: support students to develop their academic skills and build their confidence in order to improve their grades. The team provide support with academic skills including essay writing, being critical, reflective writing, numeracy, research skills, presentations and group work skills; as well as personal development for example time management.

Learning Technology Support Unit: helps students with any problems they experience with the University’s Brightspace Learning System, including logging on or difficulties experienced when accessing and using modules, and with the PebblePad platform, which is used by students when they go out on placements.

Support services will also be available from your employer.

Important information

When you enrol as an apprentice learner of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and our disciplinary procedure. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

Changes to a course you have applied for but not yet started

If we propose to make a major change to an apprenticeship course that you have applied for, then we will tell you and your employer as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Although we always try and run all the courses we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or delay your course start date if we consider this reasonably necessary, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you and your employer as soon as reasonably possible. In such instances, we will work with you and your employer to agree a deferred start date, or cancel your application and, if appropriate, provide information regarding other local apprenticeship providers.

Changes to your course after you enrol as an apprentice

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that materially changes the services available to you, or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days, classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the requirements of an updated version of the apprenticeship standard relevant to your course; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.

If a major change affects your course, we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible and will carry out suitable consultation with affected apprentices. If you and your employer reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment we will work with both of you to try to find an appropriate solution. Where one cannot be found we will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring your remaining apprenticeship learning to another training provider if you and your employer wish to do so.

Termination of employment

As your employer is funding your apprenticeship course, you must remain in relevant employment for the duration of the course until you have completed your end point assessment. Under the apprenticeship rules, if you are made redundant and you have completed 75% of the practical period or have less than 6 months left, then you may complete the course. Otherwise, unless you find alternative relevant employment within 12 weeks of the date you are made redundant, then you will be withdrawn from the course.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University. The ESFA is the principal regulator for your apprenticeship course.

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