PG DIP COMMUNITY SPECIALIST PRACTITIONER � ADULT SOCIAL CARE NURSING (Subject to Validation) Postgraduate Diploma
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
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Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Northumbria University has an established reputation for excellence and innovation in nursing education to build on the future nurse standards in meeting the SCPHN standards Standards of proficiency for specialist community publichealth nurses (SCPHN) - The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk).
The Community Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) programme is designed to equip postgraduates with the skills required for community specialist practice and there are four pathways to choose from: District Nursing, General Practice Nursing, Adult Social Care Nursing and Community Children’s Nursing.
Each pathway has a distinct approach to its delivery; however, all share a more practice focused delivery, with a 60/40 split between clinical practice and protected learning time at Northumbria University respectively. This ensures that the specialist field of practice focuses on the specialist skills required for the pathway and is evident in the optional modules and as pathway-focused learning and teaching across all modules.
Students also benefit from integrated learning with fellow community specialist practitioner students. This programme has been innovatively designed and coproduced with a vast range of stakeholders from all pathway routes in both health and social care, to truly reflect contemporary specialist practice, need and service provision requirements.
Registered nurses already hold recognised knowledge and skills of the profession from the Standards Framework for Nursing and Midwifery Education. This ensures that across all fields, registrants can deliver holistic care needs to people they encounter with a range of mental, physical, cognitive, behavioural, social, or spiritual needs. The Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice are designed to recognise new models to meet the diverse needs of people of all ages, in their home, in settings close to home and in the community.
These Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice will provide additional knowledge and skills for postgraduate community nurses to record Specialist Practice Qualifications on the NMC register. Equipped with the SPQ qualification, these community nurses will build on these proficiencies as they gain cultural competence, experience, and fulfil their professional responsibility. They will demonstrate their commitment to develop as a specialist community practitioner, building a career pathway, and engaging in ongoing education and professional development opportunities necessary for revalidation.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
1 Year Full Time
Location
Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2024
Fees
Fee Information
Watch Chief Executive Officer of the International Council of Nurses and recent honorary degree recipient, Howard Catton, as he visits our healthcare facilities and discovers the benefits of studying Nursing at Northumbria.
NMC are the nursing and midwifery regulators for the UK. Watch the videos below to help you understand what is expected of nurses and the key aspects of the role.
Caring with Confidence is a series of bite-sized animations about key aspects of your role as a nursing or midwifery professional, and how the Code can support you. In this animation we look at professionalism and what this means for you as a registered professional. Visit our website to find out more: https://fal.cn/3axu6
It's important that everyone feels confident about the care they can expect from the nurses and midwives on our register. We've introduced new standards for nurses and midwives in the UK, supporting them to deliver kind, safe and effective care now and in the future. As a result, our nurses and midwives are at the forefront of improving people's health and wellbeing. We've made two short animations to help you understand what you can expect from your nurse or midwife.
You will benefit from a newly developed curriculum, which reflects the contemporary clinical and socio-political landscape and collaborative working of Specialist Community Practice, meeting current professional and regulatory requirements. The NMC (2022) Standards for post-registration programmes will also be met, ensuring the completion of a period of experience of sufficient length to have consolidated pre-registration outcomes and to gain a deeper understanding in specialist practice.
All modules and their assessments are designed to help you synthesise contemporary theory with clinical practice, as well as to identify gaps between your current and desired performance to develop further. Progress review meetings will ensure that your progress is reviewed and that opportunities for learning are identified and maximised both in theory and practice. These will be supported by your Academic Assessor and Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor(s).
Teaching will include a mix of face-to-face taught sessions encompassed in a blended learning delivery model with appropriate use of asynchronous learning. The programme will also include clinical leadership development and you will be taught by experienced academics who have real world experience and a research track record. Practice Assessors (PA’s), Practice Supervisors (PS’s) and Academic Assessors (AA’s) will be used to support and assess your practice learning throughout the programme.
The Community Specialist Practitioner Qualification (SPQ) programme utilises Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in the design of teaching, learning and student assessment. UDL principles are designed to assist you to achieve and excel in your studies irrespective of your individual learning needs and as such UDL is designed to promote inclusive curriculum design.
The programme team have developed a robust supportive framework to support you pastorally, therefore you will have a personal tutor, who are there to ensure you receive support at key times during your programme. You will also be supported in the clinical setting by Practice Assessors (PA’s, Practice Supervisors (PS’s) and practice placement facilitators (PPF) and, as part of the SPQ programme there will be progress review meetings with you, your employer, and the University. There will be progress review meetings in each semester over the programme to discuss your progress and explore any issues that may impact on your ability to complete the required standards.
Dr Maggie Coates
Assistant professor
Dr Emma Senior
Assistant professor
Sarah Greenshields
Assistant professor
Paul Watson
Assistant professor
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Our innovative Clinical Skill Centre replicates a range of nursing environments and situations. Its virtual reality equipment, high fidelity Simulated Mannequins (SimMan and SimBaby), and immersive technologies will allow you to practise skills, challenge your learning and develop confidence in your clinical ability – all within a safe environment.
Technology enhanced learning (TEL) is embedded throughout the
modules in this programme, and relates to learning, teaching and assessment
(LTA) approaches. You will be introduced to TEL, within your induction period.
The ELP Blackboard Ultra will provide a range of links to electronic and
multi-media learning resources; this includes high quality e-learning
materials, consistent with the blended approach to learning.
If you are an international student, you will have access to Academic Language Skills (ALS) sessions to help you develop your academic language, writing and study skills. These sessions will run throughout the course.
Department Facilities
Discover our Clinical Skills Centre and more
Academic Language Skills Programmes (ALS)
Our 24/7 University Library
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Research-rich
learning will be embedded throughout the course, you will draw on your
developing skills to show your capacity for independent, research-based
inquiry, as well as those needed to reflect, critically evaluate, synthesise
and effectively communicate research findings. In doing this you will
systematically develop the required depth and specialist knowledge to evidence
Mastery within your discipline and selected area of research interest, you will also experience high quality simulation events within
the ClinicalSkills Laboratory where
appropriate. Successful completion of all components of each module will lead
to the achievement of your NMC SPQ.
Students will be encouraged to access the resources and online collaboration available through their field specific organisations such as the Queens Nursing Institute (QNI), National District Nurses Network (NDNN), Association of British Paediatric Nurses (ABPN) and the British Geriatric Society (BGS). This will support their national and global interconnection world within Community Specialist Practice.
Current Research Themes
Department of Nursing, Midwifery & Health
Multidisciplinary Research
How do we support people with long-term health conditions?
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
The programme is funded through your employer via sponsorship or can be self-funded by the student. Your employer will provide specific guidance around your contract of employment and your future role within their organisation.
The programme has been developed through collaboration with our coproducers, including employing partners, practice colleagues and current and previous students. As such, the content of the programme is designed to ensure that on completion, you are employable and meet the required NMC(2022) Standards for Specialist Practice.
The programme is designed to encourage you to take responsibility for your development and to proactively seek opportunities to advance your employability by building on transferable skills such as communication, leadership, time management, as well as showing creativity and enterprise through the completion of project work. Career development opportunities will be available and will include career guidance and continuing educational opportunities.
Watch two of our lecturers discuss their own clinical experiences, and explore some of the opportunities available to you once you qualify as a Registered Nurse.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Full UK Fee: TBC
Full EU Fee: TBC
Full International Fee: TBC
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
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Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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