This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Read our cookie policy

PGDip

Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - School Nursing

The PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing) will prepare nurses and midwives to become Specialist Community Public Health Nurses.

How to apply Book an Open Evening Chat to Us

Key Course Details

  • Start Date

    April

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • Campus Code

    A

Fees

Make an Enquiry

Gain the knowledge, skills, enhanced interpersonal skills and managerial capabilities to practice confidently, competently and effectively.

DESIGNED FOR

Nurses and midwives that wish to work in primary care promoting health and wellbeing for children, families and communities, offering scheduled programme of services underpinned by evidence and policy to the school aged child and their family.

Career paths:

  • School Nursing
  • Immunisation Lead
  • Safeguarding Specialist
  • Lead Nurse for School Nursing and Looked after Children
  • School Nursing Practice Development Nurse
  • Public Health Nursing Manager School Nursing Services
  • Higher Education

Skills taught:

  • Leadership and Team working
  • Sophisticated Communication
  • Assessment and Professional Curiosity
  • Health Literacy
  • Critical appraisal

Course Highlights

Replicating Real-Life

Through our Hydra Simulation Centre and Clinical Simulation Centre, we can effectively replicate practice experiences in a safe and supported environment.

Industry Placements

Placements are undertaken within the employing/hosting health board.

Varied Career Prospects

Graduates are usually employed by NHS local health boards as specialist community public health nurses – health visitors and in other specialist health visitor roles.

Module Overview

Successful completion of the modules enables you to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for Part Three registration as an SCPHN (in School Nursing) and exit the course with a Postgraduate Diploma at the end of one year if studying full-time or at the end of year 2 if studying part time.

Year One
Research and evidence based practice; transforming SCPHN practice
Assessment, Surveillance and Interventions to improve population health outcomes
Advancing and Promoting Population Health and Wellbeing across the lifespan
Safeguarding and protecting individuals, communities and populations
Leadership, collaboration and advancing SCPHN services
Developing Autonomous Practice in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

Year Two
Developing Autonomous Practice in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
Leadership, collaboration and advancing SCPHN services
Safeguarding and protecting individuals, communities and populations

 

Research and evidence based practice; transforming SCPHN practice (Year 1 part-time)

To develop advanced knowledge and skills to critically appraise, evaluate and apply research methods, statistics and epidemiological concepts within specialist community public health nursing School Nursing field of practice

Assessment, Surveillance and Interventions to improve population health outcomes (Year 1 part-time)

To develop advanced knowledge of communication theory and developing relationships in complex environments with diverse populations. To apply theory, research and tools to assess development, attachment, physical and emotional health and wellbeing. To evaluate assessment strategies and critically explore bio-psychosocial theories and the relationship to health and wellbeing of individuals communities and populations.

 Advancing and Promoting Population Health and Wellbeing across the lifespan (Year 1 part-time)

To further develop the knowledge and understanding of the student related to concepts of local, national and global perspectives of public health. To support students to critically explore, analyse and synthesise epidemiological and demographic data to identify health inequalities and social and behavioural determinants that impact on health outcomes of populations in order to recommend health promotion initiatives to improve health outcomes. 

Safeguarding and protecting individuals, communities and populations

To critically evaluate the principles, policies, legislative and ethical frameworks relating to vulnerable groups, risk assessment and protection and to critically examine and explore ways in which the SCPHN practitioner in School Nursing can effectively manage risk involving individuals, families and communities within an inter-agency framework

Leadership, collaboration and advancing SCPHN services

To enable participants to critically explore leadership theories and drivers, including policy development, which facilitate personal, professional and organisational change in SCPHN School Nursing practice. To enable participants to analyse and critically evaluate collaboration and co-production through applying change management and quality improvements in School Nursing SCPHN field of practice.

Developing Autonomous Practice in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

To support achievement of the SCPHN proficiencies, core and field specific, in the All Wales Practice Assessment Document at a competent level or above. To develop the professional autonomy of the SCPHN practitioner as leader and facilitator in their field of practice 

Developing Autonomous Practice in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Year 2 part-time)

Leadership, collaboration and advancing SCPHN services (Year 2 part-time)

Safeguarding and protecting individuals, communities and populations (Year 2 part-time)

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

Learning and assessment will take place both at the University and in a range of practice environments. You will be assessed by a range of methods including written assignments, an oral presentation, poster presentation, examinations, a recorded presentation and clinical practice assessments.

Teaching staff

  • Dr.Michelle Thomas, (Course Leader)
  • Dwynwen Spargo
  • Hayley Lewis
  • Precious O’Driscoll
  • Dr. Anne-Marie Coll
  • Dr. Joseph Sunday
  • External Experts

Placements and work experience

Placements are undertaken within the employing/hosting health board. Students may undertake a week-long alternative placement in a different geographical location. Please note, there is no funding for this.

The placements are within health boards in Wales and students are expected to work in Health Visiting in Wales once the course is completed

Facilities

Through our Hydra Simulation Centre and Clinical Simulation Centre, we can effectively replicate practice experiences in a safe and supported environment.

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

Graduates are usually employed by NHS local health boards as specialist community public health nurses – health visitors and in other specialist health visitor roles in Health Education and Improvement Wales, Public health Wales and other specialist teams.

Possible career paths

  • School Nursing
  • Immunisation Lead
  • Safeguarding Specialist
  • Lead Nurse for School Nursing and Looked after Children
  • School Nursing Practice Development Nurse
  • Public Health Nursing Manager School Nursing Services
  • Higher Education

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Typical qualification requirements:

  • Applicants need professional and academic qualifications. You must have NMC professional registration on Part One and/or Part Two of the NMC Register as a Registered Nurse and/or a Registered Midwife.
  • Applicants should usually have an Honours degree, although consideration will be given through the accreditation of prior and experiential learning (APEL) mechanism if you do not possess these qualifications.

Additional Requirements:

Prospective candidates will be interviewed by the course team, and members of the NHS trust that provides student placements for 50% of the course duration and a service user.

Applicants will be invited to attend an interview with university and health board staff and service users. Applicants will usually be working for a health board in Wales at the time of application. The course fees and applicant salary are currently funded be Health Education and Improvement Wales. Applicants should discuss their application with their manager and secure a secondment to the course where possible. 

An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on the Child & Adult Workforce and Child & Adult Barring List and subscription to the DBS Update Service is required. (Overseas equivalent required for non-uk applicants).

 

Closed for International applicants 

Unfortunately, this course is not currently open to international applicants, please visit our course pages where you can find an alternative course choice. 

 

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Busaries Alumni Discount

ADDITIONAL COSTS

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment. 

*Obligatory

An A1 poster is required

Cost: £15

An enhanced DBS check is a requirement of this course

Cost: £49.50

Year 1 FT and Year 1 and 2 PT. Placement costs will vary depending on where the student is placed, but some costs can be reclaimed.

Cost: Varied

Costs of conference attendance and extra- curricular activities are changeable, with some being free. However, these are optional and extra-curricular opportunities.

Cost: Varies depending on event and location.

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

Studying at USW

Our courses are designed with industry leaders and provide the practical skills and experiences industry demands. Our flexible courses reflect the need for life-long learning. If you value education in practice, not just in theory, then USW is for you.

Two people studying together at a table, surrounded by books and papers.
Postgraduate fees and funding
Close up shot of the front of the Alfred Russell wallace building.
Pontypridd Campus, Glyntaff
A member of staff is smiling and chatting with an open evening visitor.
Postgraduate Open Events

How to apply

There is an online application process for this course. Please choose the application form for your preferred start date and mode of study (i.e. full-time or part-time).

International admissions

Please see our international admissions advice for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Next Steps

How to Apply
Book an Open Evening
Chat to Us