Community Specialist Practice
MSc PGDip

• Course summary and entry requirements

  Course duration

  Full-time: 1 year
  

  Part-time: 2-5 years
  

  Professional accreditation

  On successful completion of this course you will have your professional pathway award recorded on your nursing record with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

  About the course

  The Community Specialist Practice MSc course aims to prepare community specialist nurses who are innovative and creative in their response to the healthcare needs of various client groups across different settings. This will be reflected in their capacity to meet the four broad areas of the NMC Standards for Specialist Education and Practice. This requires the ability to assess and problem-solve complex ambiguous situations in often contradictory and changing healthcare environments and to actively collaborate in the provision of equitable services. The pathways offered at University of Brighton include:
  - General Practice Nursing
  - Nursing in the Home / District Nursing.

  This course provides the opportunity to gain both a professional qualification and an academic award at masters level. Students are supported by a practice teacher (and mentors where appropriate) in practice placements within their employing trust.
  

  Typical entry requirements

  Individual offers may vary.

  For non-native speakers of English:
  IELTS 6.5 overall and 6.0 in writing.

  Other:
  To apply for this course, please contact the course administrator, c.l.cossu@brighton.ac.uk.

  Degree and/or experience:
  Registration as nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council under:
  - General Practice Nursing RN1, RNA
  - Nursing in the Home (District Nursing) RN1, RNA.

  Also:
  - Normally hold a health-related degree at 2:1 or above.
  - Have successfully completed study within the last 5 years.
  - Normally have a minimum of six months' post-registration experience, preferably in the community.
  - Demonstrate the potential to benefit from masters level study.

• Course content

  Course structure

  Students are allocated practice placements by their employing trust, and are assigned a practice teacher to support their learning in practice. Students undertake a period of alternative practice when they can spend a week in another context that is of value to their role.

  Our courses encourage shared learning between the community nursing specialities so that the benefits of developing intra-professional collaboration can be enhanced. Therefore programmes have been designed to include modules in which learning is shared with students from other disciplines, and where possible, other professions.

  A variety of learning and teaching strategies is utilised including problem-based and work-based learning. You need to be highly motivated and be prepared to actively engage with all aspects of your learning.
  

  Areas of study

  A central mandatory module within the course relates to practice development - an essential skill for specialist practitioners. An individual approach to planning is taken with each student through a personal development plan and learning contracts that are agreed between the student, university and employer. Modules also allow students to focus their practice assignment work on areas of value to their role. Core modules are as follows:

  Research Methods
  This module, also shared with other students in the graduate programme, facilitates the development of knowledge and skills required to inform evidence-based practice, and prepares students for completion of a dissertation.

  Research Evidence in Practice
  This is a practice based module focusing on the evidence underpinning clinical practice and theory - practice relationships.

  Transforming Practice: the challenges of change
  The aim of this module is to develop practitioners who will take a lead role in the management and development of effective strategies for health and social care interventions. This module is shared across the community nursing programmes jointly with level 6 students.

  Nurse Prescribing from the Community Nurse Prescribers Formulary
  This module is mandatory for those undertaking the Nursing in the Home / District Nursing pathway.

  In addition to the core modules mentioned above students can choose from a wide choice of optional modules allowing them to study topics of personal and professional interest.

  Syllabus

  Leadership and Management
  Practising Public Health

  Assessing Individuals and Families
  Practice Development through Work-based Learning
  Investigating Health and Social Care
  

• Fees and costs

   

  NHS funding is available and may vary depending on individual circumstances.  

  Please contact us directly for exact tuition fees and for information on the funding available for this course.

• Location

  Location Falmer

  Our Falmer campus is located on the edge of the South Downs National Park on the outskirts of Brighton. Approximately 7,000 students are based here.

  View campus maps and directions

  Living in Brighton

  Brighton’s rich mix of historic architecture, lively arts scene, varied shopping and cosmopolitan community make it a vibrant, enjoyable place to live. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.

  Social scene

  Alongside the traditional seaside attractions, Brighton is famed for its exciting social scene with a wide choice of pubs, clubs and restaurants.

  

  Arts

  The highlight of the city’s cultural year is the Brighton Festival. The event is held each May and is England’s biggest arts festival, which showcases arts and performance from around the world. Brighton is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, the Duke of York’s, which shows alternative and mainstream films. The city is also well known for its exciting music scene and hosts The Great Escape music festival.

  

  Sports

  Whether you take your sport seriously or just want to keep fit, Brighton offers all kinds of sports opportunities and facilities, on and off campus. You can also make the most of the location, and play volleyball, basketball and windsurfing down by the beach. The seafront is also the finishing point for the famous London – Brighton bicycle ride and the quirky veteran car run.

  

• Career opportunities

  Most graduates go on to work, or continue working, within the NHS in a variety of community nursing and primary care settings. The context of practice both within and outside the NHS is constantly changing and opportunities for innovative approaches to service provision exist.

  Visit the careers service website.

01273 644037
Email c.l.cossu@brighton.ac.uk

 

Graduate Programme in Health and Social Sciences
This course is part of our Graduate Programme in Health and Social Sciences. The programme allows you to sign up for one module at a time and build your qualification as you go. It also gives you access to a range of interdisciplinary modules across a broad selection of health and social science subjects. Find out more

 

Visit the school that delivers this course