Health visiting
Making your application
Selection for the BSc (Hons) and MSc Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting or School Nursing) is undertaken jointly by the university and the NHS Trust you would like to sponsor you. You will need to fill in TWO application forms.
1. The application to the NHS Trust, which will be available through the NHS jobs website.
2. The application to the university, which you will be able to download from this website from January 2013.
The university application form and essay should be returned before the closing date to:
Claire Cossu
Community Nursing Programme Administrator
School of Nursing and Midwifery
University of Brighton
Westlain House
Village Way
Falmer
BN1 9PH
The application forms are the means by which you can convince us that you know about health visiting as a field of public health nursing, that you possess the qualities that we are looking for, and that you are academically and practically able to be successful in undertaking the course. If you do not convince us of this you will not be shortlisted, so please give thought and time to your application.
Here are some hints to help you in developing your application.
- This is the first impression you make so use plain English that enables you to give a good account of your ability to express your ideas clearly in writing. Do not use ‘text speak’, and check your spelling and grammar.
- You need to show that you understand what the public health role of health visiting is about. Draw on experiences you have had in health visiting practice. If you have not had this experience recently, talk to health visitors about the scope of their role. Read about the Healthy Child Programme and the Health Visitor Implementation Plan. Think about what these mean for the role in future. Make sure this understanding comes through in your application.
- Be clear what you have to offer. Think about the skills you have developed through nursing or midwifery which include: communication, counselling, leadership /teamwork, organisational and problem solving skills. Other attributes might be self-confidence, ability to prioritise and work under pressure, and flexibility /adaptability. You need to both identify your strengths and give examples of how you have demonstrated these in your career so far.
- Relate your skills to the health visitor role that you are applying for.
- Remember that we are looking for potential to develop in the health visiting role, so if you have limited experience, that is not a problem, just make sure you show the strengths that you have and that you recognise the areas that you need to develop further.
- Be honest. If you get to interview you will be questioned about things emerging from your application, so it needs to provide a genuine starting point.
- Make sure that the detail of your education and academic qualifications is accurate.
- You will need to provide an academic referee to the university. This is someone, from a university, who knows about your ability to study and who can give an opinion on whether you have the ability to study at under-graduate or masters degree level.
- You will need to give referees to the Trust who will be either those who have employed you, or if you are newly qualified, a tutor / lecturer.
- You will need to write a short piece of academic work as a part of your application to the university. In this essay you need to demonstrate that the level of your academic writing is appropriate to the level of study you are applying for and that you can find appropriate material through electronic searching and reference this correctly. It is a really good opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the role and how you are suited to taking it on.
- If you are not sure whether you are eligible to study at BSc (Hons) or Masters level, don’t worry. Put both down and if you are shortlisted that can be discussed at interview, when a decision will be made.
Detailed advice is available regarding the NHS jobs application at: www.jobs.nhs.uk/help/appform_guidance.pdf.
A series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the application process is available at: www.brighton.ac.uk/snm/health-visiting/
You will be informed if you have been shortlisted for interview.
