Nursing Practice (Child) MSc

Duration

2 Years

Location

Centre for Health Innovation Stafford

Make a difference to young people’s lives by specialising in the diverse and rewarding field of children’s nursing.

Our MSc in Nursing Practice (Child) is a pre-registration course that will equip you to work in hospitals, clinics, community settings such as schools, and for charities. You will gain a wide variety of experience helping children from birth to the age of 18.

We offer two fast-track routes for graduates that are both regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and mean you will be eligible to apply to register as a children’s nurse. Our two-year programme is aimed at people who are brand new to nursing but may have some experience in health or care roles.

If you are already registered as an adult, mental health or learning disability nurse, you can gain a dual qualification and become a children’s nurse as well. We are the first university in the UK to offer this trailblazing option, which will take you just one year to complete.

It comes on the back of NHS plans to grow the nursing workforce nationally. The Masters qualification can lead to lots of career progression opportunities.

The course is available to graduates already holding a degree in any discipline. It means you will be eligible to register with a professional body within two years rather than the usual three years.

The curriculum is mapped against the Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses and covers the core skills, knowledge, and values fundamental to nursing practice. For the two-year programme, student nurses complete a minimum of 2,300 hours of theory and 2,300 hours of practice-based learning.

Placements:

You will have access to excellent clinical placement opportunities as we have primary and secondary healthcare partners across Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire and further afield. These include hospital trusts, community health partnerships and children’s hospices.

It will give you an insight into the huge array of specialist roles, where you could be supporting healthy children, those who are acutely ill or have long-term conditions, and children with complex needs.

You can also choose from some exciting elective placements - locally, nationally, and internationally. Previous destinations have included Ghana, Australia, and Nepal, as well as Birmingham and Alder Hey children’s hospitals.

Our innovative simulation-based approach:

You will be well supported in both your clinical and academic settings. We will guide you through problems and scenarios and give you plenty of real-world learning experiences.

During your time on campus, you will be using our nationally leading simulation facilities for every module. You will get to practise your skills on simulated wards and inside our VR-powered immersive suite – placing you at the heart of the action.

There will also be the chance to work with students from other disciplines, including paramedic science, operating department practice, psychology, and social work.

The core modules cover family-centred care, physical and mental health assessments, the evidence base for practice, and leadership in nursing. And for your dissertation, you can delve into a topic of your choice.

Learn from highly qualified experts:

External speakers include police officers, who will give you insights into key issues such as grooming and domestic abuse. It is part of the course’s strong focus on safeguarding and child protection.

Our children’s nursing team bring a wealth of clinical, academic and research expertise. They are all paediatric-trained nurses and include an oncology specialist, practitioners in hospitals and community settings, and a safeguarding lead for the Midlands.

Students will also benefit from the breadth of research interests within the department. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF):

  • 73% of our Allied Health research submissions were rated as “internationally excellent” or “world-leading”.
  • 100% of the research impact in Allied Heath was classed as “very considerable” or “outstanding”.

Our postgraduate healthcare community:

Student nurses are encouraged to get involved in enrichment opportunities, such as our annual student conference and writing for publication. You will become a member of our wider healthcare community.

Whether you are a career changer or an existing nurse looking to work with children, the course is an ideal springboard to success.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MSc Nursing Practice (Child)

Course content

A 50/50 split between theoretical content and clinical placements. There will be a number of taught modules across year 1 and year 2 (pathway dependent), incorporating subject matter such as leadership in nursing, holistic care of the child and family, and evidence-based practice. There will be the opportunity to work in several different paediatric specialities both within primary and secondary care, and an elective placement whereby you can choose where you would like to go.

Professional body accreditation

Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of registration as a qualified nurse (child).

NMC accredited

University climbs up the League Tables

News

Staffordshire University has welcomed its improvement in two major League Tables – one of which recognises its commitment to social diversity.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
Fundamentals Of Nursing Practice (Children And Young People) 20 credits
Leadership In Nursing 20 credits
Physical And Mental Health Assessment, Pathophysiology And Prescribing Preparation 40 credits
Year 2 compulsory modules
Year 2 compulsory modules
Holistic Care Of The Child, Young Person And Family 40 credits
The Evidence Base For Practice 40 credits

Entry requirements

For the 2-year pathway, you must already have a degree (or equivalent) and experience within a paediatric healthcare setting.

For the 1-year pathway, you will already be a NMC registrant in adult, mental health or learning disability nursing and have experience within a paediatric setting.

 IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in each band

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Check our entry and English language requirements for your country.

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Careers

All students have access to Career Connect, our dedicated careers team.

Teaching and assessment

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

  • Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
  • Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
  • Academic writing (including how to reference)
  • Research skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Staff

Fiona Cust

Associate Professor

Fiona is a Registered General and Children’s Nurse and Health Visitor who has had a varied career in children’s nursing within acute and community settings. Fiona is actively engaged in research and regularly contributes to The Nursing Times Journal.

Fiona's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 6 January 2025 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for MSc-Full-time
Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £9,250 per year of study £19,000 per year of study

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

Alumni discount

If you've previously completed a University of Staffordshire undergraduate degree (excluding HND and foundation degrees) you may be entitled to a discount of up to 25% off your course fees for any subsequent postgraduate taught course (terms apply, see the alumni discount page for details). If you have any questions about how this relates to you, please contact feesandbursaries@staffs.ac.uk.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs

Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £11,570 to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. Student loans are available for many of our postgraduate degrees and are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The loan can cover a wide range of postgraduate study options; part-time, full-time and distance learning. 

For more information and how to apply visit masters loan.

Apply

Applications are not currently available for this course.

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University of Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University of Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations

Have you considered?

in the UK for Quality Education

Sustainable Development Goal 4, Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021