Nursing Studies leading to professional registration as an Adult Nurse - Postgraduate Diploma

About the course

2 years full time

Become a nurse and prepare for your lifelong nursing career in the complex world of health care practice with this course. You'll discover an innovative approach to learning, as you study alongside other health care professional groups and within health care settings.

So that you develop the competence, knowledge and confidence for effective practice, we offer an environment that focuses on leadership and problem-solving skills in the contemporary health care workplace.

You'll learn to critically evaluate current research, policies and practice of adult nursing. By linking theory to practice, you'll develop a range of clinical skills and knowledge appropriate for professional registration.

Entry requirements

You'll need a degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent in a relevant area (for instance, social sciences, human sciences, biomedical sciences, public services) and GCSE Mathematics, English and Science or their equivalents.

This programme is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council as two years plus Accreditaion of Prior Experiental Learning (APEL). You'll have to demonstrate that you have at least 650 hours of healthcare-related experience.

English language requirements

IELTS 7 (with no less than 7 in each part), or TOEFL 90–91 (IBT), or equivalent.

Entry requirements for international students 

Course content

Your learning will be 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent practice, based on four core units of study:

• Foundations in Health and Nursing
• Patients with Acute and Long Term Needs
• Patients with Long Term Conditions and Complex Needs
• Transitions to Practice: Managing and Organising Care

Teaching

This course uses innovative problem-based learning to help you think about real clinical practice scenarios

A strong emphasis on cooperative learning will help you manage unfamiliar situations, make reasoned decisions, adapt to change, and plan your future learning. It's a realistic and challenging preparation for registration.

Assessment

• Written assignments
• Examinations
• Poster presentation
• Clinical practice

You'll be assessed in both practice and theory. For practice, you'll need to achieve a number of competencies by the end of each unit, assessed by your clinical mentor.

Fees and funding

An NHS training bursary is available for the duration of the course.

Information on NHS training bursaries

Financial information for postgraduate taught courses

Any questions?

If you'd like to know more about any aspect of our courses, contact us:

Dr Mark Limb
Programme Director

E: m.k.limb@sheffield.ac.uk
T: 0114 222 2051

Develop skills that matter

Because we work closely with our partners in health and social care, your course will equip you with the skills employers are looking for. All our courses are research-led, shaped by local, national and international health and social care policy.

Our courses are informed by the latest research. They are designed to be flexible in order to meet the demands of a rapidly changing work environment.

We have strong links with other health departments at the University, including the School for Health and Related Research (ScHARR), the Department of Sociological Studies, the Medical School, as well as the Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing (SISA) and the Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth.

Our research focuses on three themes: Children, Young People and Families; Workforce and Practice Development; Supportive Care in Later life. You’ll benefit from our international collaborative links with universities in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.

Make a difference

We're dedicated to educating health professionals. Our school is located within the grounds of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at the Northern General Hospital, one of the largest hospital sites in Europe.

You can form useful career development networks using the links and partnerships we have. With the skills you learn on our courses, you can establish research and education initiatives in health and social care wherever in the world you are needed.

Our flexible courses are designed to meet your needs.

Facilities and support

If you study with us on site, you'll be in a working health care environment, close to the heart of cutting-edge research – The Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care and the Sheffield Institute for Studies in Ageing are just next door. You'll find library and computer facilities here too. There's a regular bus service to the main University campus.

We're planning a move to the central University campus from April 2012.

Apply now

Apply online through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).