Children’s nurses care for children from birth to adulthood and support their families to care for them. Children’s Nurses bring a detailed understanding of children and young people’s health and wellbeing, clinical and technical skills and skilled communication to enable families to feel safe in their care. On our BSc (Hons) Children’s Nursing degree you'll learn the skills you need to be able to join a dedicated team committed to delivering exceptional child and family-centred care, whilst being a pillar of support.
Why study BSc (Hons) Children’s Nursing at BNU?
NMC registration
Our children’s nursing degree programme integrates academic study alongside practice-based learning. It is underpinned by a strong collaboration between the University, service users (experts by experience) and our NHS practice partners, in response to both Nursing & Midwifery Council policy and regulatory developments.
On successful completion of the course, you’ll be eligible to apply for your NMC registration, meaning you’ll then be able to practice as a qualified nurse.
Trusts
During your time on the BSc Children’s Nursing degree, you’ll have the opportunity to go on placement in a range of our linked trusts and hospitals, including:
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Placements
Throughout the course, you’ll allocate approximately half of your time to clinical practice and the remaining half to University-based learning. Our strong partnerships with various NHS Trusts and independent care providers in the region ensure that students have diverse and enriching clinical placements. Many of our students are employed by the Trust that they worked with during their time at the University.
Support
Whilst children’s nursing is a rewarding career, we also understand studying children’s nursing at university can be challenging at times. Throughout your time on the course you’ll gain direct support both in the classroom and on placement, as we provide a link-lecturer for every placement to support students in practice.
Facilities
At our three campuses, we have impressive facilities with state-of-the-art equipment. You’ll get to recreate real scenarios so when you’re out on placement you’ll be confident in your Children's nursing skills.
Our facilities offer a high-fidelity environment, which includes the use of NHS approved consumables, genuine functioning equipment and technology enhanced manikins. The essential element of de-brief in simulation is undisputed; audio/visual technology is available and widely used by the teaching teams to enhance feedback to learners.
You will also benefit from up-to-date PROMPT advanced models where you’ll practice resuscitation using authentic equipment. All the technology and equipment supplied to you enables you to become familiar with kit and techniques used within the local hospital trusts.
What will I study?
Becoming a children’s nurse is an extremely rewarding yet challenging career. You’ll have experiences from neonatal units to general children’s wards, children’s own homes to paediatric intensive care and everything in between, giving you a rounded view of children and young people’s healthcare and learn the theory and evidence that informs that care.
This course is also offered as a four-year programme, with an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.
As a qualified children’s nurse you’ll have the opportunity to grow and take on a range of roles, providing plenty opportunities for career advancement.
During your time on the programme, you'll be working alongside experienced health care professionals who will help you to become a caring, confident, competent and practice-ready children’s nurse.
The programme develops and nurtures you as you gain the skills and knowledge you need to meet and manage the health needs of children, young people and their families.
You’ll learn how to perform a range of nursing skills with proficiency, predicated on contemporary knowledge and the understanding of best practice. You’ll also learn how to practice in a non- judgemental and anti-discriminatory way, prioritising the needs of children, young people and their families, respecting their choices and individual wishes and promoting health.
As well as this you’ll be taught how to assess and review mental, physical, cognitive, behavioural, spiritual and social needs to identify the priorities and requirements for evidence-based nursing interventions and support.
From understanding and being able to refer to policies and procedures, to pharmacology, treating, assessing and making the right care-decisions for a young patient, you’ll learn how to work within a team as critically reflective, resilient practitioners, with an ability to learn from experience and solve problems.
Our team of experienced and dedicated lecturers have a collective wealth of knowledge from working in a range of children and young people’s healthcare and clinical environments across the NHS and private sector.
Upon successful graduation you’ll be a compassionate, proficient, confident, and digitally able children’s nurse, who is able to adopt a child and family centred approach, working autonomously and accountably, within the integrated care system.
