PgDip Nursing Studies – Adult or Mental Health Nursing
Entry requirementsEntry requirements You must have some experience of delivering care in a professional or voluntary capacity or be able to demonstrate an understanding of care work . You must have a degree. You also need GCSE English at grade C or above and GCSE Maths at grade C or above or equivalent. We are committed to equal opportunities for all. If you have a disability, which you think may affect your studies, please tell us. Our course tutors and Disabled Student Support Team will make every effort, under the Disability Discrimination Act, to meet your needs to help you to study effectively. Please contact them on 0114 225 3964 (voice and Minicom). During the admissions process you must declare criminal convictions, cautions and bindings over, including those considered spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Criminal convictions do not necessarily prevent acceptance on a course, but some may be regarded by an employer or professional body as excluding you from practice. A full criminal record check takes place on enrolment. All students on health-related courses must be immunised to meet the needs of the Department of Health. On enrolment you must have a medical examination and an occupational health screening to confirm your fitness to practise.
Academic titlePgDip Nursing Studies – Adult or Mental Health Nursing
Course descriptionDepending on your choice of pathway, this course leads to either • Postgraduate Diploma Nursing Studies – Adult Nursing (UCAS code 3010)
• Postgraduate Diploma Nursing Studies – Mental Health Nursing (UCAS code 3110)
This course is for people who have a degree. We encourage applications from all graduates although a health-related degree is ideal. We take in to account your skills and previous work experience. After you successfully complete this course, you can apply for registered nurse status.
Placements throughout the course are in your chosen area of nursing and your placements reflect your chosen pathway. During the first six months, you also gain insight in to other branches of nursing.
Practise-based learning is central to your development and typically, you spend 30 weeks of each year on placement. The length of each placement depends on your chosen pathway. Placements are in South Yorkshire, in some of the UK’s leading healthcare providers.
In your final year, you can choose two of your placement areas. One of these placements will give you experience of nursing led services. The other will give you management experience, which guides your transition from student to registered nurse.
On your placements, you will be assigned a qualified and experienced nurse as a mentor. They support you and make sure you are comfortable in your surroundings, so you make the most of the experience. Also you gain experience of mentoring a student.
We base our nursing courses in our modern, £13 million, purpose-built Robert Winston building. It has teaching rooms that reproduce the work environment of hospitals and other related settings. These complement our latest teaching and clinical equipment and technology.
After you graduate from this course, you will have the clinical nursing knowledge and the interpersonal and management skills, vital for effective patient care.
Associated careers
There are vacancies in hospitals throughout the UK and internationally. Many nurses remain directly involved with patient care in • hospitals • health centres • GP surgeries • the armed forces • prisons • the community. Others choose to take on teaching roles and educate future nurses.
Once experienced, you may decide to specialise in a clinical area and concentrate on teaching and research. This can lead to you becoming a nurse specialist or consultant and an expert in your chosen field. There is also the option of moving into more senior management roles, such as a ward manager or modern matron.
Course content
Year one modules
• essence of care • clinical placement • essence of care 1 • clinical placement 2
For the first six months all students study these area together. In the second half of the year your studies of these topics are more specialised, focused around your chosen pathway.
Year one placements – adult nursing
Your first placement is in a hospital setting on adult wards specialising in general medicine or general surgery. You also gain insight in to other branches of nursing during the first six months. Other year one placements are in areas including • general medicine • surgery • emergency care.
Year one placements – mental health nursing
Your first placement is in a hospital setting on adult wards specialising in acute adult mental healthcare. You also gain insight in to other branches of nursing during the first six months.
Other year one placements are in areas including • rehabilitation and recovery • caring for the older adult.
Year two modules
• essence of care 2 • clinical placement 2 • personal and professional development
Your studies of these topics are specialised according to your chosen pathway.
Year two placements – adult nursing
Areas include • continuing care • palliative care • community care • nurse led services • management option
Year two placements – mental health nursing
Areas include • specialist community health teams • management option