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Course overview

This Nursing and Midwifery Council-approved course leads to registration on Part 3 of the register as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting). If you are a nurse or midwife looking to become a health visitor, this course is ideal for you.

A public health approach to healthcare provision requires particular knowledge and skills.

This course educates you, as a nurse or midwife, to become a public health nurse so that you can contribute positively to the new public health agenda.

The course outcomes reflect the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards for Specialist Community Public Health Nursing, encapsulating the ten principles underpinning public health nursing.

This is a practice-centred course. It is 50% taught theory and 50% practice based over 52 programmed weeks for the one-year full-time route and 104 programmed weeks for the two-year part-time route. You are allocated a practice teacher by your sponsoring organisation – they facilitate your learning in practice and are responsible for assessing your competence in practice.

During the course you explore evidence appraisal. This helps you understand the evidence which underpins and supports practice. You explore public health and practice, developing your relevant knowledge in relation to the current public health agenda. You also address leadership in health visiting practice. You investigate the health needs, protection and surveillance of the child and family in a health visiting context – and community practitioner prescribing. Your practice experience enables you to link your theoretical knowledge base to practice. There is a ten-week period of supervised practice at the end of the course.

How you learn

Theory encompasses a range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, problem-based learning scenarios, peer review and presentations. Your learning in practice placement is supported by developing a practice portfolio which includes self-assessment activities, learning contracts, and reflective dialogue and discussion.

How you are assessed

Assessment strategies include exams, case study analysis, reflective essays, a written assignments progress file and a dissertation. Practice is assessed through your progress file and developing the practice project through tripartite visits – here you, your practice teacher and your academic mentor meet to assess your progress and competence in practice.

Career opportunities

You have increased employment opportunities in the public health sector including public health nursing and health visiting.