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Course overview

District nursing is a core service within the NHS. The Five Year Forward View (NHS England 2015) sets out an expectation that more care will be provided in the community in the future. This care will be for people with increasingly complex needs and the people working in these health and social care structures will have to be more flexible to accommodate this.

The district nurse must respond to these challenges and the Queen's Nursing Institute/Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland (QNI/QNIS) Voluntary Standards for District Nurse Education and Practice (2015) provide a strong framework for district nurses in the current NHS as well as the skills and knowledge base needed to respond to the dynamic nature of community nursing.

On successful completion you achieve the new QNI/QNIS Voluntary Standards for District Nurse Education and Practice as well as the standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the Specialist Practice in Nursing in the Home/District Nursing professional qualification which is recorded on the NMC register. This qualification has integrated within it the Community Practitioner Prescribing (V100) qualification (NMC 2006), enabling you to prescribe from the community practitioner’s formulary. You will also have demonstrated skills at Level 3 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines in brief interventions which is a requirement for a district nurse as set out in the Health Education England’s District Nursing and General Practice Education and Career Framework (2015). This programme has been designed in consultation with local employers, professional standards bodies, students (past and present), service users and carers, and district nurse educators from across the country. This has led to a course which is challenging, contemporary, inspiring and enjoyable.

Professional accreditation

After successfully completing your course you are eligible to be awarded the recordable qualification of the Specialist Practice Qualification in District Nursing which has integrated within it the V100 recordable qualification of the Community Practitioner Prescriber.

How you learn

This programme requires you to commit to a very comprehensive yet individualised approach to learning. There are opportunities for some components to be accredited through recognised prior learning – this is agreed on an individual basis. We help you gain confidence in accessing digital resources. Some of your learning is shared with students on the postgraduate district nursing programme, some with students on other programmes, whilst some time is dedicated to just your programme. Classroom teaching uses lots of different techniques and approaches, for example group discussions, presentations, project work, clinical skills development in practical labs. We highly value the experience and knowledge of service users and carers who are involved in the programme, for example through teaching activities and assessment. Your practice teacher plays a significant role in ensuring that you have access to great learning opportunities whilst on placement. Their skill and experience also provide you with an excellent role model.

How you are assessed

You are assessed in a number of ways as we know everyone learns differently. These include exams, essays, reflections, reports, simulations, projects and assessing competencies in practice evidenced through a portfolio. Your practice teacher or sign-off mentor is key to these practice assessments.

Career opportunities

When you successfully complete the programme, you are well prepared for the dynamic and inspiring world of community nursing as well as being in a strong position to apply for position as a district nurse and team leader.