Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting) MSc

Course overview

This programme is for registered nurses or midwives who wish to gain registration on Part 3 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register as a specialist community public health nurse (health visiting) and be recorded as a community prescriber. It offers you the opportunity to gain registration as a health visitor, community prescriber and for academic development at masters level.

You develop public health practice knowledge and skills in order to work effectively with individuals, families and communities along with public health leadership skills, to enable you to contribute to the contemporary health visiting agenda.

Where you study

The programme comprises 50% theory and 50% practice within an integrated approach. Practice based learning – you are allocated a practice teacher by your sponsoring organization who facilitates your learning in practice and is responsible for the assessment of your competence in practice.

Professional accreditation

Following successful completion of the required theoretical learning outcomes (120 credits at master’s level) and the specialist community public health nursing practice competencies (NMC 2004) you are eligible to register as a specialist community public health nurse (health visiting), and be recorded as a community prescriber on the NMC register. You continue your studies and complete a 60 credit master’s level dissertation module leading to the MSc Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting). This is undertaken as one year part-time or six months full-time study after Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Vistor) registration with the NMC. It must be completed within five years of commencing the programme.

How you learn

Teaching methods include lecturers, seminars, experiential learning, scenarios, problem based learning, case study work, simulations, action learning sets, and peer led seminars and discussions.

Learning in practice is supported with the development of a practice progress file, which includes self-assessment activities, learning contracts, learning logs, reflective dialogue and discussion with practice teachers, mentors and academic staff.

How you are assessed

Assessments include examinations, a defended poster, essays, case study analysis, research proposal, skill simulations and a service evaluation project. Practice is assessed via the practice progress file through the mechanism of the tripartite meetings which include you, your practice teacher and your academic mentor.

Career opportunities

This programme prepares you to work as a health visitor and to take practice forward to meet the challenges of a dynamic health visiting profession.

You should have: a degree of 2:2 or above or evidence of successful study at postgraduate level; a valid Level 1 registration on part 1 or part 2 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) professional register (defined area of practice apply); successful interview.