Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

Attendance is via either a full or part-time route which will be negotiated with the sponsoring Provider Service.

The course comprises of 45 programmed weeks for full-time students (50% of which is in practice), or no more than 208 weeks for part-time students which is in accordance with NMC 2004 SCPHN regulations.

The award consists of six compulsory modules and up to 20 credits of designated modules. Advancing and Strengthening Individual and Community Action in Practice is a 40 credit module which has a practice-based focus underpinned with key theoretical concepts. This module is delivered for the duration of the course and enables theory to inform practice and vice versa. All modules are linked to service developments within Primary Care and are intended to develop core skills in research, practice development, public health activity and education.

The award consists of 50% theory and 50% practice, and this is integrated into the overall programme, concluding with a consolidating period of practice equivalent to at least 10 weeks at the end of the programme. This practice component is supported by specialist practitioners who hold a recognised Practice Teacher qualification and who work closely with the University.

• Registered qualification with the NMC on part 3 of the register
• Practice-based learning
• Robust mentorship programme in place to support students in practice
• Shared learning on some modules (inter-agency and multi-disciplinary)
• Sponsored programme via Provider Services

The compulsory modules include:

• Leading Public Health Practice
• Advancing and Strengthening Individual and Community Action in Practice
• Therapeutic Communication Interventions
• Families and Carers in Social and Environmental Contexts (shared module with social workers)
• Research Methods
• Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribing Formulary

There is also a choice of designated modules:

• Therapeutic Communication Interventions
• Leadership

Robotham A. & Frost M. (eds) (2005) Health Visiting - Specialist Community Public Health Nursing. Elsevier. London

Thornbory G (ed) (2009) Public Health Nursing. Wiley-Blackwell

Applicants are advised to contact the course leader as soon as possible if they require information as to which Provider Services are likely to offer sponsorships. 

Students following a full-time route (45 weeks) will not usually have annual leave during the course as this is given at the end of the programme (seven weeks annual leave over the summer period). Over Christmas and Easter however block weeks of study leave are timetabled on both occasions. Please contact Sue Everett, course leader, for any further information, sue.everett@northampton.ac.uk.

Students who for a variety of reasons find themselves unable to successfully complete the full postgraduate award, will be eligible for a postgraduate certificate in Community Public Health Nursing providing they have successfully completed the Leading Public Health Practice and Advancing and Strengthening Individual and Community Action in Practice modules. This however will not make students eligible for registration with the NMC as a SCPHN practitioner.

This programme is assessed in both theory and practice and comprises a range of assessment strategies which enables students to demonstrate knowledge, synthesis and analysis in a variety of forms. Assessment strategies include portfolio of evidence; exams; viva voce; presentations; essays and reports.

This course is supported by designated practice teachers within the clinical environment.

The University offers a wide range of facilities to support your learning, and these can be seen on the University website http://www.northampton.ac.uk/.

An initial theory (University-based work) induction programme is timetabled at the beginning of the course, followed by a practice induction period. Following this the course integrates both practice and theory, so for students following the full-time course, they will be in practice for part of the week and at University for the remainder of the week. One study day per week is also timetabled whenever possible. There are block weeks in practice which usually occur at least once per term, and block study weeks which, wherever possible, are timetabled to coincide with assignment submission dates.

Students following the part-time route will under normal circumstances attend University for one day per week, practice for the second day and have half a day study time each week. Block weeks will be timetabled as above, but will be for two and a half days per week.

The course is delivered by a wide range of teaching and learning activities including lectures; enquiry-based learning; online activities; workshops; tutorials and group work. Specialist practitioners and service users input into the teaching elements of the course whenever possible.

Graduates who achieve a specialist practitioner award registered with the NMC are well placed to move into leadership/practice development roles within primary and social health care. The autonomy and skills of independent working associated with post-graduate study are congruent with those required by the NHS to achieve both their targets and vision for primary and social care and public health. On successful completion students will be registered with the NMC on the third part of the register and will be able to apply for band 6 and 7 posts as Specialist Community Public Health Practitioners working within a wide variety of settings.

50% of the programme is in a practice environment which is commensurate with the specific annotation students are following ie Health Visiting or Children's or Young Peoples Nurses (School Nursing).

This element of the programme is supported by designated practice teachers who have undertaken a formal education programme to fulfil this role.

Sponsorship interviews are usually undertaken jointly by higher education and provider services and these are usually advertised on Trust web-sites.