Higher/Degree Apprenticeship Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (NMC 2022)
PGDip Specialist Practice (District Nursing)
Page last updated 19 June 2024
Introduction
Develop your leadership and influencing abilities, build the confidence to shape and enhance community nursing practice, and gain the skills to lead and inspire large nursing teams.
Accreditations and partnerships:
Why study for a district nursing apprenticeship?
Working in the community, district nurses lead nursing teams to provide care and support for patients with a variety of acute and long-term health conditions.
Many employers require nurses in team leadership roles to hold the district nurse qualification. This Level 7 apprenticeship enables you to gain this qualification, equipping you to effectively lead large nursing teams in the community and work in more senior district nurse roles.
Develop your critical thinking skills while building strong skills in decision-making and leadership. You'll also be able to plan and evaluate care in complex, challenging and unpredictable contexts.
Why UWE Bristol?
Learn from a highly experienced team of community nurses at UWE Bristol, many of whom have strong industry links and can share the latest research with you. They’re experts in their fields, with a depth of knowledge across many areas, including advanced clinical practice, research and education.
Throughout your apprenticeship, you’ll benefit from access to outstanding onsite facilities and a blend of theory and practice-based learning. This ensures you'll gain the strong academic and practical grounding you need to practice competently and confidently as a qualified district nurse.
Relevant to the changing landscape of community nursing, the apprenticeship will deepen your understanding of current issues. We also place a strong focus on nurturing positive relationships with team members and other colleagues, disciplines and agencies, enhancing your interpersonal skills.
Careers
Where can it take me?
Our PGDip Specialist Practice: District Nursing is a professional practice apprenticeship for registered adult nurses working in the community, aspiring to progress to team leader roles.
Once you’ve successfully completed the PGDip apprenticeship, you’ll also achieve the Independent/Supplementary Prescribing qualification (V300).
Benefits to your employer
NHS employers increasingly require band six community nurses to hold the NMC recordable specialist practice qualification (SPQ) in district nursing, as well as the Independent/Supplementary prescribing qualification.
You'll achieve both qualifications by completing the PGDip apprenticeship. You'll evaluate evidence relating to change and service improvement and put forward your own ideas for initiating and leading service developments in your organisation.
Completing the apprenticeship alongside your work and studying at a pace that suits you and your employer, you'll put what you learn into practice in your work. You’ll be supported by your own practice assessor or supervisor within your organisation, an Academic Personal Tutor and tripartite meetings to keep you on track.
You'll graduate as an independent, self-critical practitioner, able to question and challenge practice, and equipped to lead and manage teams of nurses to provide effective evidence-based care.
Course details
Content
Year one
You'll study:
- Applying Evidence Based Practice in District Nursing
- Leadership and Innovation
- Physical Assessment and Clinical Reasoning.
Year two
You'll study:
- Advancing Professional Practice in District Nursing
- Independent and/or Supplementary Prescribing*.
*Two versions of this module are available. The version you take will depend on credit requirement and will be subject to Programme Leader approval.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we’ll inform you.
Learning and Teaching
The apprenticeship comprises lectures, small -group seminars, student-led sessions, simulation and clinical skills practice. In addition, Action Learning will support you to develop as a self-directed, reflective practitioner.
Work with other health professionals on selected modules, building on the inter-professional and interpersonal skills that are essential to district nursing.
Drawing on the latest evidence and research, you’ll develop your knowledge of key areas including the socio-political context of community nursing, independent prescribing, clinical assessment, reasoning, and innovation.
Develop strong critical thinking and leadership skills that’ll give you a solid foundation as you progress and evolve in your career. You'll also produce a practice portfolio you can take with you, providing valuable evidence of your learning.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Study time
Throughout your apprenticeship, you can work at a pace that suits you and your employer. Students are required to have six hours per week of ‘off the job’ learning.
Assessment
We'll assess you using a mixture of essays, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), exams, presentations and your practice portfolio.
You’ll also need to pass an end-point assessment to successfully complete your apprenticeship.
Learn more about assessments at UWE Bristol.
Features
Professional accreditation
A University Examination Board will verify your eligibility for the interim award of PGDip Specialist Practice: District Nursing. They’ll also verify that you meet all NMC requirements for annotation on the register as a Community Nurse Specialist Practice: District Nurse. The University will then notify the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). You may wish to continue to MSc level at this point.
Please note, you'll need to successfully complete the course to PGDip level and pass the Independent and/or Supplementary Prescribing module, to claim the Independent / Supplementary Prescriber qualification with the NMC.
Placements
To consolidate your learning and development, you'll be based in another area within your own organisation as part of your final module.
Study facilities
Based on our Glenside Campus, you’ll have access to the latest facilities, including our advanced Skills Simulation Suite, where you’ll practice on mannequins and develop your clinical and leadership skills.
Glenside has one of the best healthcare libraries in the country with a huge selection of books, journals, audio-visual materials and specialist health and social care software.
You'll also have 24/7 access to IT support, whether you're on campus or at your workplace.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Nursing and Midwifery facilities and see what's on offer here for you.
Life
Health and Wellbeing
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Bristol
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Sustainability
It is embedded in our culture, teaching and research.
Campus and facilities
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Entry
Typical offers
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
Entry requirements
Applicants must:
- be registered on Part 1 of the UK NMC register as an Adult Nurse
- be working in an environment and with a client group that enables them to achieve the apprenticeship learning outcomes
- be qualified as an Adult Nurse for at least one year
- have a relevant undergraduate degree (120 credits at Level 6)
- have GCSE in Mathematics and English.
Applicants who don't hold a relevant undergraduate degree, are asked to contact the Programme Leader to discuss their options.
ESFA eligibility requirements
To study an apprenticeship, you need to:
- be aged 16 years or over.
- be an EEA citizen (with Right to Work in the UK) and not be in any other kind of full-time education (including being enrolled on any other apprenticeship).
- be employed (for at least the full planned duration of your apprenticeship) in a role that is linked to the appropriate industry for the apprenticeship training.
- receive at least legal minimum wage for apprentices (wages vary depending on experience, employer and level or type of apprenticeship).
- commit to at least six hours per week of apprenticeship training during your normal working hours.
- have support from your employer, including a mentor/line manager. Your employer is also responsible for funding your apprenticeship.
More information about eligibility for apprenticeship funding can be found in the Education and Skills Funding Agency Apprenticeship Funding Rules.
How to apply
You'll apply for the apprenticeship through your employer.
Please Note: Applicants for the apprenticeship will also need to submit a separate application for the Independent and/or Supplementary Prescribing module.
Employed
If you’re interested in applying and have the support from your employer, speak to your line manager and/or HR team in the first instance for approval. Your employer will contact us so we can send you an application link.
Unemployed
If you’re not employed, you can use the following tools to find an apprenticeship vacancy with an employer:
- Employer’s careers page
- Find an Apprenticeship
- UCAS Apprenticeship search
Read more about higher and degree apprenticeship applications.
For further information:
For course-specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Leader.
For all other enquiries, please email our Apprenticeship Hub apprenticeships@uwe.ac.uk or call +44 (0)117 32 84888.