BACHELOR OF NURSING/MASTER OF NURSING ADULT AND MENTAL HEALTH FIELDS

About the programme

The Health and Social Care Teaching Team deliver the pre-registration nursing programme in partnership with the University of Chester. On completion of the programme the student will achieve a Bachelor of Nursing or Master of Nursing in their chosen field (adult or mental health) and professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The programme aims to provide professional nurse education which takes account of all the relevant professional and academic benchmarks, producing nurses who must act first and foremost to care for and safeguard the public. They must practise autonomously and be responsible and accountable for safe, compassionate person-centred, evidence-based nursing that respects and maintains dignity and human rights (NMC 2010). In the spirit of the new standards, this programme promotes shared learning, with and between fields. The programme is predominantly generic, with field specific application of both theory and practice.

The programme has been designed to take account of the essential physical and mental health of all people; including babies, children and young people, pregnant and post natal women, adults and older people. The student nurse will spend a minimum of 2300 hours in practice supported by a qualified mentor and a minimum of 2300 hours in the academic setting supported by qualified nurse lecturers.

The adult field pathway has a total annual intake of ten students and the mental health field pathway is delivered every other year with a total intake of six students. The places will be split between BN and MN after review of those successful at interview and so exact numbers will vary each year. The programme is delivered on a full time basis over three years. Successful applicants are awarded a bursary (which is currently £5000 per year [January 2012]). The bursary increases annually in line with nurses pay awards.

Students are placed at the centre of the learning experience and are expected to assume responsibility for their own educational development through reflection and management of their learning. Methods of learning and teaching emphasise student-centred techniques. This will facilitate the student to become an increasingly autonomous learner, able to identify their own learning needs and goals within the parameters of the programme aims and outcomes. This will require the student to actively identify and negotiate specific personal learning outcomes within the parameters of the module learning outcomes. Methods of learning and teaching will include formal lectures, scenario-based learning sessions, tutorials, seminars, action learning sets, presentations and debates, reflection, case discussions, practice-based workshops, directed study, private study sessions, and e-learning packages.

Admission criteria

Applicants for the BN (Hons) in Nursing should be island residents and require a minimum of 240 UCAS points, which must be obtained from GCE, A Levels or equivalent e.g. BTEC/OCR National Diploma; Irish /Scottish Highers: B in 4 subjects; International Baccalaureate: 26 points; QAA recognised Access to HE Diploma; Open College Units or Open University Credits and The Advanced Diploma. GCSE English Language or Literature and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent) is also required.

Applicants for the MN Nursing must be island residents and should normally hold a first degree (normally a 2:1 class honours or above). Applicants also require GCSE English Language or Literature and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent).

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) states that for candidates from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are accepted as evidence of literacy. The scores must be at least 7.0 in each section and the overall average score must be at least 7.0.

Nursing is both mentally and physically demanding, and the good character and health of all successful applicants will be assessed to establish fitness to undertake nurse education. A Criminal Records Bureau Enhanced Disclosure is carried out on all successful candidates. The Occupational Health department examines and assesses the health of all candidates to ensure that they are physically fit to commence nurse education. In addition, each candidate must be declared 'fit' in accordance with the Clothier report recommendations. This is normally done via a letter from the candidate’s GP.

Applications

Adverts inviting applications for the programme are placed in the local press during January. Those applicants who meet the criteria will be shortlisted and invited for interview usually during March. The programme commences in September of each year. Applications are welcome from those with predicted grades who are awaiting examination results.

Contact

For further information contact:

Bernadette Devlin/Lyz Howard (adult field) on +44 (0) 1624 642927/651426 or email: bernadette.devlin@gov.im / lyz.howard@gov.im

Julie Bailey-McHale (mental health field) on +44 (0) 1624 642928 or email: julie.bailey-mchale@gov.im