BSc (Hons) Nursing (Child) Top-Up Degree Apprenticeship
- Entry year:
- 2027/28
- Start date:
- March
- Study mode:
- Full-time
- Course duration:
- 18 months
- Campus:
- City
Why choose LJMU?
Designed specifically for qualified Nursing Associates, our BSc (Hons) Child Nursing top-up degree apprenticeship will lead you to qualify as a Registered Nurse in 18 months.
Join our multi award-winning School - 'Nurse Education Provider of the Year (pre-registration)' 2021 Winner and 'Best Student Experience' 2020 Winner (Student Nursing Times Awards)
Contemporary modules reflect current workforce development needs.
Participate in engaging learning activities, in state of the art professional-standard clinical practice simulation suites, complete with cutting edge technology.
LJMU has a recent OFSTED inspection rating of GOOD with OUTSTANDING in behaviour and attitudes.
Approved by the Nursing Midwifery Council
Please note: Application deadline is 30th June 2027
About this apprenticeship
The BSc (Hons) Child Nursing Apprenticeship (Top up) supports you to achieve a degree whilst remaining in employment. It offers an NMC-approved, quality course that will prepare you for the complex and demanding, but extremely rewarding arena of child nursing.
Child nurses care for children and young people and their families in a wide range of settings including hospitals, clinics and home environments. On the BSc (Hons) Nursing (Child) top up apprenticeship degree, you will gain the skills, experience and confidence to be an effective healthcare professional whilst you are in employment.
The programme is delivered over 18 months and is full time.
You will undertake two theoretical assessments in the first six months, and five in the final academic year: one for each theoretical module, in addition to one practice module per year. You will be assessed utilising a variety of authentic assessment methods such as presentations, essays, professional conversations, exams and be assessed in clinical practice. This will enable you to achieve across a range of assessment styles. You will have access to a variety of digital resources to support your learning and wider experience.
On successful completion of the programme, you will obtain an Honours Degree and will be able to register with the NMC as a Child Nurse.
If you are a Nursing Associate or Assistant Practitioner your previous qualification may, subject to recognition of prior learning, cover the first 18 months of the BSc (Hons) nursing programme. Do not hesitate to contact us for further information.
This apprenticeship programme is aligned and mapped against the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) Registered Nurse Degree standard ST0781 (IFATE, 2018) and is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Your preparation for working as a Registered Nurse whilst on this programme, allows you to develop your career progression whilst undertaking full time work within a healthcare environment. Increasing integration of health and social care services will require nurses to negotiate boundaries and play a proactive role in interdisciplinary teams.
Career opportunities within Health and Social Care are varied and can lead to jobs in the NHS and the private, independent and voluntary sector. As registrants progress through their career there may be opportunities in the growing number of nurse specialist posts in some clinical areas too. You may choose to stay with your current employer and progress through your organisation. Some graduates prefer to pursue careers in teaching, research or management, or continue their studies with a masters programme.
Modules
What you will study on this apprenticeship
-
All modules are core modules there are no optional modules in this programme,
- Assessment in Child Nursing
- Complexities in Child Nursing Care
- Developing practice learning
Level 6 modules:
- Person Centred Care Planning
- Leadership and Quality enhancement
- Health economics and health policy
- Managing risk in Child Nursing
- Nursing interventions and prescriber readiness
- Advancing practice learning
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Core modules
Assessment in Children's Nursing
20 credits
20 credits
This module will develop your understanding of assessing, monitoring and planning care in Children's nursing. You will also explore research methods and ethics and the application of an evidence-base to your practice. In this module the indicative content will specifically be applied within the context of Children's Nursing.
Complexities in Children's Nursing Care
20 credits
20 credits
This module will develop your critical understanding of the complexities of care in children's nursing, including end of life, commonly encountered challenges, and prioritising care.
Developing Practice Learning
20 credits
20 credits
The aim of this module is to support students in achieving proficiencies for registered nurses as part of the Practice Assessment Document. In addition, students will be directed and supported to develop an understanding of the theory that underpins the NMC Standards of Proficiency Annexe B Nursing Procedures. It is expected that students will have at achieved a minimum of 31 proficiencies by the end of level 5, with the remaining proficiencies achieved in the level 6 practice module (6106NAPRN).
Core modules
Consolidating Practice Learning
20 credits
20 credits
The aim of this module is to support students in achieving NMC proficiencies for registered nurses and all other requirements of the PAD for level 6. In addition, students will be directed and supported to develop an understanding of the theory that underpins the NMC Standards of Proficiency Annexe B Nursing Procedures.
Leadership and Quality Enhancement
20 credits
20 credits
This module will equip the learner with the underpinning knowledge required for leading and managing care, including delegation and supporting staff. They will also develop skills to monitor risk and evaluate and enhance quality of care.
Health Economics and Health Policy
20 credits
20 credits
This module will enhance the students understanding of health legislation and current health and social care policies and their influence quality of care, patient safety. They will also develop an understand of the principles of health economics and their relevance to resource allocation in health and social care organisations .
Nursing Interventions and Prescriber Readiness
20 credits
20 credits
This module explores the nurse's role in the instigation of appropriate investigations and interventions when meeting individual care needs. This module will prepare you to progress to a prescribing qualification following registration.
Managing Risk In Children's Nursing
20 credits
20 credits
This module will enable you to understand the concept of risk and to identify and appropriately respond to risk within individuals and organisations in adult nursing. In this module the indicative content will specifically be applied within the context of Children's Nursing.
Person Centred Care Planning in Children's Nursing
20 credits
20 credits
This module will explore decision making within the context of individualised care in children's nursing. In this module the indicative content will specifically be applied within the context of Children's Nursing.
Professional accreditation
This programme is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and aligned to the Standards for pre-registration nursing programmes (NMC, 2023).
Your learning experience
How the apprenticeship is taught
Your learning journey has been designed to be inspiring and motivating, provide tailored support, and to meet the specific NMC requirements for registered nurses.
You will learn through a mix of:
- lectures
- seminars
- group work activities
- simulated learning activities
- practice learning
- tutorials.
We use an active blended learning approach at LJMU. This means you will attend face to face teaching on campus - usually at the School of Nursing, Public and Allied Health, based in the Tithebarn Building (part of our City Campus), along with independent learning and work online. Examples of online activity include asynchronous tutorial discussions, discussion boards and collaborative or individual projects such as wikis, padlets, blogs and e-portfolios.
You will be taught by a team of professionally qualified and experienced academic staff, who have experience in designing, developing and delivering professional programmes.. This team liaise closely with with your practice supervisors and assessors to ensure you are supported in consolidating theoretical learning in the practice learning environment. .
How you will be assessed
You will have both formative and summative assessments throughout the programme.
Formative assessments are diagnostic in nature and focus on your development, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, in addition to providing you with feedback on your progress during the learning process.
Summative assessments are the module assessments that you need to pass to receive the credits for the module. Learning outcomes for the module will describe the knowledge, skills, behaviours and expertise that you will need to meet in order to pass the assessment. As an undergraduate student, the pass mark for your assessments is usually 40%.
The assessments for each module have been designed to align with the learning outcomes and be authentic to nursing practice. This means that assessments will require you to use the same competencies, or combinations of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that you will need to apply in your professional life.
Where you will study
Part of the City Campus, the School of Nursing, Public and Allied Health is based in the Tithebarn Building, adjoining the City Campus Library, which is open seven days a week. In addition to specialist clinical practice suite facilities, you will find high quality seminar rooms, IT suites and lecture theatres, plus a café and social spaces.
Course tutors
Sharon has been in post at LJMU since October 2020 and a registered nurse from 05.2005. Sharon was worked in a variety settings including Stroke rehabilitation, Coronary Care Unit, Acute Medical Unit and General Practice. Roles have included junior/ senior nurse, deputy ward manager, nurse manager. Sharon came to LJMU to complete her masters in advanced healthcare practice and then worked as an ANP before joining LJMU as a lecturer.
Sharon become programme leader following involvement with the trainee nursing associate programme at LJMU, her interests include widening participation and support for learners. She enjoys teaching and running the apprentice workshop days as well as actively engaging with the employers to support learners.
Funding this apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are funded courses, with learning costs paid to the university by the employer. This is done either through the Apprenticeship levy (for large companies) or with the help of the government’s co-investment model (for smaller companies).
If you aren’t already employed by a company that is willing to sponsor you through an apprenticeship, you’ll need to find one. You can do this by regularly checking the Government’s Find an apprenticeship website.
You can also approach an employer yourself to find out whether they would be interested in offering Apprenticeships and ask them to contact us. Our team will be able to explain how they can access the correct funding and the next steps.
Information for potential employers
If an employer has a wage bill of over £3 million, it would automatically pay the Government levy and would use this to fund learning via the company Apprenticeship Service Account.
Non-Levy companies can access funding via the Government co-investment model, whereby the Government will fund 95% of the learning costs and the company will fund the remaining 5%.
To access the Government funds, non-levy paying employers are required to set up an account on the Apprenticeship Service and reserve funding for apprentices, no earlier than three months before the course start date. Find out more information regarding setting up an apprenticeship service account. LJMU will still invoice non-levy paying companies for their contribution, but without this account LJMU will be unable to draw down the Government co-investment funding for the apprentices.
Next steps and onboarding
To begin the apprentice onboarding process, the employer must first be an LJMU-approved employer. To check whether your company is already a LJMU-approved employer please check the company drop down on the online application form.
If your company is not listed, please complete/ask your employer to complete the following application form to get started. Degree Apprenticeship Employer Form
Candidate submits application form: LJMU Learner online application form.
Employer to Reserve Funding via the Apprenticeship Service /or if a levy paying organisation, register your learner via the Apprenticeship Service
Employer and Candidate complete onboarding. Further information on the onboarding process can be found on our guide for onboarding apprentices page.
Partner with LJMU
Courses_Apprenticeship_OnBoarding_DefaultEntry requirements
Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements
Qualification requirements
GCSEs and equivalents
A minimum of two GCSE's which must include Maths and English at grade C (level 4-9) or above OR level 2 Equivalency in Numeracy and Literacy.
Alternative qualifications considered
Advanced standing from a FdSc Nursing Associate Programme.
Applicants to this top-up programme will need to demonstrate they have met the following learning outcomes via prior certificated study to the value of 120 level 4 credits and 60 level 5 credits.
Level L01 Apply a critical understanding and application of the knowledge, skills and proficiencies outlined in NMC Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates.
LEVEL L02 Demonstrate competency in delivery of key proficiencies, meeting the health needs across the lifespan as outlined in NMC Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates.
LEVEL L03 Display the ability to work effectively within the limits of their knowledge, the boundaries of professional Nursing Associate practice in the delivery of professional compassionate care.
LEVEL L04 Apply understanding and evaluation of evidence-based Nursing Associate practice in the delivery and monitoring of safe care provision.
LEVEL L05 Utilise effective communication skills with service users, families, and the care delivery team to facilitate the delivery of holistic care, which is non-judgemental, inclusive and promotes equality.
LEVEL L06 Effectively use skills for employment that include professional written & spoken communication; numeracy skills and digital capability and team working and collaboration.
LEVEL L07 Demonstrate skills of a reflective practitioner with the ability to engage in life- long learning.
Other international requirements
Evidence of proof of equivalency from UK ENIC can be used where an individual has an international qualification. To access the apprenticeship, the individual must have a valid and eligible status. Non-UK nationals are eligible for funding if they have been resident in the UK for at least the previous three year period on the first day of the apprenticeship.
Additional requirements
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Interview required
An interview will be conducted involving the prospective learner and the employer prior to offering a place on the programme.
Further information
-
DBS Requirements
An Enhanced DBS clearance is required to be evidenced as part of the admission process.
-
RPL
Recognition of prior learning that is capable of being mapped to the Standards of proficiency for registered nurses and programme outcomes, up to a maximum of 50 percent of the programme, is permitted (NMC Standards for pre-registration nursing programmes, 2023: 1.5).
Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.
How to apply
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU Degree Apprenticeship form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
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