2024/25 entry
PG Dip Specialist Community Practitioner: Community Children's Nursing
About this course
Study for LJMU's Registered Specialist Community Practitioner Children's Nursing course and have your NMC professional competencies assessed in practice.
- Study for a recorded qualification in Community Childrens Nursing.
- Learn from expert nurses and specialists on this contemporary programme.
- Benefit from a curriculum praised for its enhanced practice perspective and outstanding fitness for practice from the NMC
- Have your professional competencies, as set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), assessed in theory and practice
- Experience 17.5 or 22 weeks (dependent on the length of your programme) of practical placements
- This course will only run subject to minimum numbers
Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a recordable qualification, this programme meets the aims of all four groups of children within the NHS at Home (DH2011) document.
The course covers the treatment of children with: acute and short term conditions; long-term conditions; disabilities and complex conditions, including those requiring continuing health care and neonates and life-limiting and life-threatening illness, including those requiring end of life care.
As a community childrens nurse you must be able to demonstrate flexibility and creativity, working collaboratively with children, young people and their families and demonstrating high quality practice leadership to maximise patient independence in collaboration with partner organisations.
The specialist practice experience and theoretical learning provided by this course will enable you to deliver seamless, high quality, holistic care. You will use your existing skills, knowledge and experience to provide holistic nursing care to children, young people and their families at home, or close to home. The course will also equip you to lead and develop community childrens services.
Informed by the very latest developments, the course examines: the role of the Community Children's Nurse, transition care from children's to adult services and leading and developing CCN services for the future. You will explore the development of Continuing Health Care Funding for Children; children's palliative care; clinical supervision and risk management.
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Angela's story
Angela studied for a degree in Nursing at Salford University at the beginning of her career. Wanting to develop her expertise, she recently undertook her Specialist Community Practitioner qualifica...
Professional body recognition
The programme is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
www.nmc.org.uk/Approved-Programmes
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
Funding
There are two routes for funding for this course:
- Sponsorship (when a local NHS trust or organisation will sponsor you to train for the duration of the programme at LJMU)
- Secondment (for those currently employed by a local NHS organisation that will provide the practice placement whilst studying at LJMU).
Employer sponsorship
Some organisations and companies fund the cost of postgraduate studies for their employees as they recognise the value of having well qualified staff. Check out our courses and see if there are any on offer that could enhance your current career. Remember, employer support doesn't always have to be financial; it can take other forms too, such as flexible working arrangements, day release and time in lieu of study.
Funding sources
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From Postgraduate Masters Loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you'll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
The School of Nursing and Allied Health works with a wide range of health and social care organisations to design, deliver and evaluate a dynamic suite of postgraduate programmes.
The Schools wide-ranging portfolio of cutting-edge postgraduate courses enables you to enhance your existing skills in the field of health and social care, develop specialised knowledge and expertise and improve your long-term job prospects.
All programmes meet the needs of the current healthcare agenda and the growing demand from this ever-evolving sector for increasingly skilled healthcare professionals.
Each programme is informed by cutting edge research, ensuring you have the opportunity to study the latest developments alongside world class experts. Indeed, in the 2014 REF, 68% of LJMUs health-related research was considered world leading or internationally excellent.
The student experience
Discover life as a postgraduate student at LJMU.
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
You will study a mix of core and optional modules on your course to a total of 120 credits. 100 credits come from mandatory core modules and then you have a choice to select one 20 credit optional module from those available.
Core modules
Leadership for Specialist Practice
20 credits
This module aims to enhance your skills and knowledge, enabling you to take a central role in the development of practice within your working environment.
It will also provide an opportunity for you to engage in debate and discussion, so you can identify your strengths and weaknesses as a leader within your organisation.
You will further consider how you can influence and inspire others at both a local, regional, national and international level.
Research for Specialist Practice
20 credits
This module provides an overview and understanding of a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and their application in the clinical and social care environment. It enables you to read, understand and critically analyse clinical and social care research literature. You will:
- examine a variety of research methods, used within the sphere of health and social care practice and development
- develop skills in critical evaluation of literature available within the field of health and social care development and clinical management
Paediatric Clinical Examination and Minor Illness
20 credits
This module centres on the major physiological systems, building on prior knowledge and expertise. It will go on to inform greater understanding of the causes and management of common childhood illnesses and their diagnosis. It aims to provide an educational package meeting the needs of nurses and other allied professions required to act autonomously within a variety of ambulatory settings, improving the skills and knowledge of those who are the first point of contact for children, young people and their families.
Contemporary Issues in Community Children's Nursing Part 1
20 credits
This course will encourage you to combine your theoretical and practice-based learning to enable them to work towards improving the experiences of children, young people and their families where their specific care needs across integrated pathways, including primary, secondary and in some cases tertiary care. It enables you to develop the ability to transfer your existing skills and knowledge in order to provide safe, evidence-based, risk managed, holistic nursing care to children, young people and their families within the community context.
Optional Modules
Independent and Supplementary Prescribing
20 credits
Aimed at healthcare professionals, this module allows you to prescribe, safely, appropriately and cost-effectively as independent and/or supplementary prescribers, in accordance with both legal and the professional requirements of relevant professional bodies (NMC, HPC, RPSGB). It:
- gives you knowledge to address the specialist educational needs of nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals working within specialist areas and with specific client groups
- prepares you to exercise advanced clinical reasoning, critical thinking and creative problem solving with regard to the unique challenges associated with medicines management among infants, children and young people, the elderly and other specific client groups
*Please Note: Students who wish to undertake V300 Independent and Supplementary Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP), as part of the PgDip Specialist Community Practitioner Children's Nursing programme, must have at least one year post registration experience. Students wishing to undertake this module must also be deemed competent by, and obtain permission and support from their employer. All students who wish to undertake V300 Non-Medical Prescribing will have to complete an additional 'North West Non-Medical Prescribing Application form' which will be approved by the prescribing programme team prior to commencement on the NMP programme.
Negotiated Work Base Learning for Specialist Practice
20 credits
This module will help you to maximise learning opportunities and experiences relevant to your own area of work in order to facilitate practice, career and professional development.
Along with your practice teacher/mentor and the module leader, you will identify the area of study as part of personal development planning to meet the standards for community specialist practice (NMC 2001) and the voluntary standards for District Nursing (QNI 2016), where appropriate. There will be a focus on practice development for service delivery.
Contemporary Issues in Community Children's Nursing Part 2
20 credits
The focus of the module is on the future development and sustainability of children's community nursing services. This will enable students to become proficient, effective change agents and equip them to develop community children's nursing services of the future and meet the diverse needs of children and young people.
During the module, you will examine the key policy drivers responsible for shaping the future of community children's nursing, along with how challenges can be overcome and thinking outside of the box to identify innovative ways to meet future requirements will be explored.
You will be encouraged to think at a strategic level about the development and organisation of children's services. This will involve both operational and management issues as well as working with key stakeholders to implement a vision for children's community nursing services. The Practice Evidence Tool must be completed and passed by the end of this module.
You will undertake this module if you already hold a V150/300 qualification, otherwise you will undertake the version of the module with V100 Nurse Prescribing as detailed below.
Contemporary Issues in Community Children's Nursing Part 2 with V100 Nurse Prescribing
20 credits
The focus of the module is on the future development and sustainability of children's community nursing services. This will enable students to become proficient, effective change agents and equip them to develop community children's nursing services of the future and meet the diverse needs of children and young people. During the module, you will examine the key policy drivers responsible for shaping the future of community children's nursing, along with how challenges can be overcome and thinking outside of the box to identify innovative ways to meet future requirements will be explored. You will be encouraged to think at a strategic level about the development and organisation of children's services. This will involve both operational and management issues as well as working with key stakeholders to implement a vision for children's community nursing services. The Practice Evidence Tool must be completed and passed by the end of this module.
This module includes community practitioner prescribing which is assessed by an exam. The pass mark is 80%, however the numeracy questions must score 100%. Additionally, if any answers suggest risking the patient's health, the exam will be marked as a fail. The prescribing competences in the V100 Practice Competency Framework Document must also be passed. The prescribing element of this module is graded as pass / fail. Learning Outcome for V100 Nurse Prescribing Practice within a framework of professional accountability and responsibility to apply and display knowledge of drug action in prescribing practice to provide a rationale to support the decision making process in safe, appropriate and cost-effective prescribing within area of individual practice. You will undertake this module if you do not currently hold a V150/300 qualification, otherwise you will undertake the version of the module without V100 Nurse Prescribing as detailed above.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
The programme timetable comprises 50% theory and 50% practice.
Modules run on one, two and, very occasionally, three specified days of the week. This allows the timetable to be predictable, and facilitates the part-time students undertaking the relevant modules with their full-time counterparts. The university day usually runs from 9.30am to 4pm.
Practice days are in a combination of single days or blocks of days. This combined approach has been developed in response to student and practice teacher feedback. It allows the student to become established in the practice setting, supports continuity of patient/client care, and aims to support students to balance their practice and academic work. The practice day varies by placement area and service, but generally attendance is required 9am-5pm.
Teaching methods
An important element of the programme is to recognise and utilise the current skills of the students and to build on these competencies. Students are encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences and to network both within their peer group and externally. The teaching and learning activities will build on student experiences and will facilitate and encourage further development of existing theoretical and professional knowledge.
The use of interactive lectures and seminars, group work and problem based learning techniques help identify existing skills and, at the same time, encourage students to develop and tailor their portfolio of competencies to meet present and future challenges.
"Many of the sessions are shared between the different routes of the community programmes and with other disciplines. Group discussions and workshops provide an ideal opportunity for students to gain knowledge about other specialist roles.
Applied learning
There is a series of placements to enrich your learning and allow you to experience a variety of partner settings.
You will spend time in a children's hospice, a special school, A&E, a children's walk-in centre and a neo-natal unit. These invaluable placements will enable you to build up a network of contacts and a greater appreciation of where your role a Specialist Community Children's Nurse fits into the overall scheme of healthcare provision."
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
To gain the credits required for each module you must be able to demonstrate that you have achieved all of the learning outcomes for that module and completed the Practice Evidence Tool.
Formal grading, which counts towards your final module results, involves essays, seminar presentations, reflective diaries, reports and essays, exams and clinical skill observations. You will also receive feedback on your progress throughout the course.
Theory assessments are awarded pass, refer or fail and practice assessments are classed as competent or not competent in each specific area.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Caroline Boyle
Programme Leader
Caroline has a background in community childrens nursing and is passionate about holistic community health provision for children and young peoples. She has been a childrens nurse for 26 years, and a qualified community childrens nurse for 11 years. Caroline also has an Advanced Practice and Independent and Supplementary Non Medical Prescribing Qualification and experience of managing episodes of care within the community in partnership with children, young people and their parents/cares. Since becoming Programme Lead for the CCN programme Caroline has commenced her postgraduate certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at LJMU; she is due to complete this in August of this year.
It is both exciting and rewarding to watch CCN students grow in their confidence and abilities as the programme progresses and, at the end, to emerge as qualified CCNs with the drive to make positive changes in community care for children, young people and their families.
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Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer -
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer
School facilities
What you can expect from your School
Situated in the City Campus, the School of Nursing and Allied Health works with a wide range of health and social care organisations to design, deliver and evaluate a dynamic suite of postgraduate programmes. In addition to specialist facilities, you will find high quality meeting and seminar rooms and lecture theatres, the Avril Robarts Library, plus a large cafe, IT facilities and social spaces.
LJMU's excellent educational and professional training facilities include 1.6 million practice suites which show a patient's journey from the home environment through to rehabilitation. We use the latest clinical equipment for simulations and developing clinical skills in child, adult and mental health nursing, paramedic practice, social work and midwifery. We also have purpose-built, soundproof booths with video camera and playback facilities.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
NVQ
- DipHE in Nursing
- Applicants without a DipHE may gain entry to the programme by evidencing 120 credits at level 4 and 120 credits at level 5 either through study or RPEL, against this programme's stated level 4 and 5 learning outcomes
Additional requirements
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Relevant work experience
- Current level one registration on the NMC professional register (part one or part two)
- A minimum of a year’s post-registration experience
Further information
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Extra Requirements
- Satisfactory DBS and references required
- Students who wish to undertake V300 Independent and Supplementary Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) as part of the PgDip Specialist Community Practitioner Community Children's Nursing Programme must have at least one years’ post registration experience. Students wishing to undertake this module must also be deemed competent by, and obtain permission and support from their employer.
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RPL
- RPL is accepted on this programme
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.