Specialist Community Nursing MSc

About the course

With the MSc Specialist Community Nursing course you will develop and demonstrate specialist skills and knowledge in community nursing in the areas of:

• health needs assessment
• clinical practice
• care and programme management
• clinical practice leadership

The course is suitable for all registered nurses to achieve registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Specialist Community Nurse. Applicants are normally sponsored or seconded by a Primary Care organisation.

With the MSc Specialist Community Nursing course you learn about the strategies of working in partnership with patients and carers and evaluate current organisational and professional agendas that influence care delivery in primary healthcare settings. The main focus will be on multi-professional and multi-agency approaches to care.

In addition, you will be encouraged to develop participative leadership and management skills to ensure the delivery of quality care and professional standards in a commissioning environment. The course gives you the option to specialise in of the following areas: children's nursing, district nursing.

You will combine on campus learning at the University with hands on experience in a practice environment, with an equal allocation of practice and theory hours. Teaching takes place in specialist groups and, in some modules, learning is shared with other nursing students, i.e. students from the BSc(Hons) Specialist Community and Public Health Nursing course.

Below is a list of modules and credits that you could choose to study:

• Consolidating specialist practice (15 credits)*
• Developing community practice (15 credits)*
• Leadership and management in primary health care (15 credits)
• Managing long term conditions (15 credits)
• Managing vulnerability in primary health care (15 credits)
• Policy and Practice in Primary Health Care (15 credits)*
• Research and evaluation in primary health care (15 credits)
• Assessment and management of individual health needs (15 credits)

* For this module you need to have designated placement area working under the support and supervision of a qualified practice teacher.

Why choose this course?

• The MSc Specialist Community Nursing course will give you specialist skills and knowledge in community nursing in the areas of health needs assessment, clinical practice, care and programme management, clinical practice leadership
• It is suitable for all registered nurses who want to achieve registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Specialist Community Nurse
• It gives you the option to specialise in children's nursing and district nursing
• Focuses on the multi-professional and multi-agency approaches to care
• Combines on campus learning at the University with hands on experience in a practice environment, with an equal allocation of practice and theory hours

Study routes

• Part Time,
• Full Time, 1 Years
• Full Time,

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Teaching methods

You'll experience a wide variety of learning styles on the MSc Specialist Community Nursing course. During your studies you'll develop your capacity for self-directed study and your interpersonal skills.

We particularly emphasise the importance of structured research: well-prepared written and verbal presentations and computer literacy. Alongside elements of standard lectures, seminars, tutorials and laboratories, you also learn through case studies, individual and group projects and other student centred activities.

In your final year you will normally have the opportunity to practice your independent study skills by completing a Major project or dissertation.

You will develop your capacity for independent study and interpersonal skills on this programme. There is an emphasis on structured research, well-prepared written and verbal presentations and computer literacy.

Professional Accreditations

The MSc Specialist Community Nursing leads to an NMC recorded specialist qualification in community children’s nursing or  home-district nursing.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• Assessment and Management of Health Needs

  This module will equip practitioners with the skills to carry out effective patient centred practice in the assessment and diagnosis of a range of conditions relevant to their area of practice. The module will include critical evaluation of methods of communication and sources of health information, basic counselling skills and their application to a range of community contexts and will be closely linked to the experiences of students in their practice placements. Delivery of the module will provide students with the opportunity for shared exploration of patient management within their own practice context. The learning outcomes will be achieved through a combination of lectures, seminars, role-play and practice scenarios. This material will be constantly related to current practice experience and students will be actively encouraged to explore and integrate the knowledge obtained in their practice settings.

• Consolidating Specialist Practice SN LM

  This module enables students to consolidate their practice skills and knowledge to successfully demonstrate the standards for specialist education and practice as required by the NMC and to be able to prescribe from the Nurse Prescribers' Formulary for Community Practitioners, where local policies allow. It involves an extensive period of practice based learning, including a period of three weeks gaining experience in an alternative experience. Students will be.supported and assessed by a qualified Practice Teacher who has sign-off status(NMC 2008). The module will be assessed through a Practice Portfolio, which will include a reflective analysis of the student's development. An evaluation of their role with one client in the prescribing or administration of medicines is also included together with an in-course test.

• Developing Community Practice LM

  This module equips practitioners who have little experience in primary and community settings with an informed and critical understanding of community nursing in that context. Learning takes place in practice settings where the student is supported and assessed by a qualified practice teacher. An individualised programme of learning is developed which takes account of student's previous experience within the themes developed within the module. Reflective supervision sessions take place at the University to support practice-based learning and to enable the integration of practice and relevant theoretical approaches.

• Leadership and Management in Primary Care

  This module will equip nurses working in community and primary care settings to develop a critical understanding of the skills and knowledge required for effective team leadership and management of teams. Marketing strategies will be evaluated together with creative approaches to service planning and delivery to facilitate effective working within a commissioning environment. Approaches to effective interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration in a primary care environment will also be evaluated.

• Managing Long Term Conditions

  This module is designed to promote an understanding of the impact of long-term conditions on the physical and psychosocial health of individuals and their carers. It will develop an understanding of the evidence base for approaches to long-term conditions disease management. It will also develop the skills and knowledge to enhance service delivery. Students will be encouraged to challenge professional assumptions regarding the needs of individuals and families affected by long-term conditions.

• Managing Vulnerability in Primary Health Care LM

• Policy and Practice Issues in Primary Health Care

  This module is designed to enable community practitioners to develop an informed, systematic and critical understanding of national and local policies influencing the nature, structure and delivery of services in primary health care, and a critical appraisal of their professional role in that context. Approaches to the holistic assessment of need and strategies for health promotion will be critically examined together with an evaluative approach to the evidence based management of health issues within their professional area. The nature of the module means that it is particularly appropriate for practitioners who have recently moved to a role within primary health care and for the continuing development of practitioners seeking to explore the policy and evidence-based framework for their role.

• Research and Evaluation in Primary Health Care LM

  The module is designed for health and community care practitioners and develops their skills of critical review and analysis of systematic approaches in the assessment of community needs and evaluation of service delivery. The course enables students to critically evaluate differing theoretical approaches and frameworks and fosters the ability to use and interpret a range of data relevant to health, needs assessment and evaluation. Students will be supported in the development of a proposal for the evaluation of a service initiative designed to address an identified community need.

Optional

Fees & funding

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

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Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

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How to apply