Public Health Practice (SCPHN) (Health visiting) BSc (Hons)

If you’re a registered nurse or midwife, our course will set you on the path to qualify as a specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN) health visitor, working with children, young people and families, and making a significant impact to their lives. Through a combination of theory and hands-on practice, we’ll enhance your academic, professional and clinical prowess, transforming you into a critical and discerning practitioner, capable of driving innovation and change in health and social care.

This course meets the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) Standards of proficiency: Specialist community public health nurses (PDF). 

What you will study

Throughout your hands-on clinical training, you’ll develop the values that employers and the public need from modern healthcare professionals such as, compassion, advocacy, good communication, teamwork skills and respect and understanding of patients.

You’ll critically examine and develop awareness of the key concepts of public health and health promotion. You’ll access and analyse data to identify health needs and develop health promotion interventions to address contemporary public health issues. We’ll teach you the fundamentals about safeguarding children, young people and adults, empowering you to play a proactive role in their protection.

You’ll study topics, including community nurse practitioner prescribing (V100), leadership, mental health and public health.

Sponsorship

To study on this course, you’ll need to be sponsored by a healthcare provider organisation. Your sponsor will provide you with your clinical placement and a community practice assessor and supervisor. They’ll simultaneously support and evaluate your practice abilities throughout the course. You’ll need to negotiate with your sponsoring organisation whether your clinical placements can be full-time or part-time.

Advertisements for sponsorship will be on NHS jobs. There is a joint selection process between the providers and the University.

Clinical placements

You’ll spend half of your training in clinical placements, allowing you to develop your knowledge, skills and practice within healthcare settings, under the supervision of qualified practitioners. You’ll complete 10 weeks of consolidated practice with your sponsoring organisation.

You’ll be supported by a community practice assessor and practice supervisor in your clinical setting and you’ll have a personal tutor at the University.

Facilities

You’ll benefit from our multi-million pound facilities, home to our Clinical Simulation Centre. Our virtual environments, lifelike mannequins and actors, will transport you to the centre of communities, so you can practise your skills and get a taste of scenarios you may face during your training and when you’re fully qualified.

You’ll also get exclusive access to our independent clinical learning room, set up each week with the necessary equipment required to practise the techniques you’ll be learning.