Postgraduate Diploma Community Nursing Specialist* (District Nursing) or (General Practice Nursing)

For registered adult nurses with a minimum of one year’s post–registration experience who wish to develop their knowledge, skills and practice to perform in the role of Community Nursing Specialist Practitioner awarded by the Nursing and Midwifery Council
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*This programme will only be offered if approved by the NMC. Applications will be accepted, but places cannot be confirmed until approval is granted.
For any queries regarding admissions or enrolments, please contact the Professional Development Unit Admissions team
Telephone: +44 (0)1752 586951
Visit: Professional Development Unit, Level 4 Rolle Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom.
Opening hours:
Monday–Thursday 8:30–17:00
Friday 8:30–16:30.
Follow us on Twitter: @PlymouthPDU

Course details

This postgraduate diploma programme will be delivered over two years. Students will undertake timetabled, blended learning 1 day a week and the remaining time will be undertaken in the work-based learning setting. Working in partnership with its stakeholders the university will support the student to meet the programme learning outcomes, to enable increasing independence and autonomy as a Community Nursing Specialist Practitioner. The programme is a clinically focused programme in Community Specialist Nursing designed and developed to prepare and support adult trained nurses to work in community nursing roles in the fields of district nursing and general practice nursing.
The programme aligns with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Community Nursing Specialist Practice (NMC, 2022). On successful completion students are able to register with the NMC to annotate the community nursing specialist practitioner qualification (field specific) and V300 nurse independent prescribing qualification.  This must be done within 5 years of completion of the programme.
More than ever, it is evident that the specialist expertise of the District Nursing service and General Practice Nursing workforce are central to the provision of health care in the United Kingdom (NHS.UK, 2019, QNI/QNIS, 2015).  The need for an advanced level workforce in the community and primary care setting has been identified (NHS.UK, 2019).  
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the role of the community nursing specialist nurse and critically examine the theory, practice and principles of community nursing specialist practice using an evidence-based approach to enable them to adapt and provide a wide range of nursing care in home and community-based settings.
  • Further expand professional autonomy continuing to work within legal, and ethical and professional accountability.
  • Develop enhanced critical thinking, critical reflection skills, and attain the authority to make clinical decisions and prescribe within the NMC (2022) (Nursing and Midwifery Council) standards of the community nursing (Specialist Practitioner Qualification (SPQ)) role.
  • Develop a critical understanding of the current issues that impact on health delivery in the community setting. 
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  • Utilising a person-centred approach, assess people’s abilities and needs and plan and co-produce a plan to manage care, developing specialised advanced skills and case-management of people with undifferentiated and complex conditions. 
  • Demonstrate leadership in supporting and managing community nursing teams, coordinating care, and managing complex and dynamic community and/ or practice caseloads.
  • Lead improvements in safety and quality of care by implementing quality processes, service evaluation and improvement methodology as well as working collaboratively as part of a wider heath care team.
  • Develop expertise in evaluating research theory and methodology, to enable the application of research to improve care and services for people and communities.
 

Field specific learning outcomes - District Nursing

On successful completion graduates will have: 
  • Developed a critical understanding of the specialist role of the district nurse, by incorporating enhanced levels of professional autonomous practice, and awareness of social, political, and economic restraints in providing research based person-centred care. 
  • Knowledge and expertise to facilitate health promotion activities to meet the needs of the community, caseload, individuals, their families, and carers, promoting partnership working and developing self-management plans and working collaboratively with multiple agencies. 
  • Enhanced their understanding of the wider determinants of health, health literacy, mental capacity and safeguarding and people-centred care will be demonstrated through the analysis of advanced communication techniques between individuals, families, carers, and that of interdisciplinary and interagency environments. 
  • Developed the underpinning knowledge and skills in advanced clinical assessment and history taking when working in patients’ home settings and to use risk assessment tools to identify changes in health status and to deliver coordinated care to patients who are deteriorating, palliative or end of life. 
  • Critically explored and applied understanding of compassionate leadership and leadership theories, enabling others and managing teams, whilst promoting an open and transparent safety culture to facilitate quality improvement and initiatives in the context of district nursing and community nursing teams.
  • Developed expertise in critically evaluating research theory and methodology facilitating application of research to district nursing services and nursing in the home environment. 
 

Field specific learning outcomes - General Practice Nursing

On successful completion graduates will have: 
  • Developed a critical understanding of the specialist generalist role of the GPN, by incorporating enhanced levels of professional autonomous practice, and awareness of social, political, and economic restraints in providing person-centred care.
  • Expanded on existing knowledge, skills and attributes in primary and secondary health protection and promotion, developing an advanced capability in complex decision making and judgements to meet the needs of populations, communities and individuals and their families and carers. 
  • Enhanced their understanding of the wider determinants of health, health literacy, mental capacity, safeguarding and person-centred care incorporating advanced communication techniques between individuals, families, carers, and that of interdisciplinary and interagency environments. 
  • Developed the underpinning knowledge and skills in clinical assessment and history taking, working within the framework of the primary care consultation to deliver and co-ordinate research-based care in partnership with people through the life course who are receiving care, their families, and carers, whilst supporting service integration and collaboration. 
  • Critically explored and applied understanding of compassionate leadership and leadership theories, enabling others and managing teams, whilst promoting an open and transparent safety culture to facilitate quality improvement and initiatives in the context of General Practice.
  • Developed expertise in critically evaluating research theory and methodology facilitating the application of research to improve primary care services within General Practice. 
 

Entry requirements

To commence this programme, the applicant must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and must meet the University’s entry requirements for study at postgraduate level. Professional body registration must be maintained throughout the duration of the programme.
  • Applicants must be registered nurse (Level 1) and have a minimum of one year's post registration experience.
  • Applicants must be in salaried employment, working a minimum of 30 hours in a community nursing role demanding advanced specialist practice skills and knowledge and have the full agreement from their employer. 
  • Applicants will normally have a relevant first degree, BSc (Hons) at 2:1 or above. 
  • Applicants will be assessed individually for their ability to study at master's level and an interview will be necessary.
  • Applicants without a first degree, BSc (Hons) at 2:2 or above may be eligible to apply, if combined with appropriate practice related experience relevant to the programme and following submission of a written critical evaluation of specialist study or practice marked against the Level 6 criteria.
  • Applicants where English is not their first language must also provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with the NMC criteria of an overall score of 7.0, with at least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7 in the reading, listening, and speaking sections.
  • It is a university requirement that applicants should hold at least a Level 2 qualification in English and Maths. Candidates that do not hold these qualifications will normally be required to complete them prior to starting the programme.
  • Due to the blended learning delivery model of the programme, it is an expectation that students will have access to wi-fi and relevant electronic devices that allow them to engage fully with all aspects of programme delivery, teaching, learning and assessment.
  • Applicants are required to identify a Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor who meet the criteria (NMC, 2022 and 2023) and have undertaken preparation for the role. In addition, a Designated Prescribing Practitioner or Practice Assessor who holds the V300 qualification and meets the criteria.  
  • Self-funding, self-employed or non-NHS applicants are welcome and may be required to identify a host placement for the duration of the programme. 

Cost 

£6,600* per annum for 2024/25
Please note the fee is subject to annual increases.
*Does not apply to the Apprenticeship route. 

You can contact the Professional Development Unit with any queries

Prospective student enquiries:
Current student enquiries:
Professional Development Unit, Level 4 Rolle Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom.
Monday – Thursday 8:30–17:00 and Friday 8:30–16:30.
 
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