2024/25 entry Applications also open for 2025/26

BSc (Hons) Child Nursing with Registered Nurse Status Top Up

Start date:
June, February
Study mode:
Full-time
Course duration:
18 months
Campus:
City

Tuition fees

All figures are subject to yearly increases. Tuition fees are subject to parliamentary approval.
General enquiries:
0151 231 5090
courses@ljmu.ac.uk
International admissions
international@ljmu.ac.uk

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Why study Child Nursing with Registered Nurse Status Top Up at Liverpool John Moores University?

  • 'Best Student Experience' Winner, Student Nursing Times Awards 2020 & 'Nurse Education Provider of the Year (pre-registration)', Student Nursing Times Awards 2018
  • Clinical work experience with four placements guaranteed per year in a wide variety of healthcare settings
  • £4m invested in the Faculty's teaching and learning environment, including £1.6m developing professional-standard clinical practice suites
  • £5,000 per year grant as standard for Child Nursing students living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland plus another £2,000 for students with dependent children (eligibility criteria apply)
  • Please note, we also offer a degree apprenticeship route for the Registered Nurse Top-Up. If your employer is supporting you to apply for the apprenticeship route, please use the following link http://daaf.ljmu.ac.uk

About your course

Designed specifically for qualified Nursing Associates, our BSc (Hons) Child Nursing top-up degree will lead you to qualify as a Registered Nurse in 18 months.

You will join the course at Level 5, and study alongside second year (Level 5) students on the standard three-year BSc (Hons) Nursing programmes.

They play a crucial role in helping to improve and extend the health and life choices for children and young people via education, health promotion, support, advice or advocacy and sometimes protection.

Children's nurses need to understand how a healthy child develops towards adulthood and how to minimise the impact of illness or hospital admission on the child. Excellent communication and observation skills are crucial as children are less able to communicate their symptoms than adults and it is vital that their development does not suffer additionally due to the stress of being ill or in hospital.

This professionally-accredited degree will give you the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to deliver safe and effective nursing practice while working with children and young people and their families in a range of environments, from acute settings and within patient's homes to schools and specialist centres.

Child Nursing is not all about the child, as you also need to consider the care and support needed by the wider-family, including parents or whoever looks after the child at home. A child nurse ensures that the child (and their family or carers) are at the centre of all care decisions. Child nurses appreciate the diversity of health needs and will develop the required professional skills to support the empowerment of children and young people, families, carers, groups and communities.If you are excited by the idea of seeing how health care delivery works in other countries, there may be opportunities to study in other countries.

"Child nursing has allowed me to have the honour of looking after not only the children but their families at their most vulnerable. It has enabled me to be a smiling face that could brighten up a day in a difficult time."
Lizzy, 2nd year, BSc (Hons) Child Nursing

Professional accreditation/links

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) works with partner organisations to set and maintain high standards of nursing and midwifery education across the UK. Successfully completing an NMC accredited Registered Nurse degree allows you to apply to the official register.

Fees and funding

There are many ways to fund study for home and international students

Fees

The fees quoted above 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 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 funding pages.

Travel costs to placements and parking if using a car whilst on placement. However, you may be able to claim reimbursement of travel costs through the Learning Support Fund provided by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). Students who would like to buy extra uniform items, further to their standard uniform which is included in the course fees, have the option to do so. International experience may incur costs.

Employability

You will enjoy exciting career opportunities both in the UK and overseas

Successful completion of the course allows you to apply for registration on the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. This can lead to careers in the health sector at home or abroad and in the private and voluntary sectors.

With the BSc (Hons) Child Nursing top up degree, you will enjoy exciting career opportunities both in the UK and have the opportunity to participate in overseas placements.

There are a growing number of nurse specialist posts in some clinical areas too. Some graduates prefer to pursue careers in teaching, research or management, or continue their studies with a masters programme.

95% of LJMU's child nursing graduates go on to employment or further study within 15 months of completing the course (Source: discoveruni.gov.uk).

Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service

A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.

Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website. There are opportunities for flexible, paid and part-time work through Unitemps, LJMU's in-house recruitment service, and we also offer fully funded Discovery Internships.

One-to-one careers and employability advice is available via our campus-based Careers Zones and we offer a year-round programme of events, including themed careers and employability workshops, employer events and recruitment fairs. Our Start-Up Hub can help you to grow your enterprise skills and to research, plan and start your own business or become a freelancer.

A suite of learning experiences, services and opportunities is available to final year students to help ensure you leave with a great onward plan. You can access LJMU's Careers, Employability and Start-up Services after you graduate and return for one-to-one support for life.

Go abroad

LJMU aims to make international opportunities available to every student. You may be able to study abroad as part of your degree at one of our 100+ partner universities across the world. You could also complete a work placement or apply for one of our prestigious worldwide internship programmes. If you wanted to go abroad for a shorter amount of time, you could attend one of our 1-4 week long summer schools.

Our Go Citizen Scheme can help with costs towards volunteering, individual projects or unpaid placements anywhere in the world. With all of these opportunities at your feet, why wouldn’t you take up the chance to go abroad?

Find out more about the opportunities we have available via our Instagram @ljmuglobalopps or email us at: goabroad@ljmu.ac.uk.

A life-changing experience 

There's so much more to university than just studying for a degree.

What you will study on this degree

Please see guidance below on core and option modules for further information on what you will study.

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.

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.

Level 5

Core modules

Developing Practice for Child Nursing 2
20 credits

This module reinforces your engagement with a range of values, attitudes and skills that underpin safe and effective clinical practice. You will actively participate in care with minimal guidance to achieve proficiencies with associated NMC Professional Values. Practice-based activities on clinical placements (supervised by supervisors), key note lectures, and simulation workshops will help you develop your clinical practice.

Evidence and Evaluation in the Development of Nursing Practice
20 credits

This module aims to support your development of evidence-based thinking with regards to decision-making for effective nursing. You will:

  • Apply methods of inquiry to nursing related issues.
  • Be able to examine the link between evidence, leadership, and decision-making in nursing.
  • Be able to review processes for the safe and ethical construction and use of evidence in nursing.

Partnership Working and Care Co-ordination in Child Nursing
20 credits

This module enables you to examine strategies and approaches for service improvement in child nursing. You will develop an ability to:

  • Analyse the concept of quality improvement for child patient care.
  • Examine key strategies and methodologies in quality improvement.
  • Reflect on patient involvement in the management of their care.
  • Review methods associated with the dissemination of outputs from quality improvement initiatives.

Level 6

Core modules

Leadership, Management and Supervision
20 credits

This module supports your journey towards leadership roles in nursing. Through interactive lectures, discussions, group tutorials, action learning workshops, private study, and practice, you will foster practical skills of reflection, personal development planning, empowerment, teamwork and leadership.

Professional Practice and Coordinating Complex Care in Child Nursing
20 credits

This module prepares you for the management of the care of child patients with complex needs. You will:

  • Critically analyse the notion of complex care in child nursing.
  • Critically examine how complex care is located in a broader system of healthcare delivery.
  • Critically reflect upon how nurses manage the care of child patients with complex needs as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

The Proficient Child Nurse
40 credits

This module will consolidate your engagement with a range of values, attitudes and skills that underpin safe and effective clinical practice to support your development as an independent practitioner. You will develop your ability to practice independently with minimal supervision to achieve proficiencies associated with NMC Professional, and you will lead and coordinate care.

Globalisation, Health and Healthcare for Child Nursing
20 credits

This module enables you to support patients from different cultural backgrounds in a holistic approach to care. You will:

  • Critically review factors that influence health and well-being in the global context.
  • Critically analyse the relationship between migration and health outcomes.
  • Evaluate the challenges and benefits associated with increasing globalisation in healthcare.
  • Investigate the implications of culture and global health issues for the development of person-centred care in child nursing.

Co-ordinating Safe, Quality Children's Care
20 credits

This module establishes how complex care can be delivered safely for in-child nursing. You will:

  • Critically examine the conditions and requirements for autonomous decision making.
  • Critically review quality assurance processes for well-coordinated care.
  • Critically appraise advanced medication management in child nursing.
  • Reflect on the nurse’s role in prescribing.

Teaching and work-related learning

Excellent facilities and learning resources

We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.

50% of your programme is theory and 50% is clinical practice. Both are equally important elements.

Blocks of academic study can be up to six weeks depending on what point in the programme you are at. You will work 30 hours a week in clinical practice and will have a weekly study day of 7.5 hours.

Underpinning all aspects of the training is a commitment to ethical and anti-oppressive values, values and principles of the NHS Constitution and Professional Body requirements.

In a full year, you will have seven weeks holiday, and may be required to attend sessions outside the normal university hours of 9am to 5pm.

Work-based Learning

This includes work-based learning in primary care, nursing homes and acute settings, and gives you an invaluable opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners while experiencing the full 24-hour working pattern.

Most of your placements will be in the local area but we cannot guarantee that they will all be close to your home. In addition there is work related learning once per year in our simulated practice experience.

All students will undertake one simulated formative placement per year, which is a key feature of the programme. This placement occurs within the LJMU purpose build clinical skills suites and allows for interprofessional learning to take place, in addition to specific simulated learning.

Support and guidance

Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support

As soon as you enrol at LJMU, you will be assigned your own personal tutor, and will meet with them regularly throughout each year. Your personal tutor will give you feedback on how well you are progressing with your studies and encourage you to plan for your educational and career development.

During your clinical placements you will work alongside experienced nurses and registered healthcare professionals and be supervised by practice assessors and supervisors, as well as having the support of academic link lecturers.

Additional support is always available within the Faculty or from student support workers if you need it. All new students coming in to the faculty will have a student mentor allocated to them. Student Mentors are second and third year students who have been selected and trained to mentor new students in all aspects of university life. The student mentor service offers an exciting opportunity for personal and professional development.

Assessment

Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.

Assessment is through a combination of practice placements, exams, essays and assignments and presentations. There will also be clinical assessment, which will be undertaken whilst in clinical practice where you will be assessed by practice supervisors and assessors.

You will be offered feedback at various points during the course and support will always be readily available from your individual module tutors should you need advice or guidance at any time. We believe that constructive feedback is vital in helping you identify your strengths as well as the areas where you may need to put in more work.

Facilities

What you can expect from your School

Part of the City Campus, the School of Nursing and Allied Health works with a wide range of health and social care organisations to design and deliver a dynamic suite of courses. 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. The School's flagship Tithebarn Building adjoins the Avril Robarts Library.

Entry requirements

Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements

Grades/points required from qualifications:

Qualification requirements

GCSEs and equivalents

Prior to starting the programme applicants must have obtained Grade C or Grade 4 or above in English Language and Mathematics GCSE or an approved alternative qualification below:

  • Key Skills Level 2 in English/ Maths
  • NVQ Level 2 Functional skills in Maths and English Writing and or Reading
  • Skills for Life Level 2 in Numeracy/English
  • Higher Diploma in Maths/ English
  • Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths/ English
  • Northern Ireland Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
  • Wales Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number

A levels

  • Minimum number of A Levels required: N/A

 

BTECs

  • National Certificate (RQF): N/A

Access awards

  • Access to Higher Education Diploma acceptability: N/A

International Baccalaureate

  • International Baccalaureate: N/A

OCR Cambridge Technical

  • National Certificate: N/A

Irish awards

  • Irish Leaving Certificate: N/A

Welsh awards

  • Welsh Baccalaureate: N/A

NVQ

  • Are Level 3 NVQs acceptable? Not Acceptable

Alternative qualifications considered

Other Information:

Satisfactory Medical Clearance/Examination. We will contact you directly to undertake this. Satisfactory Enhanced DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service - formerly CRB). We will contact you directly to undertake this and further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check

In addition, applicants will have to follow Faculty procedures for declaring any convictions after interview.

Accepted as an alternative to IELTS is Occupational English Test (OET):

We'll accept an OET examination certificate that confirms you achieved:

  • at least a grade C+ in the writing section 
  • at least a grade B in the reading, listening and speaking sections

Additional requirements

  • Interview required

    Interview required

International requirements

Further information

  • DBS, Occupational Health requirements
  • Reduced offer scheme

    As part of LJMU’s commitment to widening access we offer eligible students entry to their chosen course at a reduced threshold of up to 16/8 UCAS points. This applies if you are a student who has been in local authority care or if you have participated in one of LJMU’s sustained outreach initiatives, e.g. Summer University. Please contact the admission office for further details.

International entry requirements

Find your country

Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.

Application and selection

Securing your place at LJMU

To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.

The TNA to BSc (Hons) Child Nursing top up programme recognises that prior learning and experience is integral to your learning.

Applicants must hold Nursing Associate qualification.

Any overseas qualifications should be equivalent to UK qualifications which meet our entry requirements. If you have completed your degree outside the UK, we will require a clear copy of your degree documentation to ensure NARIC comparability.

Please note that all applicants who are invited to interview will be required to present their original documentation.

English and Maths GCSE at grade A* - C
(discuss with admissions team if you have equivalent qualifications)

If English is not your first language, IELTS (Academic) with an overall score of 7.0, including least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7.0 in the reading, listening and speaking sections. The University may be able to accept alternative English Language qualifications from applicants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) on a case by case basis in line with the appropriate Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines.

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.
Further information on the terms and conditions of any offer made, our admissions policy and the complaints and appeals process.