Child Nursing BSc (Hons) with NMC registration

Our children’s nursing programme combines theory and practice to consolidate your knowledge and clinical skills in acute, chronic and complex care of children and young people. Develop your understanding of contemporary issues in children’s nursing and the importance of a family-centred approach to assess, plan, implement and evaluate safe and effective care.

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Overview

Listen to Shaun Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Neonatal Nursing, to find out if the Child Nursing BSc (Hons) course at De Montfort University is the right choice for you.

Our dynamic and NMC-accredited curriculum ensures you will qualify with knowledge and skills to deliver safe and effective care, which is responsive to the changing climate in children and young people’s nursing.

Children’s nurses play an integral role in acute and community healthcare settings. As such we work closely with our practice partners to offer a breadth and depth of placements throughout the programme. You can explore opportunities in specialised areas, such as health visiting teams, neonatal units, children’s intensive care and Leicester City Healthy Together School Nursing Service.

Placements are typically provided across the East Midlands, in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and sometimes in surrounding counties. In your placement, you will work alongside practice supervisors and practice assessors to learn the practical application of nursing relevant to your chosen field.

This course is structured through Inter-professional (IP) learning. Allowing you to collaborate with other allied healthcare students and professionals and gain a wider understand of issues and debates in the sector.

We encourage you to challenge yourself, completing a variety of assessments to demonstrate theoretical knowledge and practical skills. You will develop expert communication skills, an understanding of cognitive development and how this influence both childhood perception of illness and care delivery. During the course, students also have access to updated facilities, utilising simulation suites, VR technology and LearningSpace software.

Key features

The programme is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and delivered in collaboration with our local NHS trusts.
Academics bring expertise across a multitude of acute, community and specialist settings enabling us to deliver high-quality professional education to our diverse student cohorts.
Study in our newly renovated facilities which comprise of simulated clinical settings and the latest teaching technology allowing you to practice your nursing skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Our strong links with local NHS trusts, private healthcare providers and charity organisations allow our students to gain practical experience in a range of placement settings throughout all three years of the course.
DMU students can gain valuable international experience as part of their studies with the DMU Global programme. Our students have previously supported healthcare programmes in Peru, improved the health of communities in India and examined the social and health inequalities faced by specific populations in the US.

Contact details

Sam Humphrey

Programme Leader BSc (hons) Nursing with NMC registration

bscnursing@dmu.ac.uk

The NHS Learning Support Fund provides eligible students with additional financial support whilst studying for their degree:

training grant of £5,000 per year
parental support payment of £2,000 per year to help with childcare
help towards additional travel and accommodation costs to clinical placements over your normal daily travel costs
an exceptional hardship fund of up to £3,000 per student per academic year

Students must be eligible for tuition fees and maintenance support from the Student Loans Company (including certain residency criteria) to be eligible. Read more about the grant and eligibility criteria.

Nursing stories

More courses like this:

UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: B702

Start date: September

Duration: Three years full-time (45 week year).

Location: De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

Fees and funding: For 2025/26 tuition fees will be £9,250

Find out more about tuition fees and available funding.

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations and the purchase of appropriate footwear for clinical practice environments.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

This programme is not currently available to international students

Entry criteria

GCSEs

Five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including: English, Maths and Science

Passes in Functional Key Skills in Level 2 Maths and English will only be accepted if the qualification and awarding organisation is regulated by Ofqual.

Plus one of the following:

A Level

A minimum of 120 UCAS points from 2 or more A levels, including one A level at C or above. We do not accept General Studies or UCAS points achieved through music exams.

T Levels

Merit in Health overall

BTEC

BTEC National Diploma - normally in Health and Social Care or Applied Science at DDM
BTEC Extended Diploma - normally in Health and Social Care or Applied Science at DDM

Access course

AHE (Nursing and Midwifery)
AHE (Science)
AHE (Health Professions)

Pass in the QAA Access to HE with a minimum of 96 UCAS points with 15 credits at Distinction level.

The Access course must have a minimum of 12 science credits (biology, chemistry or physics). If not, applicants must also have a GCSE Science grade C/4 or above to meet the requirements.

GCSE English Maths or functional skills level 2 qualifications in English and Maths are required.

We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate: 28+ points

English language requirements:

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 7 overall when you start the course is essential, with a 7.0 in all components except writing which should be at least 6.5. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Interview: Yes

Professional conduct during the event will also contribute to the decision-making regarding an applicant’s application.

The recruitment process for this course includes assessing applicants by the content of their personal statement and interview for the core values of the NHS constitution. Interviews are currently being conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams.

Work experience

Although not essential, some relevant experience – paid or voluntary, is desirable and can strengthen your application with us. Please tell us in your personal statement, and at interview details of the length of time spent gaining relevant experience and the type of experience you have. You should also clearly demonstrate your motivations and suitability to study and train as a nurse and how your experience relates to the role.

Non-academic requirements

As well as academic requirements, you will also be required to meet and fulfil non-academic requirements which are stated below:

Self-Declaration Form clearance
Occupational Health clearance
Enhanced DBS disclosure clearance

You submit an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure application form before starting the course (if you are overseas you will also need to submit a criminal records certificate from your home country), which needs to be cleared in accordance with DMU’s admissions policy. Contact us for up-to-date information.

We strongly advise that you opt for the DBS update service as it is possible that future placement providers may request a recent DBS and not one from the start of the programme. If you decide not to opt for this service then you will have to pay for the DBS again if requested by your placement provided – the university will not cover this cost.

You must meet and fulfil all non-academic requirements before 18 July 2025. Failure to meet this deadline may result in your offer being withdrawn.

UCAS Tariff changes

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Availability: This course has a limited number of places so that we can ensure a good quality placement experience. In exceptional circumstances this may result in the course becoming full before you have completed the admissions process. In this situation we will offer you the opportunity to be considered for a place on an alternative course.

Structure and assessment

First year

Block 1: Practice Experience 1

Block 2: Foundations of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology

Block 3: Influences on Wellbeing

Block 4: Foundations of Field of Practise

Second Year

Block 1: Practice Experience 2

Block 2: Research and Evidence Based-Practice

Block 3: Primary Care

Block 4: Acute Care

Third Year

Block 1: Practice Experience 3

Block 2: Critical inquiry and research proposal

Block 3: Leadership and Service Improvement

Block 4: Managing Complexities in Nursing Practise

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

See more detailed module information

Learning is supported by a strong system of personal tutors, teaching teams, academic assessors, practice work placements and enthusiastic practice supervisors and assessors. Teaching methods include:

Lectures (face to face and online)
Seminars
Webinars
Workshops
Presentations
Tutorials
Simulation activities
Clinical skills learning
Enquiry-based problem solving
Independent e-learning
Peer learning sets

You will complete blocks of clinical placements 40 hours per week and blocks comprised of theory and independent learning hours up to an equivalent of 37.5 hours each week.

Students in practice placements are allocated an academic assessor, practice supervisors and practice assessors to help develop and support learning in the practice context.

Inter-professional (IP) learning allows you to mix with other students and professionals, and understand wider issues and debates in the sector.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council introduced new national educational standards, the Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency for registered Nurses, in 2018. The curriculum from September 2021 onwards is based on these standards for nurse education.

Assessments

Assessments fall at the end of each block and are used to assess your theory and practice knowledge. We use a variety of methods that are designed to support you with developing skills vital to a career in nursing. These include:

Examinations – demonstrating resilience and working under pressure

Presentations and Vivas – developing verbal communication skills and the ability to effective communicate complex material

Essays – building strong written skills to support with communicating complex nursing information

Reflective practice – develop skills to engage with written reflection as required by the NMC

Teaching contact hours

Contact hours in a typical week will depend to some extent on the modules you are studying. However, typically you will have up to 16 contact hours of teaching per week.

The majority of our children’s nursing lecturers are registered Children’s Nurses and have a variety of experience from their pervious roles within practice. This includes paediatric and neonatal intensive care, respiratory, gastroenterology, burns, health visiting and school nursing. As well as a vast experience of clinical education and management within children services.

Our teaching team is complemented by other health care professionals and qualified teachers many of which are also research active. A number of our lecturers have doctoral level qualifications and many staff are also currently undertaking academic and professional doctorates.

The Leicester School of Nursing and Midwifery has an excellent reputation and good links with the local NHS trust and other potential employers, which is beneficial when you are applying for jobs.

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and has been developed to reflect the requirements of the NMC (2018) Future Nurse proficiencies standards of Nursing Education.

Facilities and features

Clinical skills and simulation facilities for Health and Life Sciences

At DMU we provide clinical skills and simulation teaching and practice that will enhance your theoretical learning by using realistic, immersive environments that mimics the practice environments you will encounter during your nursing placements and in your career beyond. This provides our students with opportunities to develop cognitive, practical and interpersonal skills through a comprehensive programme of simulated experiences and clinical skills sessions, allowing you to develop the confidence to perform in the real world.

DMU have invested in extending and enhancing the range of clinical skills and simulation facilities available for health and life science students. We currently have two dedicated spaces on campus that provide flexible teaching and assessment spaces to meet a wide range of student’s needs.

Hawthorn building houses two hospital ward environments, a dedicated midwifery suite, radiography suite, bespoke manual handling training room and paramedicine teaching spaces, alongside contemporary analytical chemistry and formulation laboratories.

Our designated clinical skills teaching hub in Heritage House offers flexible teaching rooms - designed to replicated the changing environments of clinical practice, a soft furnished space, audiology suite and observation rooms. Students will benefit from the audio /visual technology that allows sessions to be recorded and live streamed, facilitating remote learning opportunities. This technology also enhances your learning opportunities through the use of meaningful debriefing of teaching and simulation sessions allowing you to reflect on your practice and improve in both ability and confidence before taking your learning into the real world.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Placements

As part of this course, you will have the opportunity to complete a number of placements, which offer invaluable professional experience. Placements are typically provided locally by our practice partners in University Hospitals of Leicester or Leicestershire Partnership Trust as well as our Private Voluntary and Independent services. Students must therefore be prepared to travel to access placement opportunities which are an essential component of the programme.

Our local placements provide care some of the sickest, smallest and most vulnerable children in the East Midlands. This will fully prepare you to for your career as a qualified children’s nurse.

In your placement, you will work alongside practice supervisors and practice assessors to learn the practical application of nursing relevant to your chosen field. Placements are typically based in a variety of acute and community health environments and social care settings, including caring for individuals in their own homes. This includes a range of different shift patterns across a 24-hour cycle.

DMU Global

DMU Global is our innovative international experience programme, which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Students on this course have recently undertaken DMU Global trips to places such as Peru, where they took part in healthcare programmes, as well as India, where they helped to improve the health of communities living there. Another trip gave students the opportunity to examine the social and health inequalities faced in America.

Graduate careers

As a registered children’s nurse you will be able to work across a number of areas of your choosing, from children’s intensive care units, to acute ward based services such as medical, surgical or orthopaedic areas. Or you may consider career pathways involving more community-based work such as health visiting or school nursing or even caring for children with acute and ongoing care managed in the home environment. Beyond this and post qualification, nurses can go on to become specialist children’s nurses, paediatric ward managers or advanced nurse practitioners. Upon successfully completing the course nursing graduates are eligible to apply for NMC registration and can apply to work in a variety of roles throughout the NHS, charitable and private healthcare sectors.

Registered nurses can start on a salary of £28,407 (NHS pay scales 2023/24). Once qualified, our postgraduate study opportunities can further enhance your knowledge and skills, including Post Registation Education, professional doctorates and master’s degrees such as Physician Associate Studies MSc.

Take your next steps

Nine halls of residence and around 2,300 rooms, all of which are within easy walking distance of the campus.

Run by students for students, DSU offers more than 150 societies and almost 40 different sports clubs for you to get involved in.

Child Nursing BSc (Hons) with NMC registration

Block teaching designed around you