BSc Childrens Nursing: University of the West of England

Introduction

Think of any issue relating to children in today's society, and you will find it central to Children's Nursing. This includes whether premature babies should be given all possible care, the debate around smacking and the problems of teenage binge drinking. Children's Nursing as a profession has evolved rapidly from its traditional role of caring for sick children in hospital, to being an integral part of a multi-professional workforce dealing with children and families who may have a diverse range of health issues. Children's Nurses must be prepared to work where the child is, this can be at home, in hospital or at school (and anywhere in between). The role includes helping children of all ages and their families to cope with illness or disability and the associated challenges.

The course is aimed at men and women with a genuine and long-standing interest in children's health and welfare, who wish to pursue a career that is focused around prioritising children and making a positive impact for their care and health needs.

Content

The course is modular and, as part of this Children's Nursing course, you undertake unique and interprofessional modules offering opportunities to learn alongside students who are studying a range of health and welfare courses. The course places strong emphasis on the development of interpersonal skills, and those required to work effectively with other professionals in health, social care and education. Children's Nursing students need to develop expertise across a range of topics including biological, sociological and psychological sciences, politics, research, play, law and ethics.

Children's nursing encompasses all ages from neonates to adolescents. The tendency for children to be cared for at home wherever possible means that those admitted to hospital are acutely or critically ill, and in need of highly skilled nursing care. Increasingly sophisticated nursing technical procedures need to be underpinned by an in-depth understanding of the psychosocial-biological sciences. So you will have a wide range of experiences on this course that will equip you to care for children both in hospital and in the wider community.

Careers/further study

The possession of a qualification in Children's Nursing is a beginning that opens the doors to a wide range of careers. Once registered, nurses can work within hospitals or the community for either the NHS, armed forces, prison service or a private sector employer. There is work available in all parts of the UK and in a wide range of specialities. Children's Nurses can combine a range of clinical work alongside study for a post-qualifying course. This will allow Children's Nurses to become experts in specific areas of children's health and progress to senior positions of responsibility within the profession.

Admissions and International Recruitment

Admissions and International Recruitment deals with enquiries and applications for all full-time undergraduate programmes. Contact us by

• telephone: +44 (0)117 32 83333
• fax: +44 (0)117 32 82810
• e-mail: admissions@uwe.ac.uk
• letter: Admissions and International Recruitment, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK