This course will equip you with the evidence to demonstrate eligibility to register for specialist practitioner status with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This course may also be suitable if you are a registered practitioner seeking further educational opportunities covering supporting autonomous practice, educational and practice development or exercising clinical leadership.
You can expect approximately 510 hours of scheduled contact time, which may include lectures, seminars, tutorials, project supervision and workshops.
To complete the course and receive the professional award, you are required to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standard of a minimum of 113 days of practice. This timescale will include 55 days learning and 15 days gaining relevant experience in areas of responsibility, even if not central to the defined area of practice (i.e. Health Visiting or School Nursing). It also includes a minimum of 50 days of consolidated training at the end of the course to enable you to strengthen your education and competence in the practice field (Health Visiting or School Nursing). Your overall time spent in practice will total 120 days.
You will also spend approximately 540 hours of independent study such as e-learning, preparing for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading and completion of assessment tasks and revision.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
Fifty per cent of the course is undertaken in practice and students’ achievement of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of Proficiency is assessed during this element by a practice teacher. Fifty per cent of the course is undertaken in theory, here students are assessed through coursework such as: essays, portfolios and presentations along with an unseen written examination.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they may change if the course modules change.