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STUDY

Undergraduate

BSc (Hons) Children's Nursing

Medical thermometer
Institution code: S82
UCAS code: B730
Start date: September 2025
Duration: Three years full-time
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 112 UCAS tariff points or above, BBC (A-Level) DMM (BTEC)
Institution code: S82
UCAS code: B730
Start date: September 2025
Duration: Three years full-time
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 112 UCAS tariff points or above, BBC (A-Level) DMM (BTEC)
Book an open day Ask a question Applying to university get a prospectus
Book an open day Ask a question Applying to university get a prospectus

Overview

Study Children’s Nursing at the University of Suffolk and embark on a rewarding career as a nurse, specialising in the care of infants, children and young people. We’re proud to have the highest rated Children’s Nursing Course in the East of England for student satisfaction and support (NSS, 2024).

The Children's Nursing programme emphasises your collaboration with professionals across healthcare, social care and educational sectors, working together to provide an exceptional standard of care for young patients and their families.

You will develop the expertise, understanding and confidence to meet the diverse healthcare requirements of young patients, their families and caregivers through hands-on placements and child focused studies.

Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and underpinned by the NMC's 2018 Standards for Pre-Registration Programmes, the course has been designed by our expert nursing team in collaboration with practice and service users.

As a Children’s Nursing student, you will benefit from consistent guidance provided by our teaching staff, who achieved a 100% rating of academic support (National Student Survey 2024), alongside support during clinical practice placements. The course offers an inclusive learning environment, with tailored learning support and assessments designed to facilitate the success of every individual, ensuring you are a career ready graduate.

We collaborate closely with our practice partners to guarantee a positive placement experience and to optimise both theoretical and practical learning opportunities for your success. Each children’s nursing student is assigned a personal academic coach receiving dedicated mentorship provides a personalised and unwavering support system throughout your nursing journey at the University of Suffolk.

Further information about the university's relationship with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is available in the PSRB register.

 

Get closer to your future as a Children's Nurse

Nursing students working on a simulated patient

The University of Suffolk is world-class and committed to our region. We are proudly modern and innovative and we believe in transformative education. We are on the rise with a focus on student satisfaction, graduate prospects, spending on academic services and student facilities.

5th

in the UK for graduates in career 15 months after graduation for health professions

(Guardian University Guide 2023)

6th

in the UK for spend on academic services

(Complete University Guide 2024)

2nd

in the East of England for graduate prospects

(Complete University Guide 2024)

Course Modules

Our undergraduate programmes are delivered as 'block and blend', more information can be found on Why Suffolk? You can also watch our Block and Blend video.

Your degree is divided into two parts: clinical placements and university theory. We use various teaching methods and technology to prepare you for placements, which may include areas like Children’s Ward, Day Surgery, Outpatients, Neonatal Unit, Emergency Department, Children’s Hospice, and more.

Each year, you must pass four theoretical modules and one clinical practice module, totaling 120 credits. This comprises two 40-credit modules and two 20-credit modules, with the clinical module requiring a 'pass.' You should also complete the allocated yearly practice hours, with at least 70% needed for progression. These modules aim to deepen your understanding of child care, align with nursing values, and meet NMC requirements for UK registration as a Children's nurse. If you need any further information about this course, please contact us at childrensnursing@uos.ac.uk.

Downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Records.

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This module will help the student to develop the skills to assist them to make a transition to the BSc (Hons) Children’s Nursing course. The module will focus on helping the student to develop the knowledge and understanding of the theoretical and practice aspects of the course. The theoretical content of this module will help the students recognise and meet the challenges of studying in a university setting, academic writing and the study skills required. The NMC Code (2018) identifies the importance of evidence-based practice; therefore, this module will introduce the students to this aspect of children’s nursing. The module will also facilitate opportunities for personal and professional development, including self-awareness, resilience, and working within teams.

Health promotion and public health are essential components of the children’s nurse’s role. This module will help the student to develop knowledge and understanding of the importance of early years and childhood experiences and the possible impact of these on life choices and mental, physical and behavioural health and wellbeing. This will underpin health promotion strategies used throughout the lifespan. Students will also learn about preventable illness and current health issues affecting children and young people in today’s society. This module runs concurrently with the Paediatric Biosciences module where students will learn about child development, which is an essential requirement in order to promote the health and well-being of children and young people.

This module will focus on the philosophical underpinnings of children’s nursing by helping students develop knowledge and understanding of family and child-centred care.  It will build upon the students’ transition to children’s nursing and encourage students to understand and reflect upon the role of the nurse within contemporary society. It will equip students with an understanding of the distinct needs of infants, children, young people and their families. The module also offers students an opportunity to explore key policy, guidance and legislative frameworks central to the health and well-being of children, young people and their families. Key concepts will include the rights of the child, legal status, partnership working, advocacy and communication.  The student will also gain knowledge of some common acute and long-term healthcare conditions and gain skills in the assessment of children and young people’s health as well as the principles of care planning.

This module will help the student to develop the skills and understanding of paediatric life sciences. Students will begin to demonstrate familiarity with anatomical and scientific terminology together with the biological concepts relevant to children’s nursing. The module will provide students with an understanding of the structure of the body’s systems and their function and how the human body maintains health.  Students will also learn about child development theories, focusing on the social, emotional, and cognitive growth of infants, children and young people. The module will also focus on preparing the student for clinical practice by gaining practice as well as the underpinning knowledge of a range of essential skills, which will be introduced via simulated learning using facilities within the clinical skills laboratory. The module will run across the first two semesters to ensure application to practice as students experience a variety of practice areas.  

The NMC (2018) Standards for pre-registration nursing requires that students learn and are assessed in practice environments. This module focuses on developing competence in the areas of practice covered in the Practice Assessment Document Part 1. Professional values are viewed as an important aspect of working in practice environments and are therefore, assessed through this module. Through practice placements students will be able to observe, participate and assist in the provision of evidence based patient/service user centred care.

Advances in technology and medical care means that more children are now living with complex healthcare needs and life-limiting illnesses. This module will help the student to develop knowledge and understanding of the complex needs of children and young people living with long-term conditions and life-limiting illness.  It will build on the first year modules where common and acute illness will have been explored as well as the underlying principles of family and child-centred care.  Key concepts will include symptom management, palliative care, professional, ethical and legal frameworks of care, intra-agency working, self-management strategies, transition to adult services and end of life care. 

The Code (NMC 2018a, p.9) states that nurses are required to; “… assess need and deliver or advise on treatment … on the basis of best available evidence.” Students therefore need to build on their knowledge of evidence based practice gained from year 1, to understand the role played by research in this process.   Research is fundamental for the progression of the profession of nursing and all nurses need to; “… appreciate the value of evidence in practice, be able to understand and appraise research, apply relevant theory and research findings to their work, and identify areas for further investigation.” (NMC 2018b, p. 6).  This module will help to inform students’ knowledge and understanding of the research process in preparation for the Dissertation module. 

There is a growing awareness that children’s nurses should have the necessary underpinning knowledge and skills; to care for the increasing number of children and young people with mental health illness. This module will help to enhance the students’ existing emerging knowledge and skills, developed from previous modules and clinical practice; in the holistic care of children and young people with mental health illness and families. It includes gaining an understanding of perinatal mental health, early year’s development and attachment factors, which can affect the emotional health and wellbeing of the child. The student will also explore risk and resilience factors, which influence the mental health of the young person. In addition, the module will help students to develop a deeper understanding and awareness of the contemporary issues faced in caring for children and young people with mental health needs

This module builds upon the knowledge and cognitive skills introduced in term one and two to enable students to make an increasingly significant contribution to the individual child/family plan of care. Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the assessment and care planning of the neonate, child and young person with an acute illness and their families; whilst taking into account their specific needs and how this influences care delivery. Within this module the student will also develop clinical skills and supporting knowledge required to assess plan, implement evidence based care for children with acute illness and their family in a variety of settings.

The NMC (2018) Standards for pre-registration nursing requires that students learn and are assessed in practice environments. This module focuses on developing competence in the areas of practice covered in the Practice Assessment Document Part 2. Professional values are viewed as an important aspect of working in practice environments and are therefore, assessed through this module. Through practice placements the students will be able to observe, participate and assist in the provision of evidence based patient/service user centred care.

Increasingly, practitioners are required to lead effective change, implement key leadership and management skills to improve patient care. Therefore, developing effective leadership, knowledge of service improvement strategies and lifelong professional development skills are vital for children’s nurses working within healthcare. This module will offer the opportunity to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of applying effective leadership and management theories to your own clinical practice.  The module will offer the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills for employment and transition into contemporary professional practice within the developing health and social care environment.

This module will help the student to build on and develop the skills and understanding of medicines management in preparation for their role as a registered children’s nurse. The NMC (2018) Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses identify that students need to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, accuracy and competency in all aspects of medicines management to successfully complete the course. This module will focus on the leadership and management aspects of medicines management. The role of registered nurses as prescribers of medication is currently being developed by the profession. Therefore, this module will assist the students in this role by enabling them to demonstrate the theoretical knowledge to underpin this role and enable them to progress as prescribers after registration.

At the point of registration, the newly qualified nurse, must be able to demonstrate the clinical reasoning skills that guide and inform best practice decisions, and develop evidence-based practice for service users. This module provides an opportunity for students to refine and demonstrate independence in developing ideas, constructing sound arguments and to justify and defend developments in practice. It provides students with an opportunity to carry out an in-depth investigation on a topic of their own choice related to their field of nursing practice and seeks to equip them with the skills of project planning, design, analysis and critical evaluation. The module involves independent study under the guidance of a research supervisor.

This module aims to enable students to apply a range of assessment strategies to recognise and monitor deterioration in a range of children. The student will develop an in depth understanding of the physiological compensatory mechanisms of children. The module will increase the student’s understanding of evidence based interventions to increase their ability to respond safely when caring for a child whose condition may deteriorate.

The NMC (2018) Standards for pre-registration nursing requires that students learn and are assessed in practice environments. This module focuses on developing competence in the areas of practice covered in the Practice Assessment Document part 3. Professional values are viewed as an important aspect of working in practice environments and are therefore, assessed through this module. Theory hours are allocated for practice preparation; practice consolidation; e-learning and tutorial support.
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WHY SUFFOLK

2nd in the UK for Career Prospects

WUSCA 2024

3rd in the UK for spend on academic services

Complete University Guide 2025

4th in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction

Guardian University Guide 2024
Students standing by a bedside
Children's nursing students
Students with a stethoscope
Students in the Health and Wellbeing building
A lecturer drawing on a whiteboard in scrubs
Nursing lecturer
Lift shaft of the Health and Wellbeing Building
Health and Wellbeing building facilities

Entry Requirements

2025/26

112 UCAS Points (or above)

  • BBC (A-Level)
  • DMM (BTEC)
  • Merit (T Level)
  • Access to HE Diploma 30 Level 3 credits at Merit grade or above
How to Apply Entry Requirements Explained

All applicants are required to hold five GCSE's at grade C/4 or above including English and Maths at Grade C/4 (or Level 2 equivalents). 

 

IELTS 7.0 is required where English is not the students' first language. You can read more about our English language requirements here.

Please select your country of permanent residence from the list below, specific requirements for your country will then be shown. 

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Any offer of a place will be subject to: 

  • Successful interview
  • Satisfactory Health check
  • Satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check - fee applicable
  • Two satisfactory references

As part of the selection process, you will be expected to demonstrate good knowledge and a clear understanding of the scope of work that a nurse is required to undertake as well as the significance of the NHS Constitution and its core values. 

If you have previously studied at higher education level before you may be able to transfer credits to a related course at the University of Suffolk and reduce the period of study time necessary to achieve your degree.

Further information on Recognition of Prior Learning
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Career Opportunities

Graduates of our BSc Children's Nursing degree can pursue a range of diverse careers and register on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Professional Register.

Work in roles such as:

  • Children’s Nurse | Hospital ward, outpatients, surgery
  • School Nurse
  • Community Paediatric Nurse
  • Neonatal Nurse
  • Health Visitor
  • Hospice and community areas
  • Emergency departments

Some nurses stay at training hospitals whilst others relocate nationally or internationally. You can pursue master's degrees or post-grad studies in new roles if you wish. Newly qualified nurses must undertake post-qualification preceptorship; revalidation onto the NMC register is mandatory every 3 years, requiring evidence of continuous education and development.

At the University of Suffolk, we offer a range of short courses and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities in Health, Wellbeing and Integrated care. Find out more about our Health CPD courses.

Your Course Team

Nicole Sloman

Nicole is Lecturer in Children's Nursing and her career has been based around the speciality of Neonatal Nursing.

Nicole Sloman staff profile photo

Joanne Learney

Joanne is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing and is a registered Adult and Children’s nurse, with experience in adult and paediatric intensive care.

Joanne Learney staff profile photo

Amy Hindmarch

a.hindmarch@uos.ac.uk
Amy Hindmarsh

Rachel Van den Brink-Budgen

Rachel is a lecturer in Health Apprenticeships.

Rachel Van De Brink-Budgen

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Tuition Fee

£9,535

per year
International Full-time Tuition Fee

£18,380

per year and including placement fee

The decision to study a degree is an investment into your future, there are various means of support available to you in order to help fund your tuition fees and living costs. You can apply for funding from the Spring before your course starts.

UK Fees and Finance NHS Learning Support Fund International Fees and Scholarships

Facilities and Resources

The Health and Wellbeing building provides students with a variety of state-of-the-art clinical simulation facilities, including two simulated hospital wards, a midwifery birthing unit, physiotherapy teaching spaces, a sports and exercise facility and a working radiography imaging suite.  The building also hosts the Institute of Health and Wellbeing Research and the Integrated Care Academy. 

Lift shaft of the Health and Wellbeing Building
A student paramedic using phlebotomy training equipment
A nursing student and lecturer using a manual resuscitator bag
Close-up of a laptop with student listening to heart rate in the background

How to Apply

To study this course on a full-time basis, you can apply through UCAS. As well as providing your academic qualifications, you’ll be able to showcase your skills, qualities and passion for the subject.

Apply Now Further Information on Applying
A silhouette of a student in their cap and gown

A student of BSc (Hons) Children's Nursing

"Having a smaller cohort to other universities enables a personal approach to learning. This has given me the support from the teaching team which I know is not always available at other universities."

A student nurse writing on a whiteboard

Related Courses

Stethoscope
BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing

Studying Adult Nursing at the University of Suffolk is an excellent choice for someone looking for a fulfilling and rewarding career.

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BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing (Degree Apprenticeship) 4 year

This course will enable you to develop the knowledge, attitude, and skills necessary to register as an Adult Nurse.

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BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing (Degree Apprenticeship) 2 year

This program's purpose is to facilitate your development in order to meet the requirements for registration as an Adult Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

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MSc Adult Nursing (Pre-registration)

This accelerated course aims to prepare existing graduates for an exciting and rewarding career as a Registered Nurse (Adult).

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Related News

NEXT STEPS

Now you know more about the course, we can guide you through the next steps.

HOW TO APPLY
ACCOMMODATION
FUNDING YOUR COURSE
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