Nursing Studies (for overseas nurses) BSc (Hons)

The BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies is a bespoke full time, one year programme for nurses qualified overseas, that supports and develops the study skills and knowledge base essential for nursing.

The programme has been developed together with nurses from practice and international students who have successfully studied for a BSc (Hons) at UW. It will provide you with a high quality education with flexibility and support. The BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies is a bespoke full time, one year programme that supports and develops the study skills and knowledge base essential for nursing.

Benefits of doing the programme:

The University of Worcester seeks to produce graduates who are equipped to be high achieving citizens throughout their lives. This programme aims to enhance your employability in an international context. It aims to contribute to the improvement and development of healthcare in your own country. Employers will value the skills and qualities of a University of Worcester graduate as you will be able to take responsibility for your own learning and development, plan and make critically informed decisions through the transferable skills of self awareness, resilience, and creative enterprising. The University also provides the opportunity to engage in post-graduate study including the Masters degree MSc in Advancing Practice. The Masters programme is stimulating and develops a critical appreciation of health and social care within a contemporary, social, political, economic and cultural context. This is a full-time, module programme which will help you to enhance your practice and advance into new roles.

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Study options

There are 2 choices for you to consider:

1. The BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies as a one year top-up degree
2. The BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies as a one year top-up degree with the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP) (subject to validation)

Details of each option are below:

Option 1: The BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies as a one year top-up degree

Key points

This will not give you Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration so you will not be able to work as a qualified nurse in the UK.

The structure of the BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies is as follows:

One year top-up degree (Sept-June) (120 credits at level 6)
BNSI3003- Nursing Research
BNSI3004 - Chronic Disease Management: Long term Conditions
BNSI3005 - End of Life and Palliative Care
BNSI3006 - Leading Clinical Teams
BNSI3001 - Independent Study

Option 2: The BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies as a one year top-up degree with the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP) (subject to validation)

This will add an additional 3-6 months to the programme depending on how long the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) decide you need to spend in practice in the UK.

Key points:

This will give you registration with the NMC so you will be able to work in the UK as a nurse after you have completed the course.
The University of Worcester will assist you in finding a supervised practice placement in a local NHS hospital;
You will work with a qualified mentor who will help you achieve the necessary competencies to be signed off as a qualified UK nurse;
After you have completed the BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies and start your supervised practice, you will be expected to work shifts on a full time basis and you will not be paid for your supervised practice.

The structure of the BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies and ONP is as follows:

One year top-up degree (Sept-June) (120 credits at level 6)
BNSI3003 - Nursing Research
BNSI3004 - Chronic Disease Management: Long term Conditions
BNSI3005 - End of Life and Palliative Care
BNSI3006 - Leading Clinical Teams
BNSI3001 Independent Study
3-6 months placement (decision made by NMC)
ONP module - The 20 days protected study time will have been completed as part of BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies.

Entry requirements for 1 year BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies

A qualification equivalent to a UK Diploma of Higher Education worth 240 credits: 120 credits at level 4 and 120 credits at level 5
A nursing qualification recognised in your home country
An appropriate visa for entry to study in the UK
If English is not your first language you are required to achieve IELTS 6.0 in all areas or equivalency according to the University’s admission criteria.

Entry requirements for 1 year BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies and ONP

A qualification equivalent to a UK Diploma of Higher Education worth 240 credits: 120 credits at level 4 and 120 credits at level 5
A nursing qualification recognised in your home country and you must have worked for one year after qualifying
An appropriate visa for entry to study in the UK
If English is not your first language you are required to achieve IELTS 7.0 in all areas according to the NMC’s admission criteria (for detail pleas go to: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Registration/Joining-the-register/Trained-outside-the-EU--EEA/)
You must apply directly to the NMC for a decision letter which will tell you how many months you need to spend in supervised practice in the UK.

Modules

BNSI3003: Nursing Research - 20 credits

Module outline - This module is designed to facilitate the development of knowledge and understanding of the research process. It provides an opportunity to explore the research process and establish the ability to critically evaluate research and its relevance to practice.
What will I learn? - Theoretical underpinnings of research: philosophies and paradigms, the research process, data collection methods, ethics/research governance, data analysis, critical appraisal of published literature, data presentation and putting research into practice.
Assessment - The assignment will be a 3,000 word essay that critically examines a piece of health care research. The essay should demonstrate an understanding of the research process and present a thorough critique, based upon clearly identified and appropriate literary evidence.

BNSI3004: Chronic Disease Management: Long Term Conditions - 20 credits

Module outline - This module will act as an educational framework for professionals involved in the management of chronic disease/long term conditions. It is designed to enable you to provide more effective care for people with complex chronic disease/long term conditions.
What will I learn? - Management of the person with a chronic disease/long term condition, definitions and perceptions of chronic disease management, the role of families and the support they require, complex case management and co-morbidity, public health issues, holistic health care: patient education, self management and patient empowerment, interprofessional and organisational issues, collaborative approaches, health promotion, medicines management and concordance, motivational management and changing health behaviours, mental health issues and what is it like living with a chronic disease.
Assessment - This will consist of a 3,000 word critical analysis of the principles of managing a chronic disease/long term condition of your choice. You will be expected to demonstrate a clear understanding of all the learning outcomes for the module.

BNSI3005: End of Life and Palliative Care - 20 credits

Module outline - This module is designed to introduce core principles underpinning supportive, palliative and end of life care. This spans across differing life limiting experiences and addresses challenges practitioners face in supporting patients at the end of life.
What will I learn? - Review of the principles and definitions of palliative and end of life care, communication skills, practice models and philosophy, palliative care and end of life care pathways and frameworks, the patient experience of palliative and end of life care, the impact of the multi-professional teamwork and key workers within palliative care, palliative care for a variety of life limiting conditions, e.g. cancer, HIV, other long term conditions, holistic assessments for this client group, holistic management of common palliative care symptoms, spiritual care and loss and bereavement.
Assessment - An essay that reviews and debates the principles of end of life and palliative care applied to your local and national frameworks in relation to the care of the chosen patient. You will be required to include how you would address the needs of patients and their families and strategies that might assist the patient and family with end of life care and support.

BNSI3006: Leading Clinical Teams - 20 credits

Module outline - This module is designed to reflect and nurture the individual needs of each person as a leader. Leadership in nursing is vital to enable you to champion and deliver high quality, compassionate care in innovative ways.
What will I learn? - Personal and organisational, knowledge and practice relating to leadership experiences, leadership as a concept to include: effective leadership; developing and managing change effectively; personal effectiveness skills; motivation theories; working effectively in teams. Patient satisfaction and the patient experience and organisational development.
Assessment - A 3,000 word report that draws on the themes explored throughout the module to create a vision-led action plan for developing your leadership and people management qualities over the next two years. Your action plan should provide a critical analysis of your current leadership style and qualities and a critical rationale that is underpinned by contemporary and relevant applied leadership theory.

BNSI 3001: Independent Study - 40 credits

Module outline - This module is designed to give you the experience of working independently. It provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate knowledge and intellectual skills developed in previous modules through the planning, operationalisation, analysis and discussion of a substantive piece of work whilst under the guidance of a supervisor.
What will I learn? - Development of a project, teaching health care package or literature review following University and subject guidelines, undertaking of the approved independent study activities, negotiation with allocated supervising tutor for tutorial support, interim tutorial and completion of interim report on progress.
Assessment - You can choose one of these assignments:

Project. This will include comparing a policy from your own country with one from the UK. This can be on any aspect of care chosen by you and negotiated with your supervisor. You will be expected to critically review both policies and identify how they can be implemented within the country noting differences and similarities between the two countries.
Or:
A teaching or heath education package. This will consist of teaching material in the form of written, verbal, recorded or online resources that can be used in your home country. You will be required to support your package with a critical review of the material produced and support it with relevant literature.
Or:
Literature review of a subject chosen. This will be negotiated with your supervisor and you will be expected to draw on and critique relevant literature in your chosen area of practice.

Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP)

The ONP is based on five guiding principles that:

      - ensure safe and effective practice in the interests of safeguarding the public
      - enable you to meet the initial requirements to transfer skills and experience to the UK setting
      - enable you to be assessed as being at least as competent as any newly registered UK-trained nurse
      - enable supervised practice to be delivered over variable timeframes, as determined by the NMC, and based on your training and experience. It must also ensure that you meet the practice requirements for registration
      - are subject to NMC quality assurance processes.

The ONP will consist of two integrated parts, a 20 day period of protected learning time, and a period of supervised practice. For those undertaking the BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies, your 20 day protected learning time is within the programme.

Pre-sessional English course

The University of Worcester puts on pre-sessional English courses over 6 or 12 weeks if you need to:

Raise your IELTS or equivalent score
Want to improve your level of general and academic English
Seek an introduction to academic English and develop study skills to succeed.

The University of Worcester may decide that you will need to undertake one of these courses before you start the programme. Courses run over the summer before the September start date.

The course content includes:

Academic vocabulary extension
Academic reading skills and strategy
Listening strategies for lecturers and note taking skills
Grammar practice
Guidance regarding the avoidance of plagiarism
Skills in citing and referencing sources
Presentations
Seminar style discussions
Time management strategies
Recognition and development of preferred learning styles
Life in Britain today

Minimum Entry Requirements:

Six-week course:
Undergraduate entry – IELTS score of 5.5 (with not less than 5.0 in writing)

Twelve-week course:
Undergraduate entry – IELTS score of 5.0 (with not less than 5.0 in writing)

How much does it cost?

Course fee for the BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies: £9000 - A scholarship is available for up to £2000. The closing date is May 31st for a September start date.
Course fee for the BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies and ONP: tbc
Course fee for the ONP: tbc
A 6 week pre-sessional English course: £1600 - This includes accommodation and a social programme.
A 12 week pre-sessional English course: £2500 - This includes accommodation and a social programme.
Living costs: £75-127/week to live in student accommodation on campus.

Earn while you learn:

You can also have the opportunity to earn while you learn as your visa will allow you to work and earn for up to 20 hours per week. You can choose to work part time in local nursing homes as a healthcare assistant. This will give you an opportunity to experience hands-on nursing care in a UK setting. Other part time work is also available. It is not advisable to work whilst undertaking the ONP as you will be expected to work full time in the NHS hospital. You will not be paid for the placement as part of the ONP.