• Discover an innovative approach to gaining specialist and advanced knowledge ‘tailor built’ for the neonatal practitioner with assignments designed to translate knowledge and skills to the practice environment.
  
• Meet the nurses QIS (Qualified in Specialty) competencies and have access to a large number of options that meet professional and organisational needs to enhance practice and service delivery.
  
• Learn from neonatal care practitioners with our academic partnership modules with very specific work related modules developed and delivered in partnership with local healthcare providers.
  
• Develop confidence, competence and emotional resilience to consistently exercise personal responsibility and professional accountability for decision making and the provision of high-quality safe care.
  
• Underpin your interventions with the best available evidence, contemporary knowledge and high-level clinical decision-making skills.
  
• Flexibly designed programme enabling you to ‘step on and step off’ over a five-year period in response to service need and professional circumstances.
  

• Programme overview

• This programme offers the awards of BSc /BSc (Hons), Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma.
  
  BSc – to achieve a BSc you will need to earn 80 credits by undertaking two 20 credit core modules and one 40 credit core module.
  
  BSc (Hons) – to achieve a BSc (Hons) you will need to earn 120 credits by undertaking two 20 credit core modules and two 40 credit core modules.
  
  Students who have previously obtained a health related degree at 2:2 or above are eligible to access the programme via the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma route – please see panel below for further details.
  
  The module 'HEAD361 - Independent study' is only a core module for students who wish to achieve the BSc (Hons) Professional Development in Neonatal Care award.
  

  For further information on the modules that make up this programme please visit the BSc (Hons)/ BSc Professional Development modules.
  

  Core modules

  • HEAC396P Contemporary Issues in the Care of the Newborn

    This module will enable the practitioner to develop and utilise appropriate skills whilst promoting an environment conducive to the provision of high quality care for new-born babies requiring additional care and their families.

  • HEAC397P Intensive Care for the Neonate

    This module will enable practitioners to develop and utilise appropriate skills and contribute to an environment conducive to the provision of high quality Intensive care to sick and pre-term babies and their families by increasing their knowledge and critical understanding of current research and practice.

  • HEAD360 Understanding Evidence to Inform Clinical Decision Making

    The module is designed to extend students' knowledge around evidence-informed decision making. This will be achieved through students identifying and evaluating a body of research-based evidence relevant to clinical practice.

  • HEAD361 Independent Study

    This module extends knowledge of primary and secondary research and develops critical appraisal skills. Students construct an 8000 word integrative literature review of a practice focused research topic.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

BSc Hons Professional Development in Neonatal Care pathway specification 6170

To be eligible for the BSc or BSc (Hons) programme you will need to be a health professional with current registration to the Nursing and Midwifery Council with experience of working in neonatal care. You should also be currently working in an environment in which newborns with additional needs are admitted.

If you wish to undertake the graduate certificate and graduate diploma award pathways you must already hold an honours degree at 2:2 or above in a health or health related subject.

Applicants whose first language is not English must also provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with the University’s Admissions Code of Practice - IELTS minimum of 7 in each part.

AP(E)L:
Claims for credit for prior learning, whether certificated or experiential are accepted and will be assessed following University regulations and faculty procedures.

Applications for this programme can usually be made throughout the year. Please check the closing date and apply as early as possible as our programmes are popular.

Apply for this programme

To apply for this programme please contact the Professional Development Unit:

Professional Development Unit
4th floor, Rolle Building
Plymouth University
Drake Circus
Plymouth PL4 8AA

Email: pduadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk

Tel: +44 1752 586951

What happens after I apply?

You will normally receive a decision on your application within four weeks of us receiving your application. You may be asked to provide additional information, to take part in an interview (which in the case if you are an overseas student may be by telephone or video conference) or you will be sent a decision by letter or email.

If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by Plymouth University, please visit our Disability Services website.

Support is also available from our International Office if you are an overseas student applying to the University.