Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
The Community Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) programme is designed to equip postgraduates with the skills required for community specialist practice and there are four pathways to choose from: District Nursing, General Practice Nursing, Adult Social Care Nursing and Community Children’s Nursing.
As a Children’s Community Nurse (CCN) your role is pivotal in supporting babies, children, young people, and their families through their early years, very often with life limiting, life threatening, complex, and acute health needs. We know there has been a steep rise in the complexity of the care needed in recent years and with this comes complex ethical decision making, enhanced technology and working across multiple agencies including health, education, social care, private and voluntary agencies. This programme will enhance your current skills and knowledge, developing your autonomy, decision making and leadership skills and critical approach in further developing services to meet the growing needs of babies, children, young people, and their families. We hope that you will enjoy learning in a stimulating environment with other passionate practitioners where you can learn from others experience as well as through activity and work-based learning. This is an exciting opportunity to develop yourself into a community specialist practitioner to further develop and improve services for babies, children, young people, and their families.
Each pathway has a distinct approach to its delivery; however, all share a more practice focused delivery, with a 60/40 split between clinical practice and protected learning time at Northumbria University respectively. This ensures that the specialist field of practice focuses on the specialist skills required for the pathway and is evident in the optional modules and as pathway-focused learning and teaching across all modules.
Students also benefit from integrated learning with fellow community specialist practitioner students. This programme has been innovatively designed and coproduced with a vast range of stakeholders from all pathway routes in both health and social care, to truly reflect contemporary specialist practice, need and service provision requirements.
Registered nurses already hold recognised knowledge and skills of the profession from the Standards Framework for Nursing and Midwifery Education. This ensures that across all fields, registrants can deliver holistic care needs to people they encounter with a range of mental, physical, cognitive, behavioural, social, or spiritual needs. The Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice are designed to recognise new models to meet the diverse needs of people of all ages, in their home, in settings close to home and in the community.
These Standards of Proficiency for Community Nursing Specialist Practice will provide additional knowledge and skills for postgraduate community nurses to record Specialist Practice Qualifications on the NMC register. Equipped with the SPQ qualification, these community nurses will build on these proficiencies as they gain cultural competence, experience, and fulfil their professional responsibility. They will demonstrate their commitment to develop as a specialist community practitioner, building a career pathway, and engaging in ongoing education and professional development opportunities necessary for revalidation.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
2 years Part Time
1 other options available
Location
Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2025
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
Watch Chief Executive Officer of the International Council of Nurses and recent honorary degree recipient, Howard Catton, as he visits our healthcare facilities and discovers the benefits of studying Nursing at Northumbria.
NMC are the nursing and midwifery regulators for the UK. Watch the videos below to help you understand what is expected of nurses and the key aspects of the role.
Caring with Confidence is a series of bite-sized animations about key aspects of your role as a nursing or midwifery professional, and how the Code can support you. In this animation we look at professionalism and what this means for you as a registered professional. Visit our website to find out more: https://fal.cn/3axu6
It's important that everyone feels confident about the care they can expect from the nurses and midwives on our register. We've introduced new standards for nurses and midwives in the UK, supporting them to deliver kind, safe and effective care now and in the future. As a result, our nurses and midwives are at the forefront of improving people's health and wellbeing. We've made two short animations to help you understand what you can expect from your nurse or midwife.
Explore our immersive 360 tours, informative subject videos, inspirational student profiles, ground-breaking research, and a range of life at university blogs videos and articles.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Kevin Murphy
Assistant professor and Programme Lead
Jane Callum
Assistant Professor
Robin Hyde
Assistant Professor
Karen Elton
Assistant Professor
Chris Parker
Lecturer
Dr Claire Pryor
Assistant professor
Isabel Quinn
Assistant professor
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Department Facilities
Discover our Clinical Skills Centre and more
Academic Language Skills Programmes (ALS)
Our 24/7 University Library
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Current Research Themes
Department of Nursing, Midwifery & Health
Multidisciplinary Research
How do we support people with long-term health conditions?
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
Watch two of our lecturers discuss their own clinical experiences, and explore some of the opportunities available to you once you qualify as a Registered Nurse.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
TBC
Full UK Fee: TBC
Full International Fee: TBC
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
AC7129 -
Advancing Community Specialist Practice Through Leadership (30 Credits)
This module offers 30-credits at level 7. It is part of a post-qualifying, Postgraduate Diploma, Community Specialist Practitioner Qualification (with pathways) (District Nursing, Community Children’s Nursing, General Practice Nursing or Adult Social Care Nursing). This module is available to full-time and part-time students undertaking the Specialist Practitioner Qualification (SPQ). This module is focused on leadership, specific to your area of clinical practice. It allows you to apply and relate what you learn in the classroom to your academic assessment by giving opportunity to explore an area of contemporary community specialist practice. During the module you will learn how to lead an audit in your area of specialist practice. Drawing on the findings of the audit, you will create a poster for presentation. The poster will outline a service improvement. As you complete the audit you will learn about the application of leadership theory, into practice. You will also gain knowledge about the development of sustainable practice-based interventions and the principles of risk stratification, that would improve health outcomes for your population. As Community Specialist Practitioners are required to demonstrate a proactive, autonomous approach to their practice, presenting the service improvement will enable you to develop knowledge, understanding and skills about directly influencing practice in a positive way within your discipline. Developing skills to recognise the need for action, entrepreneurship and innovation in public health practice, you will learn techniques to lead, influence and challenge stakeholders and services relating to health policies that affect your specialist area of practice.
At the end of the module the focus of your learning, through leadership, will be fundamental to the promotion of specialist practice within your pathway (District Nursing, Community Children’s Nursing, General Practice Nursing or Adult Social Care Nursing). This means opportunity to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and populations, allowing you to demonstrate real-life application of your developing leadership skills. Each specific pathway encounters a range of real-world situations requiring leadership expertise, demonstration of sound judgement and skills to manage unpredictable circumstances. Specific to your field of practice in bespoke sessions, you will explore these in significant context in order to develop your knowledge and confidence which will be demonstrated in your pathway specific leadership role. You will also benefit from collaborative working with students from other pathways, allowing for integrated approaches to problem solving and managing complex decision making.
AC7131 -
Advanced Clinical Assessment Skills for Community Specialist Practice-Babies, Children and Young People (20 Credits)
This module focuses on advanced clinical skills assessment in community specialist practice and is a core module for those students undertaking the community specialist practice qualification- Community Children’s Nursing. You will be supported to strengthen and develop your knowledge base in relation to conducting, interpreting, and evaluating complex health and social care needs for babies, children, and young people, working in partnership with their families, drawing upon principles of person and family centred care.
You will develop your practice in addressing the physical and psychosocial dimensions within clinical assessment, taking into consideration epidemiology, community demography and social determinants of health and illness. Advanced communication skills will be developed, and you will be supported to apply strategies with developmental consideration of babies, children, and young people, enabling them and their families to make informed choices about their care.
The module will have a distinct focus on common as well as complex conditions encountered when caring for babies, children, and young people. Teaching will adopt a body systems approach with a range of seminars, practical workshops, tutorials, lectures (Online Supported Learning OSL packages), and tutor guided learning, with sessions focusing specifically on conditions, examining the physiology, pathophysiology, and relevant pharmacology, as identified in the co-production of this module with our stakeholders and employing partners. In addition, you will have the opportunity to understand the application of genomics and epigenetics in informing person and family centred care.
You will develop your autonomous practice and ability to lead, and manage whole episodes of care for babies, children, young people, and their families, understanding when to admit, discharge or refer as appropriate. You will have the opportunity to advance your specialist knowledge, critical thinking, and decision-making skills, undertaking comprehensive clinical assessments, focusing on practice-based scenarios. Similarly, you will be supported to analyse a range of informatics, including clinical investigations, to assist your assessment and diagnosis, distinguishing between normal and abnormal findings across the differing needs and age ranges of babies, children, and young people. You will also demonstrate your ability to accurately document your findings, identifying pertinent clinical and care solutions and effectively communicate these appropriately within the inter-professional team as well as to babies, children, young people, and families.
RV7000 -
Academic Language Skills(ALS) for PG Nursing and Midwifery students (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.
AC7066 -
Non-Medical Prescribing (V300) (Optional,40 Credits)
This module will facilitate your development of the knowledge and skills required for safe and effective prescribing from a legally specified UK formulary. Successful completion of all components of the module will lead to the achievement of a recordable prescribing qualification with your regulatory body (NMC or HCPC). The subject areas you will study include assessing the patient and considering prescribing options, pharmacology for prescribing and de-prescribing, legal and regulatory frameworks, providing information, reaching shared decisions, monitoring and reviewing treatments, prescribing safely, professionally and as part of a team and improving prescribing practice.
More informationAC7132 -
Enhancing Care for Babies, Children and Young People Living with Life Limiting and Life-Threatening illness/condition (40 Credits)
Recognising the increasing complexity, mortality and morbidity of children’s health this module will explore the evidence base in supporting babies, children, young people (BCYP)and their family/ carers. The impact of health inequalities will be acknowledged as will the importance of needs assessment at individual, community and population levels recognising the complexity and diversity of contemporary society.
You will develop your knowledge and competence in caring for BCYP from early diagnosis, through to palliative and end of life care, spanning a range of life threatening and life limiting conditions. You will learn the essential elements that contribute to recognising, responding, and improving the care for them and their families, including your role as care co-ordinator and the skills required to facilitate this effectively.
You will understand the importance of being able to recognise, assess and respond to BCYP with a palliative condition, demonstrating the importance of advanced care planning and difficult conversations. The complexities and importance of a multidisciplinary team approach in the assessment, diagnosing, management and ongoing support for BCYP and their family, friends, or carers will be explored including referral to specialist services (primary, acute, mental health, social, private and voluntary care sectors).
You will develop your decision-making using evidence-based assessment tools and consultation methods to ensure that BCYP receive individualised care and support based upon their need and individual choices and opinions
Therefore, you will develop an awareness of the impact that contemporary policy and practice drivers have and how these influence health and social care delivery.
AC7137 -
Transforming Community Specialist Practice through Research, Policy, Evidence and Evaluation (30 Credits)
The module introduces you to research methods which assist you to transform current and contemporary Community Specialist Practice across all Specialist Pathway Qualification (SPQ) pathways. You will develop the ability to interpret and apply critical knowledge and appreciation of epidemiological research and contemporary health policy as appropriate. You will evaluate specialist practice, using data, analysis and synthesis from evidence related to your area of specialist practice. Each pathway reflects specific complexity and need, which will be explored throughout the module in field-specific sessions dedicated to exploring your specific pathway. This learning will continuously link to your pathway in all delivered sessions. You will learn to determine strategies to critique, evaluate and disseminate evidence and research from local, national, and international sources which contribute to global innovation and improve the health of people, communities, and services. You will learn how to identify gaps in evidence and plan to address health inequalities through innovation that improves health and well-being. You will identify social structural factors from empirical and narrated data, which influence health and promote sustainable development and intervention goals. You will utilise and effectively participate in critique of evidence and research strategy across interdisciplinary and interagency teams to address public health priorities and evaluate interventions. In addition, you will generate new theory by applying evidence and data from research and policy to promote health and prevent ill health across the life course, applying an evidence-based approach to optimise public health outcomes. Finally, you will learn how to disseminate evidence from research and evaluation, sharing outcomes and lessons learnt locally, nationally, and globally in clinical practice through professional networks and peer reviewed processes.
More informationRV7000 -
Academic Language Skills(ALS) for PG Nursing and Midwifery students (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.
The following alternative study options are available for this course:
Sep start
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.
We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.
You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need.
We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:
Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.
Information about all of our tuition fees, funding and scholarships.
Get an insight into life at Northumbria at the click of a button! Come and explore our videos and 360 panoramas to immerse yourself in our campuses and get a feel for what it is like studying here using our interactive virtual tour.
Back to top
