Nursing (Adult) – Part Time

What You’ll Study – Your Journey to Becoming a Registered Nurse

This course is carefully designed to build your confidence, skills, and understanding at every step. Whether you’re returning to education or starting something completely new, you’ll be supported as you grow into a compassionate and competent nursing professional. Each year blends academic learning with hands-on placement experience, helping you connect theory to real-life care.

Year 1 – Building Strong Foundations

Start your journey with the essentials of nursing care, health science, and working with others to support wellbeing.

• Collaboration for Individual and Community Wellbeing – 20 credits
  Explore how different professionals work together to improve health and wellbeing, and how you can play a role in supporting individuals and communities.
• Fundamentals of Nursing Practice – 40 credits
  Gain the key knowledge and skills to deliver safe and effective care, learning what it means to be a nurse in practice.
• Sciences for Nursing Practice – 40 credits
  Discover how the body works, and how science underpins the care you’ll provide across physical and mental health.
• Part 1 Placement
  Apply your learning in real care settings, supported by experienced professionals who will help you build confidence in your role.

Year 2 – Developing Your Knowledge and Confidence

In your second year, you’ll go deeper into applied science and professional development while building your practical skills.

• Applied Sciences for Nursing Practice – 40 credits
  Take your science knowledge further—understand how diseases develop and how nursing care can help people recover or live well with illness.
• Developing Nursing Practice – 40 credits
  Advance your hands-on skills and prepare for more responsibility in the workplace.
• Personal and Professional Development – 20 credits
  Learn how to reflect on your learning, set goals, and grow into a confident, professional nurse.
• Part 2 Placement
  Spend more time in real clinical settings, gaining experience across different types of care and patient needs.

Year 3 – Taking the Lead in Complex Care

You’ll start to take on more complex challenges and develop your leadership skills as you move closer to registration.

• Assessing and Addressing Complexity in Practice – 20 credits
  Learn to recognise when patients need more complex care and how to respond confidently and safely.
• Evidence and Enquiry for Practice – 20 credits
  Find out how research and evidence help nurses make the best decisions in care, and how you can use it in your own practice.
• The Advancing Professional – 40 credits
  Build the skills and insight needed to take on more responsibility, lead aspects of care, and support others.
• Part 3 Placement
  Develop the independence and confidence to manage more complex situations in clinical practice.

Year 4 – Preparing for Your Future as a Registered Nurse

This final year is all about preparing for registration and stepping into the profession with confidence.

• Complexity and Leadership in Professional Practice – 20 credits
  Develop the leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving skills needed to deliver care in challenging and changing environments.
• Consolidating Sciences for Nursing Practice – 20 credits
  Revisit and bring together your scientific knowledge to support high-quality, person-centred care.
• Transition to Registration in Adult Nursing Practice – 40 credits
  Focus on becoming a fully autonomous practitioner, ready to take your place in the nursing workforce.

Please Note: Occasionally, updates to module content may take place to reflect current best practice. You’ll be fully informed of any changes that affect your studies.

Here’s a more engaging and student-friendly rewrite of the “How you learn” section, while keeping all the key information:

How You’ll Learn – Practical, Supportive, and Designed for Your Success

On this course, learning is much more than lectures—it’s about bringing theory to life and developing the skills that truly make a difference in people’s lives. You’ll be guided by experienced academic staff who come from a wide range of clinical backgrounds, giving you real insight into the world of nursing from day one.

Learn It. Live It.

You won’t just study nursing—you’ll live it. Through a dynamic blend of academic learning and hands-on practice, you’ll apply what you learn directly in both simulated environments and real-world placements. This means you’ll gain confidence in your skills as you develop them, always supported by expert staff and clinical supervisors.

Learn With Others

Nurses are a vital part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Throughout your studies, you’ll collaborate with students from other health and social care courses—building a deeper understanding of how different professionals work together to deliver truly person-centred care.

How You’ll Be Assessed

We use a variety of assessments to reflect the different skills you’ll need in your nursing career. You’ll be assessed through:

• Exams
• Poster presentations
• Reflective writing
• Practice-based assessments
• Extended projects
• Group and individual presentations
• Written coursework

Each method is designed to stretch your thinking, develop your communication, and prepare you for the challenges of real-world practice.

What You’ll Explore – Year by Year

Year 1: Get Started with the Essentials

You’ll build a strong foundation in the principles of nursing, health science, and professional values. Through your first placement, you’ll begin developing your confidence and clinical skills in real settings.

Year 2: Dive Deeper into Complexity

You’ll explore more complex care scenarios across adult and child settings, considering the needs of patients and their families. You’ll start to take on greater responsibility and deepen your understanding of the nurse’s role in diverse environments.

Year 3: Take the Lead

This is where it all comes together. You’ll consolidate your learning, lead elements of nursing care, and prepare to transition into professional practice. Your confidence and capability will grow as you step into your future role.

You’re Not Alone – Support Every Step of the Way

We know that returning to study or balancing learning with other responsibilities can be challenging. That’s why we provide a high level of personalised support throughout your course, helping you grow both academically and personally.

You’ll have access to:

• The Student Support Triangle – for academic, personal, and career guidance throughout your journey.
• Our Skills Centre – offering one-to-one sessions, webinars, and online resources to help you plan, structure, and succeed in your assignments.
• Practice support – from clinical educators and supervisors who help you apply your learning and build confidence in the workplace.

We’ll encourage you to be curious, think critically, and ask the important questions—then support you as you discover the answers.

This course is designed to prepare you not just to qualify, but to excel—equipping you to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care from the moment you graduate.

UCAS points

• 112

From A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. We do not accept AS levels. For example:

• BBC at A Level.
• DMM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
• A combination of qualifications, which may include general studies.

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

• English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
• Maths at grade D or 4 or equivalents*
• Science at grade C or 4 or equivalents*

GCSE Maths equivalents

• Level 2 Key Skills/Application of Number/Grade D at GCSE Maths/ Level 2 Maths credits from an Access course
• maths equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk

GCSE English equivalents

• Level 2 Literacy
• Level 2 Key Skills

GCSE Science equivalents

• OCR Science Level 2
• science units gained on a Level 3 BTEC or OCR National Diploma or Extended Diploma Qualification
• science credits gained on Access to Higher Education Diplomas (at least 12 credits gained at level 2 or 6 credits gained at level 3)
• science equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
• Access – Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in health studies, health science, social sciences or nursing. At least 15 level 3 credits should be graded at merit level.

If you are in the process of completing the FdSc Professional Practice in Health and Social Care at UCNL or UCDon and are looking to progress your career as a registered professional, we would welcome an application from you. Please note the different application routes below:

• Completing the level 4 Certificate of Higher Education in Professional Practice in Health and Social Care means you can apply via UCAS to be considered for entry at Year 1 of your chosen professional degree
• Completing the full two year FdSc to level 5 means you can apply to be considered for entry in to Year 2 of this professional degree. This is a direct application process in accordance with the partnership arrangement between Sheffield Hallam University and DN Colleges, not via UCAS. Please note that places to commence this course in Year 2 are limited.

Nursing Associate Apprenticeships & Assistant Practitioner (Health) Apprenticeships will be considered on an individual basis and could enable you to commence this programme from year 2.

• Degrees will be considered on an individual basis and if you already hold a first degree with an upper second class honours or above, you may be eligible to study our pre-registration MSc Adult Nursing

IELTS

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 7.0 in reading, listening and speaking and 6.5 in writing, or a recognised equivalent. If your level of English language is currently below IELTS 7.0 we recommend you consider an appropriate Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve the required level of English.

This course prepares you for a career in clinical nursing within a range of health and social care settings, including:

• Primary and community care
• Secondary care
• Private and voluntary organisations
• Advanced practice roles
• Management positions in clinical nursing
• Research nursing
• Lecturing

Further study, such as health visiting and masters and doctoral education

Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work in:

• Hospital and community nursing environments
• Health centres
• GP surgeries
• The armed forces
• Education