Children and Young People's Nursing (Pre-registration) MSc

Study level: Postgraduate
Two nurses putting a breathing mask on a doll lying on a hospital bed

This new MSc course offers graduates from a range of backgrounds the opportunity to enter the nursing profession in two years.

Year of entry

2023-24

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

2 years full-time

Course code

HLST263

Start date

January 2024

How to apply
Book an Open Day
Download a prospectus
Ask a question

The information on this page is for 2022-23 entry and should be used as guidance for 2023-24 entry. Please keep checking back on this course page to see our latest updates.

Course overview

This course offers graduates from a range of backgrounds the opportunity to enter the nursing profession in two years.

It is designed to equip you with the hands-on clinical and care skills to prepare you to practise autonomously and compassionately, providing family-centred care and building therapeutic relationships to become a caring practitioner well prepared to meet the needs of children, young people and their families.

  • This course aims to prepare you to analyse the needs of, and develop and deliver effective care for, children from birth to young adulthood.
  • You will consider their physiological needs, mental health and wellbeing in the provision of care and understand the importance of evidence-informed practice, care and compassion.
  • It is designed to challenge you to develop high standards of person-centred care, skills in coordinating complex care, clinical, legal and ethical decision-making, leadership and mentoring.
globe decorative icon

Global ready

An international outlook, with global opportunities
human silhouette teaching in front of blackboard

Teaching excellence

Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field
Resume icon displaying a paper and pen

Employability

Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeed

Why you should study this course

The Children and Young People's Nursing (Pre-registration) MSc Nursing is a two-year postgraduate course which can lead to registration as a Children and Young People's Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). On successful completion of the course, you will be able to demonstrate the professional values, attitudes and behaviours required to deliver safe and effective, holistic child and family-centred care. This will allow you to play a vital role in the journey of children and their families, during very challenging and difficult times.

  • The course is aimed at individuals with a prior undergraduate degree and evidence of experience in health and social care. Previous undergraduate degrees may include (but are not limited to) health-related disciplines, psychology, criminology or sociology degrees. Those with non-health-related degrees must demonstrate extensive experience in the clinical health and social care sector. It is also suitable for existing nurses looking for dual qualification.
  • This course responds to the current challenges in healthcare, related to the complex care issues around mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural impairment. The inherent specialised content will enable graduates to analyse, enhance and deliver care to children and their families. The individual needs of those children and young people - experiencing either acute episodes or chronicity of illness and injury - will be examined, ensuring you will adopt enhanced nursing skills and knowledge. A focus upon physiological, mental health and wellbeing is a traditional approach, and you will develop skills to care for a range of ages, including neonates, infants, children and adolescents. This is complemented by research and evidence-informed practice and independent project work which is focused on and promotes service improvement.
  • Practice placement2 learning with local practice partners is integral and accounts for 50% of the course – this is organised by the university. The clinical practice experience exposes you to caring for the needs of children, young people and their families across a wide range of health services. This means an eclectic range of placements may be accessed including special care, Accident and Emergency, children's wards, adolescent care, high dependency care, specialised surgery and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Health visiting, school nursing, hospice and respite care, community children's services and safeguarding involvement facilitates the preparation of a highly skilled graduate and knowledgeable nurse registrant.
  • Upon successful completion, in addition to eligibility for NMC registration, you will also graduate with a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) accredited1 qualification in Global Professional Development and have the opportunity to apply to become a member of the CMI (see accreditation section).
  • You will study in the multi-million pound state-of-the-art Alison Gingell Building, which provides facilities4 for teaching and research, featuring hospital wards, critical care settings, an operating theatre, community housing and other real life nursing environments relevant to practice.

Accreditation and Professional Recognition

This course is accredited1 by the following professional bodies:

NMC Nursing and Midwifery Council

Nursing & Midwifery Council

The course is currently fully accredited by the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the 2022/2023 intake and, providing you also meet the NMC requirements, on successful completion you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (additional costs may apply).

CMI Chartered Management Institute

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

As part of this course, you will undertake a professional development module which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) for the 2022-23 intake. Upon successful completion of the module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost. Further details can be found under the module section and on the Professional Development module homepage.

Nursing at Coventry University

We have an excellent reputation for the quality of the education provided to trainee and qualified nurses.

Learn why you should study with us
We have an excellent reputation for the quality of the education provided to trainee and qualified nurses.

What you'll study

The delivery of theory components is through a range of theory modules which focus on extending your knowledge and cognitive skills, providing you with a sound critical, analytical and reflective approach to person-centred care delivery.

The practice component considers the knowledge base that underpins person-centred care delivery/management, and the range of skills required to care for individuals with specific psychosocial and CYP health-related problems.

Modules

  • Research & Evidence-Informed Nursing Practice - 20 credits

    The development of evidence-informed and evidence-based care from a solid research base is essential to the science of nursing care. The module content is organised to demonstrate the use of evidence within nursing and healthcare practice - for example, in governance policy/guidelines, and how they affect everyday nursing practice. The background understanding of how research is used to develop the evidence base for contemporary nursing practice will be examined by applying research principles to a clinically relevant action research project.

    Health Assessment - 10 credits

    The module aims to enable you to develop skills in identifying and assessing existing conditions, as well as screening for factors predisposing persons to ill health. On successful completion of this module you will be able to critically apply healthcare assessment skills used in nursing across the lifespan to formulate a person-centred plan of care.

    Clinical Decision-making in CYP Nursing - 10 credits

    Clinical decision-making in nursing requires an evaluation of many complex factors. In conjunction with a barrage of health-related information, the nurse needs to have the cognitive skills to appropriate this information to make decisions about the person’s care. This model aims to assist you in developing strategies for clinical decision-making in the context of person-centred care. The module content will be organised around a variety of subjects to include the professional, legal and ethical responsibility and other subject-theory domains that influence clinical decision-making.

    Therapeutic Interventions in CYP Nursing - 10 credits

    In health and social care environments, practitioners meet people living with multiple and complex physical, psychosocial and other co-morbidities across the lifespan. Complex care necessitates treatment from multi-professional services and service user involvement in care management and care delivery. The module aim is to facilitate you in developing the necessary knowledge and proficiency to coordinate and manage patient-centred care in the multidimensional healthcare setting. The module content will include a critical review of the current policy and legislative documents that drive, influence and enhance the coordination of complex care.

    Compulsory

  • You contribute to the health of the local community throughout the course during practice placements where you work 40 hours a week. You will provide a range of nursing care in a variety of care settings.

    Understanding Nursing Practice: Practice 1 - 20 credits

    This module introduces you to the foundations of nursing practice in the workplace. The experience will provide you (under supervision) with learning opportunities which will begin to develop the professional values, attitudes and behaviours required to deliver safe and effective holistic person and family-centred care.

    Assessment, Delivery and Evaluation: Practice 2 - 10 credits

    This module provides further opportunity for you to review and deliver nursing practice in the workplace. This experience will enable you to demonstrate and promote professional values, attitudes and behaviours required to provide safe and effective holistic person-centred care. The module is underpinned by the NMC Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (2018); and Realising Professionalism: Standards for Professionalism and Education (2018) for nursing and midwifery. The content and assessment will be developed and applied to the different fields of nursing and will provide you with learning opportunities in the workplace to practise nursing.

    Compulsory

This final year of the programme consolidates the skills essential to safe and proficient care in practice. You should develop confidence in working within a multidisciplinary, interprofessional arena, in leadership and evidence-informed change management to promote service improvement. This should enable you to be effective in their clinical work and as future professional nurses.

Modules

  • Coordinating Complex Care in CYP Nursing - 20 credits

    In the healthcare environment, practitioners meet patients living with complex multiple physical and mental health co-morbidities across the lifespans necessitating invasive/non-invasive treatments and multi-professional services and service user involvement in the care management and care delivery. The module aim is to facilitate you in developing the necessary knowledge and proficiency to coordinate and manage patient-centred care in the multidimensional healthcare setting. The module content will include a critical review of the current policy and legislative documents that drive, influence and enhance the coordination of complex care.

    Leading and Creating Organisational Health and Wellbeing (CMI module) -10 credits

    This module aims to provide you with a framework of knowledge and understanding of how to effectively lead and develop people in organisations for better health and wellbeing using a range of approaches whatever the master’s degree of specialisation you elect to follow. You will explore, for example, the influence and impact of leadership theories, culture and the impact of health and wellbeing on organisational performance in different types of organisational scenarios. You will appraise contemporary approaches for the creation of healthy work systems with emphasis placed upon modern-day methods and the role and skills of leaders in coaching and mentoring.

    Ethical, Legal Decision-making in Nursing - 10 credits

    This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the interrelationship between law and ethical healthcare practise, related to the British legal system. You will explore the areas of contention which may include but not limited to disagreement with caregivers, treating patients with impaired decision-making, dignity in care, assisted suicide, end-of-life/Advanced directives, controversial interventions or other. You will be equipped to recognise and manage the ethical challenges relating to your practices, as well as individuals legal and ethical rights in the context of healthcare and wellbeing across a range of care settings.

    Independent Project – Service Improvement - 30 credits

    The module is the culmination of the programme and enables you to bring together your learning into one independent, self-directed workplace project. The aim is to produce a project that will, explore service redesign, current practice-based problem/issues, policy implementation, initiatives or innovations which will impact upon or transform patient care. The project is a service improvement plan or business proposal which addresses an aspect of workplace practice. Individual student supervision is provided to offer guidance on the right choice of project and advice on all stages of the project.

    Compulsory

  • At the end of year two, at the final progression point, you should be deemed to be proficient in practice when you have successfully achieved the NMC (2018) practice competencies, signed off by an assessor. You will work 40 hours a week, and the cumulative evidence must demonstrate that you are safe and effective in practice at the end of the course.

    Complex Care Planning Across the Lifespan: Practice 3 - 10 credits

    This module provides you with further opportunities in the workplace to enable you to work more independently with less direct supervision in an increasingly proficient and confident manner in your delivery of quality holistic person- and family-centred care. It will provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate through your practice your potential to become an autonomous practitioner. The NMC Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (2018); and Realising Professionalism: Standards for Professionalism and Education (2018) for nursing and midwifery, reinforce this module. The content and assessment are applied in the context of the different fields of nursing, providing you with field-specific learning opportunities in the workplace to practice nursing.

    Coordinating Care and Becoming the Autonomous Practitioner: Practice 4 - 20 credits

    This module aims to provide you with opportunities to practice the proficiencies identified for registration as a nurse which are stipulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018). Including demonstrating capability to lead the delivery of patient care autonomously and role model what constitutes best practice to others, positively impacting on the culture of care environments. The module is underpinned by the NMC Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (2018); and Realising Professionalism: Standards for Professionalism and Education (2018) for nursing and midwifery. The module content and assessment will be developed and applied contextually to the different fields of nursing.

    Compulsory

How you'll learn

A range of teaching and learning methods are employed in the MSc in Children and Young People's Nursing programme including lectures, clinical simulation, seminars, workshops, tutorials, practical clinical work in a practice setting and work-based learning. The teaching and learning activities are intended to engage you with the relevant theory and facilitate understanding of the module content, to question and formulate ideas and perspectives on the subject material, in preparation for assessment.

You will have support in preparation for the assessments from a variety of sources. These could include your module leaders or a subject specialist in the library resources on the course-web platforms. Furthermore, you will also have support from practice educators in the clinical placement areas which are an integral part of this programme of study.

In addition to the teaching and learning methods, a key learning feature of the Master's in CYP Nursing is independent study. This means you will take the initiative and responsibility for working through the learning material and make decisions on how to collate, manage and present the information for your assessment.

Teaching contact hours

This is a full-time course, and you are expected to attend theory for a minimum of two and a half days each week during term time and work 40 hours per week while on practice placement modules.

There are four practice modules which equate to six placements throughout the two-year course. These modules are mandatory, and attendance is a necessity to meet the practice hours requirement for NMC registration.

You must successfully pass all modules to meet the eligibility requirement for professional registration with the NMC.The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2022/2023 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

All assessment methods are aligned to the Children and Young People's Nursing MSc programme objectives, and the learning outcomes of each module reflect the programme objective.

Assessment methods include:

  • Critical appraisal essays
  • Presentations
  • Viva voce
  • Reports
  • Practice assessment
  • Dissertation

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Entry requirements

  • Applicants should ideally hold a good honours degree of 2:2 or above in a health-related subject however, applications with other degrees and relevant care experience will also be considered on an individual basis. Non-UK degrees will be accepted if healthcare related and accompanied by a 'Certificate of Comparability' which you can obtain from www.enic.org.uk.
  • As it is a two-year course, there is a requirement to demonstrate completion of 460 practice hours in relevant health/care settings through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process to meet the NMC standard of nursing education of 2300 practice hours. The RPL process will credit students for 460 hours to meet the stated NMC criteria. Applicants will be supported in the RPL process.*
  • Satisfactory health clearance and criminal records/DBS disclosure is also required.

*Care is defined as activities that include washing, dressing, feeding or toileting of an individual, as well as nursing intervention procedures. Care encompasses meeting the physiological and psycho-social needs of the physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled people of all ages, in all healthcare and other community settings. This can be undertaken in a formal workplace environment, or informally in the family setting. Please contact the admissions tutor if you are unsure whether your experience meets the requirements above.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Chat with us

Fees and funding

2023/24 Tuition fees

Student Full-time Part-time
UK £9,250 per year Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Our multi-million-pound Alison Gingell Building provides facilities4 for teaching and research, featuring hospital wards, critical care settings, operating theatre, community housing and other real life nursing environments relevant to practice.

Students working in Allison Gingell building facilities

Alison Gingell Building

Our state-of-the-art Alison Gingell Building features mock hospital wards, an operating theatre, critical care settings and other real-life environments.

Students and a tutor with a manikin in the hospital ward

Mock Hospital Wards

Our mock hospital wards and critical care settings give you the chance to experience patient scenarios in a real-world environment.

Patient, student and staff member talking in community house setting

Community Houses

Our two full-size community homes can be used for sessions simulating working with patients outside of a hospital setting.

Careers and opportunities

Those who successfully complete this course will be eligible to apply for registration as a Children and Young People's Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to practice as a registered professional in nursing. Registration may be subject to additional costs.

The course is a strong indication to current and potential employees that you have both the ability and the academic characteristics required for working in a variety of CYP health settings. The programme is developed with the aim to position you for an accelerated career pathway to become a future nursing leader, clinical expert, educator or researcher within the profession.

Where our graduates work

For nursing provision, employability is very high and employment is possible in a variety of clinical/specialist areas in a range of public and private healthcare settings. It may be possible to use your qualification to work overseas.

How to apply

  • Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University. 

    1Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

    2UK and international opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

    3Tuition fees

    The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

    For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

    4Facilities

    Due to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2023/24 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

You may also like

Coventry University (Coventry) A nurse and a woman looking down

Mental Health Nursing (pre-registration) MSc
Coventry University (Coventry) Nurse engaged with a young patient getting her blood pressure taken

Learning Disabilities Nursing (pre-registration) MSc
Coventry University (Coventry) Trainee nurses looking at a dummy patient on a hospital bed

Adult Nursing blended learning (pre-registration) MSc

Your next steps

Student life
Accommodation
Fees and funding