Adult Nursing BSc (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
Professionally Accredited Programmes
A tutor instructing a student using a manikin

An Adult Nursing degree can lead to a rewarding career working in settings including hospital or community and a wide variety of other areas where nursing is required.

Course option

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

3 years full-time

UCAS codes

B740

Start date

January 2025


Course overview

Fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) providing eligibility for registration as a nurse on successful completion of the course (additional costs may apply)1.

  • All home students on this course can apply for a minimum payment from the government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs6.
  • Study in the state-of-the-art Alison Gingell Building which features hospital wards, operating theatre, critical care settings, community housing and other real-life nursing environments relevant to practice4.
A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

If you are a naturally caring and compassionate individual, adult nursing can be considered one of most rewarding professions you could choose to work in, as well as being challenging, varied and with excellent career prospects.

  • Nurses work with people in a wide variety of roles and settings. These include monitoring seriously ill and deteriorating patients, caring for those with long- term conditions, caring for people requiring end of life care at home and in hospital, supporting family members, and promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. The work can be intense but is rewarding. This course has been designed to develop professionals who are not only highly skilled but also caring, compassionate, effective communicators and have the capacity to be emotionally resilient. These principles are at the forefront of our teaching which aims to encompass theory, practice, and immersive learning.
  • Our ‘learning through exploration’ approach aims to provide an exceptional learning environment. You will have the opportunity to be taught using a range of scenarios using the latest technology to role play various evolving clinical situations. We believe this approach contextualises your learning and can help you to develop the skills you will need in practice.
  • You will be encouraged to immerse yourself in learning about the needs of populations, individuals, related health, and nursing services with an emphasis on using research to enhance and improve services. This also aims to ensure teaching is current and evidence-based in its approach.
  • We will encourage you to develop an in-depth understanding of the organisation and culture of modern healthcare systems, aiming to equip you with the confidence to be able to take a stronger role in the leadership and management of resources in delivering treatment and healthcare options to patients.
  • Throughout your studies, in groups and individually, you will be asked to undertake profession-specific health and social care related projects and case studies. These may, for example, include an appraisal of the role of the nurse in ethical and legal decision-making or complex care planning and delivery via the multi-disciplinary team. You will also have the opportunity to participate in activities such as group presentations demonstrating your understanding of research underpinning patient care.
  • This course aims to prepare you for the dynamic and fast-changing health and social care system, which should help you to develop into an adaptable, flexible, reflective, competent, and compassionate practitioner. From the outset, you will gain hands-on experience under supervision from qualified practice supervisors and assessors, spending around 50% of your time on clinical practice placements (sourced for you by the university) in a range of healthcare environments within the NHS in hospitals and community placements, at private hospitals and independent care providers5. We have well-established links with local NHS trusts and other healthcare providers, such as private hospitals, hospices, and community settings.
  • While the course has a clear focus on nursing adults, a key benefit of our curriculum is the notion of collaboration across all areas of health and social care. Your studies can be complemented with significant insights into mental health, learning disability and children and young people’s nursing. Some modules are also studied in conjunction with other health and social care professionals; looking at specific issues and challenges they face to broaden your knowledge and expertise.
  • You may have the opportunity to go on field trips within the UK which have previously included visits to the first operating theatre in London and museums capturing the history of nursing and healthcare2.

Accreditation and professional recognition

Nursing and Midwifery Council

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

This degree is accredited1 by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the 2024/25 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 (subject to additional costs).


Hear why Melissa wanted to become a nurse and find out more about the Adult Nursing course at Coventry University.

Nursing at Coventry University

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

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

What you'll study

This provides the foundations for nursing practice and university study. After successfully completing year one, you will have developed an understanding of the scientific principles of nursing and the importance of evidence-based practice and putting patients and their families at the centre of care. Practical skills should ensure you are able to perform fundamental care to vulnerable adults whilst on placement.

Modules

This year builds on the foundations learnt in year one. Modules become more adult nursing focused and include pathophysiology of common diseases, relevant assessment of patients that informs planning and evaluating care and how practice is based on robust evidence.

Modules

This year aims to consolidate from the previous two years. Drawing on theory and practice you should gain an appreciation of the value of the contribution of other health professionals when making decisions about the needs of patients who require complex care. You will be asked to investigate the contemporary issues relevant to adult nursing and explore the skills commonly required to become an accountable practitioner who is able to co-ordinate a team. Practical skills will mirror those required for a newly qualified nurse.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

This Adult Nursing BSc (Hons) course uses a wide variety of stimulating approaches to teaching and learning to suit individual learning styles. This may include a series of interactive lectures, seminars, online learning, skills lab activities and practical placements. Successful completion of all modules are mandatory to enable you to exit the programme with the knowledge, values and skills to be able to work within integrated care settings and enhance the delivery of care for service users, their families and carers.

Gaining experience using simulation across a range of care settings is aimed at building your confidence and knowledge about how to act in these situations. You can practise and develop your clinical and interpersonal skills in a safe but realistic environment. We have also used actors or staff to enhance these experiences in scenarios which include breaking bad news, demonstrating emotional resilience, conflict, aggression, teaching, and child protection conferences.

As 50% of the course is practice-based, this requires 40 hours per week in placements in line with NMC requirements – these are sourced for you by the university5. During theory modules, teaching is delivered in a variety of different ways and generally includes seminars, group work, clinical skills sessions and scenario-based learning, workshops, online learning, seminars and lectures.

Contact teaching hours will vary throughout the course, but on average you will have around 21 ‘contact’ hours of teaching per week in year one. In addition, you will be expected to undertake a further 15-20 hours each week of private study which can include self-directed learning and online activities which augment other approaches.

Over the duration of the course, as you become a more independent learner the contact hours will reduce (around 13 in year 2 and 11 in year 3) and independent study will increase.

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.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include:

  • Coursework
  • Practical placements
  • Formal examinations

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.


International experience opportunities

Our course provides international learning experiences to help prepare you for the global employment market as well as strengthen and develop your broader intercultural, personal and professional skills2.

Dad’s cancer battle inspires Coventry mum to start her nursing journey

Chantel Ward started her Adult Nursing degree in January 2023 after being inspired by the nurses who helped her dad through his prostate cancer battle during the Covid pandemic.

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Chantel Ward in her Coventry University nursing uniform.

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Requirement What we're looking for
UCAS points 112
A level BBC. Excludes General Studies.
GCSE 5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above including English, Mathematics and Science.
BTEC DMM in a Health, Sport or Science based subject.
IB Diploma 27 points to include 14 points at Higher level.
Access to HE The Access to HE Diploma in Health or Science subject to include 24 Level 3 credits at Distinction in Health units. Plus GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4 / C or above.

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

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Additional information

Caring experience, either paid or voluntary, is very desirable. You will also be required to attend an online selection event, which provides detailed information about the course and assesses aptitude as part of the selection process. Applicants must have certificates at point of interview. Satisfactory health clearance, DBS checks and criminal records disclosure is also required5.

In line with the National Health Service constitution, we use a values-based recruitment approach in seeking candidates with the appropriate values to support effective team working in delivering excellent patient care.

Is the student required to undergo a DBS check? Y

Is the student required or likely to undergo a placement in a social and/or healthcare setting? Y5

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Not got the required grades? We offer this degree with an integrated foundation year.


Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,250 per year Not available

A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 may be available to eligible home students for each year of study. Read more about this in the NHS Learning Support Fund information booklet.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

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

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.


Facilities

Our multi-million-pound Alison Gingell Building features a range of mock healthcare settings, including hospital wards, ambulance, therapy suites and community houses, giving you the opportunity to replicate real-life situations before you go on placement4.

You’ll have the opportunity to make use of our extensive simulation facilities – from basic life support manikins to high tech simulation manikins, which emulate patient responses and test resuscitation skills. You will also use healthcare devices found in the real world of practice.

Students and a tutor with a manikin in the hospital ward

Mock hospital wards

We have two fully-equipped mock hospital wards, each containing four beds. The wards are built to NHS standards and contain moveable beds, first aid equipment and patient monitoring tools, so that you can study a complete patient pathway.

Students practicing patient therapy in a community house setting

Community houses

Learn how to work with patients outside of a hospital setting in our simulated, two full-size community homes, specifically built for teaching. This gives you the opportunity to learn in situations that mirror real-life scenarios.

Paramedic student attending to a patient in the ambulance

Ambulance

Learn in critical care settings with the use of a mock ambulance, giving you the chance to experience patient scenarios in a real-world environment.

 

 


Careers and opportunities

On graduating successfully from this course, and providing you also meet the NMC requirements, you can apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), additional costs apply1. Successful registration enables you to practise immediately.

Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and aims to give you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university's Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.

Where our graduates work

Many of our graduates find employment as qualified nurses in the NHS with a growing emphasis on community settings, in acute hospitals, military nursing, in the private and independent healthcare sector, in private hospitals, nursing or care homes. As your career progresses a number of options may open to you for example as a lecturer or specialist practitioner, advanced nurse practitioner, consultant nurse or manager.

Some of our recent graduates have taken up roles including staff nurses in the NHS, working in Africa in the Ebola Crisis with the Red Cross, and working in neonatal ITU.

Coventry University nursing student Jessica Vaughan pictured holding her Nursing Times Student of the Year award for the adult nursing category

Coventry University student wins national nursing award

A nursing student at Coventry University who has juggled being a mum, a learner and volunteering in Africa has won a national award.

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