Program Overview

Specialist Practice Community (District Nursing) PGDip

Overview

This Postgraduate Diploma offers practical support to qualified nurses in delivering advanced practice in a community setting and undertaking quality improvement or service evaluations. On completion of this course, students will have met the NMC requirements of an SPQ District Nurse and will feel confident in their ability to manage complex cases, deliver advanced practice interventions, deliver quality improvement, and evaluate changes made.

Course Details

• Level: Postgraduate
• Start date: Sept 2025, Sept 2026
• Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
• Location: Wheeler, Chester
• UK fees: £7,170 for the full-time course (2025/26)
• International fees: N/A

Course Contents

Modules

• Contemporary Public Health and Wellbeing across the lifespan (20 Credits)
• Innovative Leadership and Service Improvement in Specialist Practice District Nursing (20 credits)
• Advanced Independent & Supplementary Prescribing (V300) (40 credits)
• Advanced Consultation and Decision Making (20 credits)
• Advancing Community Practice through Research, Audit and Quality Improvement (20 credits)

Teaching Methods

• A variety of teaching methods are used
• There are a range of assessment methods on the course
• This course is designed around in-person study
• There may be some online learning activities

Assessment

• Practice is assessed via a Practice Learning Portfolio under the supervision of a practice assessor/supervisor and academic assessor
• Modules are assessed in a variety of ways, e.g. examinations, assignments, presentations, oral examinations and portfolios

Entry Requirements

• Home Students: Registered Nurse or Midwife with the NMC and a degree or recent completion of a level 7 module

Where You'll Study

• Wheeler, Chester: Located within the lively city centre of Chester and overlooking the River Dee
• Health and Social Care simulation suite: Emulates diverse healthcare spaces, ranging from a patient’s home and community clinic settings to acute care settings
• On-site library: Has a variety of study spaces and IT facilities, in addition to book collections for Health and Medicine, Law and Policing
• Social spaces: Wheeler’s café and coffee shop serves hot and cold drinks, snacks, and delicious meals

Fees and Funding

• Home Students: £7,170 per year (2025/26)
• Additional Costs: Books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software

Your Future Career

• Careers service: The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences
• Careers and Employability: Aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.