Return to Practice

Overview

Update your knowledge and refresh your nursing skills in a friendly, supportive environment

The course will equip you with the core professional knowledge and skills to enable you to function effectively in a multi-professional team in your chosen health care setting, as well as the understanding of current issues relevant to practice. This will enable you to re-establish your professional competence and help you to meet the changing needs of the practice areas to which you are returning. We will support you to update your skills in a supervised practice placement and facilitate the process in reaching the standards of proficiency required by a registered nurse.

This course is suitable for registered Adult, Child or mental health nurses with lapsed PIN registration.

The course is part time and has two main elements: a taught module which is available at either level 6 (degree level) or level 7 (masters level), and a clinical placement.

Returning nurses who are accepted on to the course will not have to pay course fees. In addition you will benefit from a bursary of £1000 to help cover expenses whilst studying.

This course will enable you:

to be competent and confident to function and act with integrity, accept accountability as a registered nurse in your chosen setting improving care, keeping the public safe and advocating for those who require a voice.
demonstrate a commitment to learning and developing and thereby improve as a practitioner throughout your career
to gain renewed awareness of the needs of diverse populations, the people and families with complex healthcare needs and the integral requirement to work with colleagues from across the health and social care continuum.

You will be supported to update your skills in a supervised practice placement in order to meet the NMCs Future Nurse Proficiencies. We are proud to provide our students with the confidence and experience to practice in an evolving and dynamic health care service. The experience will enable you to deliver compassionate and evidence-based care.

The course runs over either 15 weeks or 30 weeks, depending on how long you have been away from practice. The modules use a blended learning approach, and includes 6 taught study days (which may be in a classroom or via virtual teaching) alternating with 6 directed learning days for which you will be directed to materials to work through at home.

You will also undertake between 150 and 300 practice hours, depending on the length of your career break, under supervision in a placement validated by the University. You will concurrently complete the practice and theory element to enable you to reflect on the effectiveness of practice through integration of theory and evidence-based literature as well as regaining essential practice skills. There will also be an orientation event prior to the first day of the course.

I was never made to feel that my age was a barrier to learning, I felt encouraged to succeed. I loved meeting all the other students on my course, and sharing our varied experiences in nursing. I have made some amazing new friends.
Sara

Entry requirements

Applicants must be registered with the NMC and have not met the revalidation standard for practice.

Entry to the course is conditional on a DBS check and Occupational Health clearance.

Recruitment for this course considers not only the values of the specific profession you are wishing to join, but also the values of the wider NHS. You can expect to be shortlisted and interviewed based upon these values as well as course/profession specific requirements. More information on values can be found here.

Within your application, you will need to provide:

a copy of the current statement of entry on the NMC register
NMC PIN number (if not included on statement)
copy of nursing qualification if available
date or year of last practice as a registered nurse
a personal statement which should include information on why you wish to return to nursing and why you chose to have a career break, what you feel you would bring to the course, and the area of practice you would like to return to. This is an essential part of your application.

If English is not your first language you require an IELTS overall score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5 for most standard undergraduate and postgraduate courses. There are some exceptions and if the IELTS requirement differs it will be specified on the course page.

How you’ll learn

A blended learning approach will be used. Taught sessions will include both face to face and virtual classroom sessions. There is an emphasis on reflection in preparation for future NMC revalidation. Directed learning is a key part of the learning experience and you will prepare to share and discuss new knowledge and learning with a group during the study days. All teaching is aimed at preparing you with the competencies of a registered nurse according to the NMC Future nurse proficiencies available at nmc.org.uk

You will have a personal tutor who will support you both in your studies and during your clinical placement.

You will be expected to have computer skills, internet access and be able to access learning materials via a university virtual learning environment.

Check out our Continuing Professional Development Timetables for more information. Information about Return to Practice can be found on page 14.

I feel passionately about supporting nurses to return to practice to a diverse range of clinical settings. I welcome applications as soon as possible from any nurse with a lapsed NMC PIN who wishes to resume a rewarding career.
Kate DevisProgramme Director

How you’ll be assessed

The assessment consists of two parts:

assessment of practice
a case study.

Your future career

On successful completion of the course, you can register with the NMC and apply for relevant positions. The course prepares students to be fit for practice with the appropriate knowledge and skills (NMC, 2018, Standards for pre-registration Nursing Education).

Additional support about returning to practice is available from our regional Health Education England team who can talk you through routes available.

Fees

Tuition fees are currently paid by NHS England together with a £1000 bursary for the student. Please note that you will not receive the bursary until after you start the course and this is subject to review.

Course specific costs

You will be required to cover the costs of and arrange travel to university and clinical placement.

Preparing you for placements

Our priority is to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our students and the public during placements.

Before you attend placement, the University will help you to understand your personal health risk profile. We do this using a risk assessment of your fitness to go on placement. Where necessary, this includes an Occupational Health Assessment. It may mean identifying precautionary actions before we can allow you to undertake the placement. It is because your health and wellbeing, and those in the placement setting, are vital to us.

As a health and social care student, our preparation also includes ensuring your safety and that of patients/ clients through a standard immunisation schedule against infectious diseases, in line with HM Government Green Book. The preparation varies according to your course of study and is updated according to government legislation changes. These changes may require additional immunisations before you being able to access placement opportunities at any time during your course.

The University and placement providers will continue to follow government health and safety advice. As a student, you must comply with all local risk management requirements to minimise risks while at the University and on placement.