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NHS Education for Scotland

A skilled and sustainable workforce for a healthier Scotland

Community nursing (graduate diploma)

Supporting nurses in district nursing, care home nursing, prison health and general practice nursing, to equip them with the range of skills and knowledge they need to work flexibly across the integrated community nursing team.

Graduate diploma in integrated community nursing

A new, fully funded, 2-year part-time practice-based programme designed for nurses working at level 5 of the Career Framework for Health (Agenda for Change Band 5 equivalent). 

The programme is suitable for:

  • experienced or newly qualified nurses
  • nurses new to the community setting or experienced but with limited community-specific CPD
  • with or without a first degree

The gradate diploma forms the foundation element of NES's integrated education pathway and will enable nurses to continue their studies at postgraduate level to qualify as specialist, advanced and consultant nurses in district nursing, care home nursing, prison health and general practice nursing.

The qualification is available through Queen Margaret University and University of the West of Scotland.

You will be supported by your employer with 3.5 hours of protected learning time per week. However, as this is an academic programme of study, there is an expectation that you will be required to complete an element of self-guided study and preparation for assessment within your own time. 

If you are a community nurse working in a Scottish health board, prison or in general practice, are interested in applying for this programme and would like to be nominated to receive funding, please speak to your line manager in the first instance and see the flow chart for the process to be followed.

Care home staff considering applying and care home managers managers considering nominating staff will find this guidance information:

Please find a flowchart [DOC] showing the application process.

Click here for our promotional flyer [PDF].

What students are saying about the programme

Queen Margaret University

Student testimonies [PDF]

University West of Scotland

Care Home Clinical Nurse Manager - Audio

Community Staff Nurse - Audio

The work that students are producing

Here are some examples of posters produced by University West of Scotland students

Community nurse role with the integrated team [PDF] by Stacey Reid, Clinical Nurse Manager (Care Home)

24/7 Community nursing [PDF] by Wendy Maxwell, Community Staff Nurse

Hospital at Home [PDF] by Cheryl Corletto, Staff Nurse (Care Home)

Community link practitioner [PDF] by Stacey McWee, Community Care and Treatment Nurse

Links

A new educational approach to prepare nurses to work in adult integrated community nursing teams in Scotland

Contact us

postreg.nmahp@nes.scot.nhs.uk

 


Last updated: 25/09/2020

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