Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SCPHN/SPQ) 

Master of Science

Public Health

Postgraduate Certificate

Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SPQ / SCPHN)

Postgraduate Diploma

Master of Science, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma

Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SCPHN/SPQ) , Public Health, Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SPQ / SCPHN)

PSHMS004TBC

Those taking this pathway must undertake two or three elective modules 

Elective

Those taking this pathway must undertake the five core modules

Core

Those taking this pathway must undertake the five core modules and two or three elective modules (total of 120 credits).  


Your sponsoring employer may specify that APM060 ‘Independent and Supplementary Non-medical Prescribing (V300)’ must be undertaken.  

Community Nursing in Health and Social Care Pathway  

Those taking the General Practice Nursing pathway will be required to complete three elective modules 

Those taking the General Practice Nursing pathway will be required to complete five core modules 

Those taking the General Practice Nursing pathway will be required to complete five core modules and three  elective modules (total of 120 credits). Your sponsoring employer may specify that  PHM024 Cervical Cytology must also be undertaken. 

Your sponsoring employer may also specify that PHM022 Key Concepts in Practice Nursing (Module 1) and PHM023 Key Concepts in Practice Nursing (Module 2). 

General Practice Nursing (without V300) 

Those taking this pathway must undertake the six core modules 

Those taking this pathway must undertake one  elective module

Those taking this pathway must undertake the six core modules and one  elective module (total of 120 credits). Your sponsoring employer may also specify that PHM024 Cervical Cytology must also be undertaken.   

General Practice Nursing (with V300) 

Those taking this pathway must undertake two or three elective modules

Those taking this pathway must undertake the five core modules.

Those taking this pathway must undertake the five core modules and two or three elective modules (total of 120 credits). 


Your sponsoring employer may specify that APM060 ‘Independent and Supplementary Non-medical Prescribing (V300)’ must be undertaken. 

Community Children’s Nursing Pathway 

Those taking this pathway must undertake the five core modules and two or three elective modules (total of 120 credits). 

Your sponsoring employer may specify that APM060 ‘Independent and Supplementary Non-medical Prescribing (V300)’ must be undertaken. 

District Nursing Pathway    

Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing – SPQ Pathway 

The dissertation is a core module for the MSc Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing programme only (all pathways). 


 To complete the MSc, you must successfully complete:  

Dissertation 

Those taking this pathway must undertake seven core modules. 

School Nursing Pathway 

Health Visiting Pathway  

Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing – SCPHN Pathway 

Programme Structure

The Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SCPHN/SPQ) programme prepares you to practise independently as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) or Community Nurse Specialist (SPQ).  
Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN) and are central to the health and well-being of individuals and communities, providing preventive health care. You will learn about the latest theory and practice influencing service provision and critically evaluate approaches to developing and delivering effective services to enhance your role as a Health Visitor or School Nurse.  
Community Nurse Specialists (SPQ) are central to the health and well-being of individuals and communities, providing preventive health care, treatment, care, rehabilitation, palliative and/or end of life care health and social care services. You will learn about the latest theory and practice influencing service provision and critically evaluate approaches to developing and delivering effective services to enhance your role as a Community Health and Social Care Nurse, Community Children’s Nurse, District Nurse or General Practice Nurse.  
Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) 
This PGDip SCPHN pathways component of the programme are designed to meet the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (the NMC) proficiencies for SCPHN (<a href="https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards/post-reg-standards/nmc_standards_of_proficiency_for_specialist_community_public_health_nurses_scphn.pdf" rel="nofollow">NMC 2022a)</a> leading to  qualifications in either: 
<ul><li>Health Visiting  </li><li>School Nursing  </li></ul>
Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualifications (SPQ) 
The PGDip SPQ pathway components of the programme are designed to meet the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) proficiencies for community nursing specialist practice qualifications (SPQ) (<a href="https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards/post-reg-standards/nmc_standards_of_proficiency_for_community_nursing_spqs.pdfNMC%202022b" rel="nofollow">NMC 2022b</a>) leading to a qualification in one of the following: 
<ul><li>Community Children’s Nursing </li><li>Community Nursing in Health and Social Care  </li><li>District Nursing </li><li>General Practice Nursing </li></ul>
It is recognised that the students who commence the programme are unique and from a diverse range of backgrounds, with existing experience and attitudes to life.  The emphasis on transferable skills in the curriculum ensures that the rich resources you bring to your learning are nurtured and developed.   
At City St George’s you will have the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes in public health and community settings that are characterised by ethnic diversity, high levels of deprivation with some of the most acute health care challenges in the UK. To meet these challenges, the programme will help you to be flexible and proactive and develop a sound evidence-based knowledge, enabling you to question or challenge with confidence and courage.   
You will be required to attend/complete a programme of blended learning that will incorporate on campus, online synchronous and/or asynchronous education whilst also jointly learning in a specialist clinical practice placement.  In agreement with your employing organisation and Programme Director, hybrid learning will also be available for students who are not able to attend the campus on a regular basis due to extenuating circumstances (e.g. geographical location, caring commitments).       
You will have to achieve the necessary attendance and credits for each stage of the programme to ensure that you meet the requirements to gain the professional and academic awards. Practice will be undertaken with your sponsoring Health and/or Social Care provider. Students who are self-employed and/or self-funding will be supported by the University to identify a suitable Practice Placement Provider.

Independent and Supplementary Non-Medical Prescribing (SPQ Pathways) 

 

Where applicable if you are a SPQ PGDip Student eligible/required to prescribe, on successful completion of the “Independent and Supplementary Non-Medical Prescribing (V300)” module (APM060) and all other modules associated with the Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SCPHN/SPQ) Programme you will be eligible to apply to the NMC to have your entry annotated as a Nurse Independent/Supplementary Prescriber.  

You may only prescribe once your prescribing qualification has been annotated on the appropriate regulatory register and you have the required indemnity insurance in place. Please see your specific regulatory body guidance about prescribing within your specialty, setting or sector.  

You are advised that you must register your independent and supplementary prescribing qualification with the NMC within five years of successfully completing the programme.  If you fail to do so you will have to retake and successfully complete the module in order to qualify as an independent and supplementary prescriber. 

The programme has been approved by the NMC. Community Children’s, Community Nursing in Health and Social Care, District and General Practice Nursing pathways are aligned to NMC standards of proficiency for  community nursing specialist practice qualifications (SPQ, NMC 2022). The Health Visiting and School Nursing routes are aligned to the standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nurses (SCPHN, NMC 2022).  


Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing you are advised that you must register your qualification with the NMC within five years of successfully completing the programme.  If you fail to do so you will have to undertake additional education and training or gain such experience as specified in NMC standards for the award to be registered. 

The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) 

Additionally, City St George’s, University of London has been endorsed by the QICN for our Specialist Community Nursing pathways, by mapping our programme and modules against the QICN Field Specific Standards. This additional independent national accreditation requires you to successfully complete the Independent and Supplementary Prescribing module as an essential element of your chosen pathway and will demonstrate for you how the course maps onto and reflects an Advanced Level of Practice.  If you are eligible for this additional national accreditation, you will receive a nationally recognised digital accreditation and certificate issued by the QICN. 

Critically explore styles of communication used to promote good relationships with children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers and nominated person. 

Skills

Collect and synthesise health, social care and public health data and apply this when identifying the health and social needs and justifying resource allocation for a defined population in practice. 

Knowledge

Critically appraise strategies which facilitate the continuing professional development of team members by effective and efficient use of education opportunities. 

Explore and synthesise the strategies and tools that are used to identify children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers and nominated person who are at risk and in need of further support and evaluate the extent to which available resources are accessible to and accessed by persons who need them. 

Appraise the process involved when assessing, diagnosing, and caring for children, young people, persons, their family, carers and/or nominated person with specific conditions and multi-morbidity in accordance with agreed nursing/medical protocols and evaluate the outcome. 

Critically analyse the planning, implementation, and delivery of health and social care and public health in different environments with varied resources. 

Values and attitudes

Appraise and synthesise health promotion models and justify the use of specific models when working with different children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers, nominated person, groups and communities to promote health and prevent ill health in practice. 

Critically synthesise the principles and practice of inter-disciplinary, inter-agency and independent working to practice including independent and supplementary prescribing (where applicable), health promotion and illness prevention. 

Critically analyse the process and purpose of developing relationships with children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers, nominated person, groups and communities in order to improve health and social wellbeing.   

Critically appraise the local and national health, social care and public health policy agenda in terms of the potential to positively influence the health and well-being of the local population and justify the approach used when contributing to and influencing the policy agenda for health, social care and public health. 

Critically evaluate strategies for team leadership and operational management and outline ways in which effective leadership and management can impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of care delivery. 

Critically evaluate strategies to develop, manage and deliver programmes of care for children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers, nominated person with complex and enduring health and social care needs.  

Demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in public health and specialist community nursing. 

Examine knowledge of public health policy and critically appraise its influence on the health and well-being of a defined population. 

Examine health, social care, and public health needs of a defined geographical area, critically appraise the health and social care resources and services that are available to communities in that area and select or generate strategies that will enable named population groups to access the services in response to expressed needs. 

Construct and appraise strategies for managing the evaluation, interpretation and dissemination of data and information concerning the health, well-being and related needs of a defined population. 

Critically appraise the ways in which collaborative interdisciplinary and interagency working relationships protect the public from specific risks and promote health and well-being. 

Critically review the strengths and weaknesses of systems of quality governance. 

Work and study in line with the Code: Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2018) and, if relevant, A Competency Framework for all Prescribers (Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 2021). 

Critically appraise the social, political and economic factors which affect the health and social well-being of children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers, nominated person, groups and communities and critically apply this information during the health needs assessment process.  

Assess the needs of children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers and nominated person for health, social care and public health using a holistic approach and critically apply this when consulting with persons in a variety of settings in order to collect and collate information. 

Critically appraise the research and literature relating to public health and specialist community nursing practice using current and theoretical or methodological approaches and outline ways in which this can be applied when working with interdisciplinary and interagency teams. 

Examine the process of screening and responding to the results and critically appraise the value and ethics of screening in practice. 

Undertake analysis of complex incomplete or contradictory issues when managing cases in which children, young people or persons who are at risk and in need of safeguarding because of actual and potential abuse or violence. 

Critically appraise health and safety legislation and approved codes of practice with regard to the environmental wellbeing and protection of those who work within the wider community and outline its use in practice. 

Critically analyse own and team members professional accountability in applying skills, knowledge, and attitudes in dynamic practice environments. 

Outline strategies that enable and support children, young people, persons, parents, their family, carers and nominated person to facilitate their care and critically apply these when caring for persons, groups, and communities. 

Critically review the research and literature relating to the different approaches to partnership working and outline ways in which this can be applied in practice when working with children, young people, persons, their family, carers, nominated person, groups and communities. 

Appraise the role and application of genomics and epigenetics in sufficient detail to inform and advise people about the implications for personalised health care. 

Critically appraise styles of leadership and management and justify the use of particular approaches when leading and managing teams, individuals, projects and resources in situations which may have ethical and legal implications and act accordingly to minimise risk. 

PSHMS004TBC - Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SPQ / SCPHN)

The programme of study takes you through a specialist community public health or community nursing specialist trajectory which allows you to consider health attainment, promotion, and illness prevention in the context of local, regional, national and international public health, health and social care policy and practice. 
You will have the opportunity to develop your skills in: 
<ul>
<li>Critical analysis, evaluation, and synthesis  </li>
<li>The integration of research and theory to practice </li>
<li>Leadership  </li>
<li>Clinical risk assessment and risk management </li>
<li>Developing / strengthening awareness of equality and diversity  </li>
</ul>
Successful completion of the PGDip Health Visiting, and School Nursing routes will enable you to gain second registration on the Specialist Community Public Health Nurse part of the NMC register (professional award).  
Successful completion of the PGDip District, General Practice, Community Children’s Nursing or Community Nursing in Health and Social Care will enable you to record a community nursing specialist practice qualification in your chosen pathway with the NMC.   
Community Children’s Nursing, Community Nursing in Health and Social Care, District Nursing or General Practice Nursing, or students will also have the option to complete the Independent and Supplementary Prescribing (V300) module as part of their programme if they are supported to do so by their employing organisation.  Students who successfully complete this module will be eligible to register an Independent and Supplementary Non-medical Prescriber qualification with the NMC, and as such be able to prescribe from the British National Formulary within your identified scope of practice.  
This programme has been developed with full consideration of City St George’s Inclusive Curriculum Framework.

During the programme both practice and theory will develop your learning. You will spend time in the practice setting working alongside a practice assessor and practice supervisor, where you will have protected learning time, alongside this you will be required to attend City St George’s, University of London, undertaking the theory-based modules on the programme. During the programme you will be encouraged to analyse and apply theory in practice, and practice into theory in order to learn about the policy and practice of public health and specialist community nursing. You will be given the opportunity to learn how to lead the interdisciplinary and interagency team in the delivery of evidenced based care, manage complex issues systematically and creatively, and demonstrate originality in problem solving. 
This programme uses a blended learning approach. This approach combines the use of online educational materials, platforms and synchronous online sessions and in person-based teaching and learning methods. 
The learning and teaching strategies will include formal lectures, seminars; student-led seminars; group projects; simulated practice; negotiated learning, online synchronous and asynchronous learning, self-directed and practice-based activities.  
It is expected that you attend all your timetabled classes and placement learning experiences. If attendance at taught sessions falls below 80% for any module, your personal tutor will be notified, and you will be invited to attend a meeting with them to discuss any issues that may be affecting your ability to engage with the programme. Please note that poor attendance will have implications for continuation on the programme.  
If you are a paid employee, it is your responsibility to notify your employing NHS Trust or Organisation and City St George’s, University of London programme staff of any untoward circumstances that prevent you from attending timetabled events. If your attendance falls to 80% or less for any module, your employing NHS Trust or Organisation will be informed. 
Safe Practice and Raising Concerns
The Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing programme is regulated by the professional and statutory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and robust processes are in place to manage non-academic concerns relating to student performance in the clinical placement area. 
City St George’s, University of London and clinical placement partners work in close collaboration to ensure your learning in both theory and practice is facilitated.
The School of Health and Medical Sciences is required to monitor your progress and take appropriate action if any issues related to good health or good character arise.  In the event of poor or unsafe performance being identified in practice, the School has a Reflection and Development Plan process embedded in the Fitness to Practise Policy that enables robust actions to be put in place to support and monitor your development.  If it becomes necessary for a formal investigation to be undertaken, this is underpinned by the School’s <a href="https://www.city.ac.uk/about/governance/policies/placement-policies-and-procedures-shps">Fitness to Practise Policy</a>.

Curriculum Catalogue

Public Health and Specialist Community Nursing (SPQ / SCPHN) - MSc, PG Dip

PSHMS004TBC