Nursing Courses -

Nursing Degree courses

Full time nursing degree courses
In All four branches of nursing there are full time courses available.  Full time nursing degree courses last for 3 years and are offered by a number of training providers across the UK.
The Pre-registration nursing degrees provides an academical as well as a professional qualification through theory and practical training.

Higher education institutions offer nursing courses.  All degrees commence with the common foundation programme, which offers an overall general introduction into the world of nursing.  The foundation course develops your caring, communication and observational skills.

Around 50% of the nursing course takes place in hospital or community settings and you will be supervised during this time.  You will start with a year or 18 month foundation course which will be followed by another year or 2 year nursing branch specific programme.  This will depend on which of the four nursing branches you have chosen to focus on.  The four nursing branches are adult, paediatric and mental health or learning disabilities.

The Nursing Masters degree
The Pre-registration nursing Masters degree offers an academic and professional qualification through the combined study of practical and theory of nursing.

The practical element makes up around 50% of the nursing course, and takes place in both hospital and community settings.

Masters degree programmes last for around four years, and commence with an 18 month common foundation programme followed by study in one of the four nursing branches: adult, paediatric, learning disabilities and mental health.


Part time nursing degree courses
There are a number of part time nursing degree courses within all of the four branches of nursing. Part time nursing degree courses last for around 4 years.

Pre registration nursing degree courses offer both academic and professional qualification through a combined study of theory and supervised practical nursing.

Part-time pre-registration programmes in nursing are provided by a number of higher education institutions. These courses are aimed at staff who are currently working in the NHS, typically as assistant practitioners and have been supported by their employer to complete the nursing course. 

If you are considering taking a part-time nursing course, you should speak with your line manager and training department at your particular NHS trust. Nursing course providers must be sure that anyone carrying out the part-time nursing course has the required academic competence to cope with the demands of the nursing course.