PgDip Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) with (V300) integrated non-medical prescribing

PgDip Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) with (V300) integrated non-medical prescribing

Award

PgDip

Start Date

15/09/2025

Duration

53 weeks

Mode

Full-time

Location

University of Bolton

Our PgDip Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) with (V300) integrated non-medical prescribing course will prepare you to meet the NMC's standards for specialist practice and the RPS's standards for prescribing. We'll support you in developing the skills to make high-level clinical decisions in the practice setting and influence the provision of quality care through your own development, increased self-awareness and compassionate leadership.

Apply Now Download Prospectus Programme Specification

Course Overview

If you want to make a difference in community healthcare, apply for the University of Bolton's Postgraduate Diploma in Community Specialist Practice (District Nursing) with (V300) integrated non-medical prescribing. Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and developed in line with the NMC's Standards of Specialist Education, this course aims to equip you with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to develop and influence community healthcare practice. In addition, you'll work towards the Non-Medical Independent and Supplementary Prescriber qualification as we support you in achieving the standards for prescribing set by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

You'll work collaboratively with students on other specialist pathways to complete the programme's core content, including modules covering public health, leadership, evidence-based practice, and the underpinning principles of specialist practice.

Course content is designed to be relevant to your current and future roles. You'll have the opportunity to explore policy and legal frameworks, learn more about collaborative and proactive working, and use self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems. We'll expect you to apply your knowledge in practice through clinical, educational and public health interventions that demonstrate the relevant skills and sensitivity.

Highlights

Key Features

Entry Requirements

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Career Opportunities

This PgDip supports you in developing critical reflection skills and learning to adopt a rigorous approach to planning and evaluation of care and care programmes. After completing this course and registering as a District Nurse with the NMC, you'll be able to employ a range of clinical, educational and public health interventions in a skilled and sensitive manner. You'll be able to undertake care and programme management, provide leadership in a variety of settings, and identify factors that promote or inhibit effective collaborative working.

Throughout your studies, we'll support you in developing the values required in modern healthcare, such as compassion, advocacy, good communication and teamwork skills, and respect for patients' privacy, dignity and individuality.

What can I do with this qualification?

This course provides training for community specialist practitioners in district nursing. Upon successful completion of the PgDip, you'll be recorded on the NMC's professional register as a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) and Nurse Independent/Supplementary Prescriber V300 prescriber.

Opportunities arising from this qualification include professional posts in community health care settings, advancing practice and supporting the management of out-of-hospital care.

With this postgraduate qualification, you can pursue several career paths, such as leading a team and progressing to specialise in your chosen field as an advancing practitioner. Alternatively, you may decide to go into management or clinical academic research.

After completing the postgraduate diploma, you can choose to undertake a top-up qualification at an additional cost. You can apply for an MSc (top-up) in specialist practice and complete a dissertation to achieve a full master's qualification.

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification to enter a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possible careers include:

  • Teaching and education
  • Public health
  • Health care management
  • Armed forces
  • Clinical research
  • Health promotion
  • Occupational health
  • Overseas aid and development
  • Prisons
  • Holiday companies
  • Charity sector
  • Medical communications
  • Medical writing
  • Counselling
  • Mental health
Professional Recognition

The University of Bolton’s PgDip Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) with (V300) integrated non-medical prescribing course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and regulated by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

Upon successfully completing the PgDip, your name will be recorded on the NMC's professional register as a Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) and a nurse prescriber within the context of district nursing and V300 non-medical prescriber.

Fees & Funding

Home/EU Fees

No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.

International Fees

No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.

Bursaries

Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

How to apply

Home Applicants

Please contact the programme leader for details of the application procedure. You can find their name, email address and phone number in the Programme Contacts section of this page.

International Applicants

Please contact the programme leader for details of the application procedure. You can find their name, email address and phone number in the Programme Contacts section of this page.

Teaching & Assessment

Teaching staff on the PgDip Community Nurse Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing) with (V300) integrated non-medical prescribing course use blended approaches to learning that combine direct and online techniques. These combined methods aim to extend your previous professional practice education so that you can develop, contribute to and improve the quality of community health nursing.

To reflect the NMC's Standards for Specialist Education and Practice, this course splits theory (40%) and practice learning (60%). Lectures will introduce relevant theory, and your understanding will be developed and extended through seminar discussions, presentations, simulations delivered by tutors, group workshops and tutorials. In the practice setting, an appropriately qualified and experienced practitioner (Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor) will develop a programme of learning and experience for you. They will also be responsible for monitoring and assessing your competence.

As well as attending face-to-face sessions, you'll need to use our virtual learning environment, Moodle, to access learning resources like podcasts and video presentations. Additionally, to succeed in this course, you'll also need to engage in self-directed study regularly, for instance, by preparing for seminars and reading around your subject.

Assessment takes various forms, including essays, reports, portfolios, critical reflection, presentations and exams, including objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE). We use different assessment strategies depending on the module's intended learning outcomes.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

  • Professional Practice and Compassionate Leadership in District Nursing
  • Synthesising The Evidence-Base For Innovative Specialist Practice
  • Sustainable Population Health Across The Life Span
  • Clinical Skills for Community and General Practice Nursing Specific (Adult)
  • Non-Medical Independent and Supplementary Prescribing for Nurses and Midwives (26 weeks)

Assessment methods

Level Assessment method
Level 1 Coursework 73%
Practical exams 18%
Written exams 8%

Learning Activities

Level Activity
Level 1 Guided independent study 17%
Placement/study abroad 60%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

Programme Contacts

Help Centre

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Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant

Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant