This apprenticeship course has been designed to provide the opportunity to study whilst being employed in child healthcare services. During this apprenticeship you’ll get the opportunity to develop the vital skills, values and confidence you need to care for children, young people and their families whatever their circumstances, including those with acute illness, long-term conditions or those who need help to maintain their health.

• You’ll develop and practise your clinical skills in a safe environment in our fully-equipped simulated children’s ward using our patient simulators.
• Clinical placements provide opportunities for you to put what you’ve learnt into practice in a variety of acute settings including children's wards, accident and emergency departments and neonatal intensive care.
• Opportunities are available to work with specialist nurses in a range of community settings including GP surgeries, health centres, children's hospices, as well as mainstream and specialist schools.
• You’ll have the opportunity to hear the experiences and viewpoints from service users and carers, who are part of the Public Partnership Group.
• You’ll also learn how to respond to the needs of all patients and service users from all fields of adult, learning disability and mental health nursing.

In line with the apprenticeship model, the course is designed to support a training in practice approach. Whilst undertaking the course you’ll remain employed by your host organisation and may spend 20% of your time in your current workplace. The remaining 80% will be spent at the University undertaking theory work and clinical placements. The course culminates in an End Point Assessment (EPA) which is independently assessed outside of the Higher Education Institution (Skills Funding Agency, 2018). The course is designed to be progressively demanding and once qualified you’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and work as a Registered Nurse for Children.

Placements

Nothing can really replicate working in the real-world, which is why practice placements are essential and a compulsory part of the course. The Nursing and Midwifery Council require you to complete the minimum of 2300 hours across the course in order to obtain registration.

You'll have the opportunity to complete your practice learning experiences in a range of healthcare environments including NHS Trusts, private and voluntary organisations such as hospices, nursing homes and community settings. You'll be supervised throughout your practical experiences by a qualified professional who will provide you with any required help and advice. In order to provide you with the broadest professional experience possible, practice experiences are generally offered across West Yorkshire and occasionally beyond, covering 24 hour care including evening, weekend and night shifts.

Whilst on placement you will be supported by trained supervisors and assessors, as well as by members of the academic team who will meet with you and your practice support team every 12 weeks. You'll be required to travel to and during your placements.

Your Career

Possible career opportunities include working within the National Health Service and private or voluntary sectors.

After further training possible career opportunities could include working as an advanced nurse practitioner or specialist in acute care, as well as working in community settings as practice nurses, health visitors, school nurses or district nurses. There may also be opportunities to develop in management roles and many nurse specialist roles including diabetes specialist nurse, respiratory specialists, continence specialists, palliative care specialists, community matrons, as well as many more.