Nursing
Child health nursing, known as children's nursing or paediatric nursing, is one of the four fields of nursing practice in the UK, specialising in the care of infants, children, and young people from birth to adulthood. Children's nurses work across a wide range of settings, from neonatal intensive care and acute paediatric wards to community clinics, school nursing, and hospice care for children with life-limiting conditions. The field demands all the clinical competence of adult nursing alongside additional expertise in child development, family-centred care, and the communication skills needed to engage with children of all ages and with their parents or carers.
At the University of Plymouth this part-time programme develops your knowledge of professional nursing standards, the use of evidence in practice, and the role of communication and social media in contemporary healthcare from the outset. You will develop your clinical understanding through a combination of academic study and practice, engaging with the full scope of child health nursing practice. The programme introduces you to the professional frameworks and ethical principles that underpin nursing as a regulated health profession, and develops the foundational knowledge and skills that clinical placement experience will build upon.
Qualifying as a registered children's nurse opens a career in the NHS, private paediatric healthcare, and international settings. Many graduates specialise in fields such as neonatal care, paediatric oncology, emergency medicine, or community nursing. Experienced children's nurses move into advanced clinical practice, specialist nursing, education, research, and leadership roles.
Some pursue postgraduate study to develop specialist expertise or to prepare for consultant nurse or academic pathways within the profession.