Nursing
Children's nursing is a profession dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of babies, children, and young people across the full range of health conditions and care settings, from acute hospital wards and paediatric intensive care to community services, school nursing, and long-term condition management. Children are not simply small adults: their physiology, developmental stage, psychological needs, and communication requirements change rapidly from infancy through adolescence, and caring for them effectively requires specialist knowledge and skills as well as the ability to work sensitively with families under often stressful circumstances. Children's nurses are advocates for their patients and their families, and the emotional intelligence and professional judgement the role demands make it among the most rewarding in healthcare.
At Sheffield Hallam University, this three-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a structured entry route into nursing education. The degree develops clinical knowledge and skills through a combination of academic study and substantial clinical placement experience across a range of settings where children receive care. You will explore the contemporary nature of health and illness in childhood, the developmental framework for understanding children's needs, and the collaborative approaches to delivering child and family-centred care that characterise modern paediatric nursing.
Reflective practice, compassionate care, and clinical competence are developed together, preparing you to qualify as a registered children's nurse who can practise safely and confidently from the first day of employment.
Graduates register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and are employed across NHS trusts, independent healthcare providers, community health services, and specialist children's hospitals. Opportunities exist in paediatric intensive care, neonatal nursing, oncology, community children's nursing, school nursing, and child and adolescent mental health services, among other specialisms. Career progression leads to advanced clinical practice, specialist nursing, nursing management, education, and research roles.
Many registered children's nurses continue to postgraduate study to develop specialist clinical expertise or advance into leadership and education careers.