Nursing

Child nursing is a specialism within nursing that focuses on the care of infants, children, young people, and their families across the full range of health conditions, from acute illness and surgical care to chronic conditions and community health support. Children are not simply small adults; their developmental stage, psychological needs, and family context require a distinctive approach to assessment, communication, and care planning. Child nurses need to work not only with their young patients but with parents and families, supporting the whole family unit through often frightening and difficult experiences.

At the University of Dundee, the BN in Child Nursing is a three-year full-time programme that prepares you for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a registered children's nurse. You will learn to assess and care for children and young people across a range of ages and clinical settings, from neonatal care and paediatric wards to community nursing and school health. The programme combines academic study of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, child development, and nursing theory with extensive clinical practice placements, ensuring you develop both the knowledge and the hands-on competence that professional nursing requires.

Dundee's nursing programmes benefit from strong connections with NHS Tayside and other health boards across Scotland.

The programme prepares you for the realities of working in a field where clinical skill, emotional resilience, and family-centred communication are all equally important.

Qualified Children's Nurses work in paediatric wards, neonatal units, community settings, school nursing, and specialist children's services. With experience, many go on to advanced practice roles, specialisms, or leadership positions. The degree also provides a foundation for postgraduate study in paediatric nursing or child health.