Overview
This programme prepares compassionate practitioners for modern healthcare environments. Campus simulation wards develop clinical skills; placements with NHS and private partners provide real-world experience. You will study anatomy, pharmacology, mental health nursing, and public health. Interprofessional education sessions build collaboration skills with midwifery, physiotherapy, and medical students where available.
BSc (Hons) Nursing & Health Sciences is taught as one award, not a list of unrelated modules. The published length is 3 years full-time, and the credit total is 360. Students move from Foundations of Nursing Practice through Foundations of Nursing Practice; Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology; Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care; Clinical Practice Placement I; Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology; Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing, and finish on Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio.
Each course has a question, a method, and a submission. In this field, students describe how people, records, and decisions move through one service, and separate cause from harm. Reading is a pathway description, an incident summary, and an information standard. The artefact a marker expects is a brief a service manager could use, with the evidence attached.
The award is built so that a graduate can do the following in practice: Deliver safe, evidence-based nursing interventions Communicate effectively with patients and multidisciplinary teams Apply clinical reasoning in simulated and placement settings
Teaching assumes the student can read a source, attempt a problem before the seminar, and revise after feedback. Attendance at live seminars is part of the design. The capstone or final course must use the methods of the earlier courses; a project that ignores them does not pass.
This course does not confer a licence to practise nursing, medicine, or any other clinical profession.
The pages for each course name the topics that are examined. Those topics are the syllabus. A brochure line is not a substitute for them.
Clinical placements are arranged across Lothian health boards with dedicated placement educators.
Who This Programme Is For
- ✦Caring individuals committed to patient-centred practice
- ✦Healthcare assistants progressing to registered nursing
- ✦Students seeking NMC-aligned academic preparation
Faculty spotlight
Professor Anne Fraser RN, PhD leads Clinical Practice; Dr. Michael Osei coordinates simulation education.
Programme Structure & Delivery
Coursework
Interactive modules, weekly readings, recorded and live seminars, and collaborative discussions with peers worldwide.
Assessment
Module assignments, proctored examinations, and capstone projects designed to demonstrate mastery of the field.
Learning Outcomes
- ✦Deliver safe, evidence-based nursing interventions
- ✦Communicate effectively with patients and multidisciplinary teams
- ✦Apply clinical reasoning in simulated and placement settings
- ✦Reflect on practice using professional frameworks
Career Pathways
- ✦Staff Nurse
- ✦Community Nurse
- ✦Clinical Research Nurse
- ✦Health Educator
- ✦Further Study (MSc)
Assessment
Modules are assessed through a published mix of coursework, applied projects, and examinations. Exam windows are announced in advance so students in other time zones are not forced into overnight sittings. Alternative arrangements are available where documented.
Curriculum
Year 1 — Foundations of Healthcare
NUR101Foundations of Nursing Practice- NUR101-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Foundations of Nursing Practice
- NUR101-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Foundations of Nursing Practice
- NUR101-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Foundations of Nursing Practice
- NUR101-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Foundations of Nursing Practice
- NUR101-M5 · Service design for a named population — Foundations of Nursing Practice
- NUR101-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Foundations of Nursing Practice
20 creditsNUR102Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology- NUR102-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology
- NUR102-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology
- NUR102-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology
- NUR102-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology
- NUR102-M5 · Service design for a named population — Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology
- NUR102-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Human Anatomy & Applied Physiology
20 creditsNUR103Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care- NUR103-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care
- NUR103-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care
- NUR103-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care
- NUR103-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care
- NUR103-M5 · Service design for a named population — Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care
- NUR103-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Communication, Ethics & Compassionate Care
20 creditsNUR104Clinical Practice Placement I- NUR104-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Clinical Practice Placement I
- NUR104-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Clinical Practice Placement I
- NUR104-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Clinical Practice Placement I
- NUR104-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Clinical Practice Placement I
- NUR104-M5 · Service design for a named population — Clinical Practice Placement I
- NUR104-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Clinical Practice Placement I
20 creditsNUR105Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology- NUR105-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology
- NUR105-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology
- NUR105-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology
- NUR105-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology
- NUR105-M5 · Service design for a named population — Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology
- NUR105-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Microbiology, Infection Control & Immunology
20 creditsNUR106Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing- NUR106-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing
- NUR106-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing
- NUR106-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing
- NUR106-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing
- NUR106-M5 · Service design for a named population — Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing
- NUR106-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Health Promotion & Population Wellbeing
20 creditsYear 2 — Acute & Chronic Care
NUR201Medical-Surgical Nursing & Acute Illness- NUR201-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Medical-Surgical Nursing & Acute Illness
- NUR201-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Medical-Surgical Nursing & Acute Illness
- NUR201-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Medical-Surgical Nursing & Acute Illness
- NUR201-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Medical-Surgical Nursing & Acute Illness
- NUR201-M5 · Service design for a named population — Medical-Surgical Nursing & Acute Illness
- NUR201-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Medical-Surgical Nursing & Acute Illness
20 creditsNUR202Applied Pharmacology & Medicines Management- NUR202-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Applied Pharmacology & Medicines Management
- NUR202-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Applied Pharmacology & Medicines Management
- NUR202-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Applied Pharmacology & Medicines Management
- NUR202-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Applied Pharmacology & Medicines Management
- NUR202-M5 · Service design for a named population — Applied Pharmacology & Medicines Management
- NUR202-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Applied Pharmacology & Medicines Management
20 creditsNUR203Mental Health & Psychological Wellbeing- NUR203-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Mental Health & Psychological Wellbeing
- NUR203-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Mental Health & Psychological Wellbeing
- NUR203-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Mental Health & Psychological Wellbeing
- NUR203-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Mental Health & Psychological Wellbeing
- NUR203-M5 · Service design for a named population — Mental Health & Psychological Wellbeing
- NUR203-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Mental Health & Psychological Wellbeing
20 creditsNUR204Clinical Practice Placement II- NUR204-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Clinical Practice Placement II
- NUR204-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Clinical Practice Placement II
- NUR204-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Clinical Practice Placement II
- NUR204-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Clinical Practice Placement II
- NUR204-M5 · Service design for a named population — Clinical Practice Placement II
- NUR204-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Clinical Practice Placement II
20 creditsNUR205Evidence-Based Practice & Research Methods- NUR205-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Evidence-Based Practice & Research Methods
- NUR205-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Evidence-Based Practice & Research Methods
- NUR205-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Evidence-Based Practice & Research Methods
- NUR205-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Evidence-Based Practice & Research Methods
- NUR205-M5 · Service design for a named population — Evidence-Based Practice & Research Methods
- NUR205-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Evidence-Based Practice & Research Methods
20 creditsNUR206Long-Term Conditions & Palliative Care- NUR206-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Long-Term Conditions & Palliative Care
- NUR206-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Long-Term Conditions & Palliative Care
- NUR206-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Long-Term Conditions & Palliative Care
- NUR206-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Long-Term Conditions & Palliative Care
- NUR206-M5 · Service design for a named population — Long-Term Conditions & Palliative Care
- NUR206-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Long-Term Conditions & Palliative Care
20 creditsYear 3 — Leadership & Advanced Practice
NUR301Leadership, Management & Mentorship in Nursing- NUR301-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Leadership, Management & Mentorship in Nursing
- NUR301-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Leadership, Management & Mentorship in Nursing
- NUR301-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Leadership, Management & Mentorship in Nursing
- NUR301-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Leadership, Management & Mentorship in Nursing
- NUR301-M5 · Service design for a named population — Leadership, Management & Mentorship in Nursing
- NUR301-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Leadership, Management & Mentorship in Nursing
20 creditsNUR302Public Health, Epidemiology & Global Policy- NUR302-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Public Health, Epidemiology & Global Policy
- NUR302-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Public Health, Epidemiology & Global Policy
- NUR302-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Public Health, Epidemiology & Global Policy
- NUR302-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Public Health, Epidemiology & Global Policy
- NUR302-M5 · Service design for a named population — Public Health, Epidemiology & Global Policy
- NUR302-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Public Health, Epidemiology & Global Policy
20 creditsNUR303Critical Care & Emergency Response- NUR303-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Critical Care & Emergency Response
- NUR303-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Critical Care & Emergency Response
- NUR303-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Critical Care & Emergency Response
- NUR303-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Critical Care & Emergency Response
- NUR303-M5 · Service design for a named population — Critical Care & Emergency Response
- NUR303-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Critical Care & Emergency Response
20 creditsNUR304Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement- NUR304-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement
- NUR304-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement
- NUR304-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement
- NUR304-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement
- NUR304-M5 · Service design for a named population — Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement
- NUR304-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement
20 creditsNUR305Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio- NUR305-M1 · Pathway, payment, records, and the bottleneck — Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio
- NUR305-M2 · Incident, harm, cause, and the change that prevents a repeat — Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio
- NUR305-M3 · Indicators, privacy, and misuse of a report — Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio
- NUR305-M4 · Quality, safety, and the limit of the data — Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio
- NUR305-M5 · Service design for a named population — Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio
- NUR305-M6 · A service or informatics brief with evidence and a recommendation — Practice Placement III & Honours Portfolio
40 creditsAdmission requirements
Academic entry
- A-levels BBB (or equivalent) in relevant subjects, or an Access to HE Diploma with Merit profile
- International Baccalaureate 28 points, or high school diploma with GPA 3.0/4.0 minimum
- Enhanced DBS check and occupational health clearance required before placement
English language
- English proficiency: IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 46, or equivalent (waived for prior English-medium study)
Documents
- Personal statement (400–600 words) explaining your academic interests and career goals
- One academic reference from a teacher, tutor, or school counsellor
Research & interview
- Optional: portfolio or interview for creative and professional programmes
Programme questions
How long is the BSc (Hons) Nursing & Health Sciences?+
The published duration is 3 years full-time. Teaching language: English. Actual time-to-complete depends on mode and any recognised prior learning.
Can I study this from my country?+
This is a fully online award. You study from your country. No student visa and no campus relocation are required.
What does it cost?+
Degree tuition for this award is published as £0 / tuition-free on the online pathway. Examination or administrative fees may apply at checkout — never an annual tuition invoice. Check the Fees page for any extras.
What are the entry requirements?+
Requirements are grouped on this page (academic, English, documents). Equivalent qualifications are considered. English may be waived after prior English-medium study.
How is the programme assessed?+
Assessment is typically a mix of coursework, projects, and examinations. Doctoral awards include a thesis or dissertation and an oral examination. Details sit in the programme specification and module outlines.
Will this award be recognised where I live?+
Recognition of the award for local employment, professional licence, or ministry attestation is decided by your employer or regulator. Durham University publishes verification pages for certificates. We do not claim automatic equivalence in every country.
How do I apply?+
Start an application on this website. Progress is saved from the first step. Admissions: admissions@durhm.co.uk.
