BSc (Hons) Nursing (Child)

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Leeds Trinity University

Program Overview

If you’re passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people, the BSc (Hons) Nursing (Child) at Leeds Trinity University is designed for you. This course blends hands-on clinical experience with supportive academic learning, preparing you to qualify as a compassionate, confident children’s nurse ready for professional practice.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 – Building strong foundations

Your first year is all about understanding what it truly means to be a children’s nurse. Through modules such as Fundamentals of Contemporary Nursing Care and Psychosocial Concepts of Health and Wellbeing, you’ll explore the basics of nursing practice, child development, and the social factors that affect health. You’ll also develop vital communication skills in Communication and Relationship Skills, while beginning supervised clinical placements in Practice 1 and Practice 2, where you start applying what you learn in real healthcare environments.

Year 2 – Developing confidence and competence

In your second year, you’ll build on your experience and begin to think more critically as a practitioner. Modules like Developing Competence in Contemporary Child Nursing and Promoting Health and Wellbeing across the Lifespan focus on evidence-based care, health promotion, and supporting children and families in a range of settings. Your learning is strengthened through Practice 3 and Practice 4 placements, helping you grow in confidence, responsibility, and clinical decision-making.

Year 3 – Preparing for professional practice

Your final year prepares you to step into the profession with confidence. You’ll study Leading and Coordinating Contemporary Child Nursing Care and Managing Complex Care Needs in Child Nursing Care, developing leadership skills and learning how to manage more complex clinical situations. Alongside Preparation for Professional Registration, your final placements (Practice 5 and Practice 6) allow you to demonstrate your readiness to qualify and transition into a professional children’s nursing role.

Focus areas (in a string):

Children’s nursing practice, family-centred care, health promotion, communication and relationship skills, clinical decision-making, leadership, evidence-based care.

Learning outcomes (in a string):

Deliver safe and compassionate care to children and young people, communicate effectively with families and healthcare teams, apply theory to real-world practice, use evidence to guide care decisions, and graduate ready for professional registration.

Professional alignment (accreditation):

This programme is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), meaning successful graduates are eligible to apply for registration as a children’s nurse in the UK.

Reputation (employability & student experience):

Leeds Trinity University is well regarded for its supportive learning environment and strong graduate outcomes, with recognition in national university guides such as the Guardian University Guide for student satisfaction and employability-focused teaching.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Leeds Trinity, learning to become a children’s nurse is very hands-on from the moment you start. You’ll practise clinical skills in realistic, supportive environments on campus before applying them during professional placements, so you never feel thrown in at the deep end. The course is carefully balanced between university-based learning and real healthcare experience, giving you the confidence, competence, and compassion needed to care for children, young people, and their families in real clinical settings — and that balance is what truly sets the programme apart:

Clinical simulation suites on campus, designed to reflect real healthcare and community environments, where you can safely practise essential nursing skills before going on placement
Practice placements every year, with two structured placement blocks annually, allowing you to work directly with children and families in NHS trusts and partner healthcare settings
Supervised, supported learning in practice, with trained practice supervisors and assessors helping you grow in confidence, responsibility, and professional judgement
Digital learning tools and online portfolios, used to record your progress, reflect on your experiences, and prepare you for professional registration
Interprofessional learning opportunities, where you learn alongside other health students and hear directly from service users and carers to better understand holistic, family-centred care
Access to specialist health learning spaces, supporting skill development, group learning, and preparation for real clinical scenarios
University library and learning resources, providing academic support, study spaces, and access to nursing and healthcare research throughout your degree

All of this ensures that by the time you graduate, you won’t just understand children’s nursing in theory — you’ll have lived it, practised it, and built the confidence to step straight into professional practice.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from Leeds Trinity as a children’s nurse means you’re stepping into a career where your skills are genuinely needed and valued. Most students move straight into professional practice after finishing the course, using their placement experience and NMC-approved qualification to begin working with children, young people and their families. Typical graduate roles include Children’s Nurse, Community Children’s Nurse, Paediatric Staff Nurse, and Health Promotion Practitioner — and the degree is designed to get you there with confidence:

Careers+Placements support throughout your degree: Leeds Trinity’s dedicated Careers+Placements team helps you prepare for life after university with CV support, mock interviews, careers fairs, and one-to-one guidance — and this support continues even after you graduate
Strong route into employment: Because placements are built into every year of the course, many students graduate with real-world experience, professional references, and clear pathways into NHS trusts and healthcare organisations
Close links with healthcare providers: The course works with NHS trusts and regional health and care partners, giving you valuable exposure to real employers while you study
NMC-approved qualification: Completing the course allows you to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, giving you a nationally recognised professional qualification that supports long-term career progression
Positive graduate outcomes: With professional registration, placement experience, and continued careers support, graduates are well prepared to move into frontline nursing roles or broader health and social care positions

Further Academic Progression:
After qualifying and registering as a children’s nurse, many graduates choose to continue developing their expertise. You could progress into postgraduate study in areas such as children’s health, advanced clinical practice, healthcare leadership, or nursing education — opening doors to specialist clinical roles, teaching future nurses, or moving into leadership and management within healthcare services.