BSc Hons Nursing with Registered Nurse (Children & Young People)

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Central Lancashire

Program Overview

If you love helping children and want a career where every day makes a real difference, this degree is perfect for you. You’ll learn how to care for children and young people in hospitals, community settings, and at home, gaining both practical skills and academic knowledge in areas like child development, anatomy, and mental wellbeing.

Curriculum Structure:
Year 1: Your first year is all about building a solid foundation. In How the Body and Mind Work, you’ll explore how children’s bodies and minds develop and function. Getting Started in My Nursing Career helps you adjust to university life while shaping your professional identity, and Introducing Nursing Practice gives you your first taste of hands-on care in a safe, guided environment.

Year 2: In year two, you’ll dive deeper into children’s health and nursing practice. Policy and Politics in Healthcare introduces you to the systems that shape care, while Flourishing in Children’s Nursing focuses on understanding illness, pain management, and promoting wellbeing. Meanwhile, Actively Participating in Children’s Nursing Practice places you in real clinical settings to put your learning into practice.

Year 3: The final year prepares you to step confidently into the nursing profession. In Becoming a Newly Qualified Nurse, you’ll focus on leadership, decision-making, and handling complex situations. Leading Nursing Practice helps you master clinical assessments and medicine management, and Making the Difference in Children’s Nursing Practice ensures you’re ready for full professional registration and real-world nursing challenges.

Focus areas: Children & young people’s nursing, child development, mental health, complex care in community settings, leadership, and decision-making.

Learning outcomes: You’ll graduate ready to deliver safe, high-quality care to children and young people, work effectively in care teams, use evidence-based practice, and register as a children and young people’s nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Professional alignment (accreditation): This degree is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the official regulator for children’s nursing in the UK.

Reputation (employability rankings): UCLan is recognized for high-quality teaching and employability, holding a 4 QS Stars rating overall.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

When you study this course, you won’t just be reading textbooks — you’ll be learning by doing. Around half of your time is spent in real-world practice, whether that’s in hospitals, community settings, or even children’s homes. At UCLan’s Preston Campus, you’ll have access to state-of-the-art clinical skills labs, complete with patient simulators and model trainers, so you can practise procedures safely before working with real patients. You’ll also work closely with service users and carers through the Comensus group, which helps you develop the communication, empathy, and practical skills needed to care for children and young people.

You’ll gain hands-on experience through opportunities such as:

Clinical skills labs with patient simulators/manikins and model trainers, letting you safely practise nursing techniques.
Real placements in hospitals, community clinics, and home care, making up around 50% of your course time.
Reflection and “keeping in touch” days to link what you’ve learned in theory with what you’ve experienced on placement.
Learning directly from service users and carers to improve communication and child-centred care.
Optional international volunteering experiences to broaden your understanding of nursing in different settings.

Progression & Future Opportunities

When you graduate, you’ll be fully prepared to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Typical roles include working as a children’s nurse, community health specialist, school nurse, or family-care coordinator. The degree equips you with the confidence, skills, and professional recognition employers are looking for, giving you a strong start to your career. Here’s how UCLan supports your future:

University careers and employability services: help with CV building, interview preparation, job searching, and connecting with healthcare employers and placement opportunities.
Employment stats and earnings: around 95.5% of full-time UCLan graduates go into work or further study within six months, with average earnings of approximately £26,500 three years after graduation.
Industry partnerships: close links with NHS trusts and local healthcare providers ensure your placements and training are aligned with real-world needs.
Accreditation value: fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), meaning your qualification is recognised nationally and allows registration as a children and young people’s nurse.
Graduate outcomes: alumni move into specialist roles or leadership positions, such as clinical educator or paediatric nurse specialist.

Further Academic Progression:
After this degree, you could continue with postgraduate studies, such as an MSc in paediatric nursing, children and young people’s health, or nursing leadership. You could also specialise in areas like neonatal care, paediatric mental health, or community children’s services to advance your career even further.