BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies (Registered Nurse Adult Nursing) foundation year

When you study Adult Nursing at Surrey, you’ll spend your time learning by doing. From day one, you’ll practise real nursing skills in realistic, hospital-style settings and gain hands-on experience through supervised clinical placements. It’s a course designed to help you build confidence, clinical judgment, and practical skills long before you graduate.

Here’s how your practical learning comes to life:

• Clinical Simulation Centre & hospital-style wards: You’ll use Surrey’s state-of-the-art simulation centre, including hospital wards and a critical care unit, to practise patient assessment, communication, teamwork, and crisis response using lifelike manikins and professional actors.

• Blended teaching from the start: Even in the Foundation Year, you’ll combine lectures, seminars, group work, online learning, and hands-on simulation, so you’re applying what you learn from day one.

• Real-world clinical placements: Throughout the degree, you’ll work in NHS partner hospitals and care settings, gaining firsthand experience with patients and understanding the day-to-day realities of nursing.

• Team-based learning: You’ll learn alongside students from midwifery, paramedic science, and other health disciplines, giving you early experience of working in multidisciplinary teams.

• Progressive skill development: Starting with core modules like Adult Nursing 1, you’ll practise assessment, decision-making, and basic care. Later modules, such as Adult Nursing 3, help you build advanced clinical skills, medicines management, and ethical decision-making in preparation for professional practice.

• Supportive learning & reflection: Experienced teaching staff guide you throughout, encouraging reflective practice, discussion, and evidence-based learning to help you grow as a confident, caring nurse.

Graduating from Surrey’s Adult Nursing degree sets you up for a rewarding career where you can make a real difference in people’s lives. Many graduates go on to work as adult nurses, hospital staff nurses, community care nurses, specialist care nurses, ward managers, or clinical nurse specialists — roles that combine hands-on care with meaningful responsibility.

Here’s how Surrey helps you get there:

• Careers support every step of the way: The university’s Careers Service helps with applications, CVs, interview preparation, and even supports you for up to three years after graduation, making the transition into professional life smoother.

• High employability and competitive starting salaries: Around 94–95% of graduates from this course are working or studying within 15 months, with starting salaries typically around £27,000–£28,000, and earnings growing to around £31,500 after gaining experience.

• Strong industry connections: Many alumni go on to work in major NHS trusts such as Guy’s and St Thomas’, Hampshire Hospitals, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare, giving you direct access to high-quality clinical environments.

• Professional accreditation: The programme is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), so you’ll graduate ready to register as a qualified adult nurse and start practising immediately.

• Meaningful, impactful work: Beyond pay and security, graduates report that their roles feel purposeful and aligned with their training, helping them make a real difference for patients and communities.

Further Academic Progression:

Once you’ve graduated and gained some experience, you can continue to grow your expertise:

• Specialise in areas such as chronic illness care, geriatrics, palliative care, or critical care through postgraduate certificates or diplomas.

• Move into leadership or management positions, overseeing teams or departments while combining clinical experience with further study.

• Explore research or teaching, pursuing a Master’s or PhD in health sciences, public health, nursing research, or healthcare management — opening doors to advanced academic or policy roles.