BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies (Registered Nurse Children and Young People Nursing) with Foundation year

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Surrey

Program Overview

This degree prepares you to become a qualified children’s nurse, caring for infants, children, and young people while supporting their families with compassion and confidence. It’s perfect if you love working with children, want hands-on experience from day one, and are eager to make a real difference in young lives.

Curriculum Structure

Foundation Year: Your first year helps you ease into university life and healthcare studies. You’ll get a solid grounding in anatomy and physiology, explore the basics of healthcare and evidence-based practice, and develop communication and interpersonal skills — all while learning what person-centred care really means.
Year 1: Moving into the degree proper, you’ll focus on the foundations of nursing practice, public health, and core scientific knowledge. This year introduces you to the essentials of caring for children and young people, combining classroom learning with practical skills.
Year 2: Here, you’ll dive deeper into children and young people’s care. You’ll learn how to assess, support, and treat young patients, understand safeguarding, child development, and complex health conditions, and start applying this knowledge during real-world clinical placements.
Year 3 (Final Year): Your final year helps you consolidate your clinical and decision-making skills. You’ll explore ethical, legal, psychosocial, and family-centered aspects of child care, and by the end, you’ll be ready to graduate as a confident, professional children’s nurse, capable of working across a variety of healthcare settings.

Focus areas: Children and Young People Nursing, anatomy & physiology, child development & safeguarding, public health & evidence-based practice, child-centred care, ethical and family-centred practice, clinical decision-making and patient care for infants to adolescents

Learning outcomes: Understand and provide evidence-based nursing care for children and young people, assess and manage physical and developmental health needs, communicate effectively with children, young people, and families, uphold ethical and safeguarding standards, work in multi-disciplinary teams, and be fully prepared for professional practice as a registered children’s nurse

Professional alignment (accreditation): Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), meaning you’ll meet all the requirements to register as a qualified children’s nurse upon graduation

Reputation (employability & rankings): Surrey nursing graduates enjoy strong career outcomes, with around 95% in work or further study within 15 months of graduating, and early-career salaries averaging about £28,000

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Surrey, studying Children and Young People Nursing is all about learning by doing. You won’t just sit in lectures — from day one, you’ll be gaining hands-on experience, practicing real nursing skills, and building the confidence to care for children and young people in a variety of settings. The programme mixes classroom learning with clinical practice, so what you learn in theory is immediately applied in real or simulated healthcare environments.

Here’s how your experiential learning journey looks:

Practice in a realistic Simulation Centre – Surrey’s Clinical Simulation Centre is like a mini hospital, complete with paediatric and neonatal manikins, hospital wards, and even actors playing patients. You can safely practise procedures and communication skills before heading into real-life settings.
Learning alongside other healthcare students – You’ll work with peers from midwifery, paramedic science, and other health disciplines. This helps you understand teamwork in a real hospital and prepares you for the collaborative world of healthcare.
Early and continuous clinical placements – Over the course of your degree, you’ll spend thousands of hours in real NHS settings: children’s wards, neonatal units, emergency departments, community clinics, and hospices. This hands-on experience is where your classroom knowledge truly comes alive.
Leadership and autonomy in your final year – In your third year, placements are designed to let you take on more responsibility, make decisions, and practice leading care teams under supervision, preparing you for your role as a registered nurse.
Support for your career journey – Beyond practical skills, the programme helps you get ready for life after graduation with CV workshops, interview practice, and guidance on applying for professional registration.
Access to top-notch facilities and resources – You’ll benefit from well-equipped laboratories, libraries, and digital tools that support both your learning and research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from Surrey’s Children and Young People Nursing degree means you’ll be ready to step straight into a career making a real difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families. Many graduates go on to become children’s nurses in hospitals or community settings, neonatal or paediatric intensive‑care nurses, school nurses, or community children’s nurses — roles that are both rewarding and in high demand.

Here’s what your future could look like:

High employability: Around 95% of Surrey nursing graduates are working or continuing their studies within 15 months of finishing their degree.
Competitive starting salary: Graduates typically earn around £28,000 early in their careers, with growth to £34,500 within five years.
Work in top hospitals: Alumni often join leading NHS trusts, such as Guy’s and St Thomas’, Hampshire Hospitals, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare — giving you access to excellent paediatric training environments.
Professional recognition: This degree is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), meaning you can register as a qualified children’s nurse and practise in the UK and internationally.
Ongoing career support: Surrey’s careers team will help you with CVs, interviews, job applications, and transitioning from student to professional life.

Further Academic Progression:

After your BSc, there are plenty of ways to grow and specialise:

Take a Master’s in paediatric nursing, community health, or public health to move into advanced clinical roles.
Pursue specialist nursing qualifications, such as community children’s nursing or school nursing, which can lead to leadership or advanced practice roles.
Explore research or teaching pathways — if you’re interested in shaping the next generation of nurses or contributing to healthcare research, further study could open doors to academia or policy roles.