Registered nursing degree apprenticeships

Core units

• Foundations for Professional Practice and Research: This interprofessional unit will provide you with a foundation understanding and appreciation of the context of nursing care. You’ll develop the skills to prepare for your first practice placement by exploring the importance of respectful, reflective, resilient and person-centred professional practice.
• Nursing Theory and Application 1: You will be introduced to the theoretical foundations of nursing by examining philosophical, historical, ethical, methodological, political and legislative processes that inform the practice of nursing. You will gain an understanding of the core values that underpin the different fields of nursing practice.
• Applied Health Care Science 1: This unit introduces students to bio-psychosocial theories and concepts as they apply to health and wellbeing. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the biological, genetic, pharmacological, psychological, social and environmental factors that promote health and wellbeing.
• Communication Skills for Nursing Practice: This unit focuses on the importance of good communication and interpersonal skills when having conversations with patients/service users and colleagues in the healthcare setting. You’ll develop effective communication and interpersonal skills in order to develop supportive relationships with patients/service users and their carers and families.
• Developing Skills for Promoting Health and Wellbeing: Public Health England requires all health practitioners to work to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities and nurses are seen as being pivotal to this movement; by offering health improvement and wellbeing support to individuals, families, carers, communities and populations. This unit will provide you with the foundations of the knowledge and skills nurses require to facilitate a person and/or family for the promotion of their own health and wellbeing.
• Nursing Practice and Nursing skills 1: This unit will provide you with practice learning opportunities to develop your skills and confidence in-line with requirements set out in the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) 2018 Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses. Simulation will be utilised to practice skills in a safe environment across this practice unit and you will participate in care with guidance from practice supervisors and assessors. 

Core units

• Research for Professional Practice: Building on foundation studies from year one you will work in an interprofessional group to advance your research and problem-solving skills to engage critically with evidence-based practice.
• Improving Safety and Quality of Care: You’ll develop the knowledge and understanding required to promote and contribute to maintaining service user/patient safety and to engage in risk management in clinical practice. You will also explore strategies for quality improvement and international frameworks to promote quality of care.
• Nursing Theory & Application 2: By considering the issues that may be pertinent to patients and their family’s health and wellbeing, you will explore and analyse how the impact of legal and ethical principles and values impact upon healthcare.
• Applied Health Care Sciences 2: During this unit you will analyse the impact of challenges to physical and mental health and wellbeing in individuals and groups across their lifespan. You’ll also examine biological, psychological, sociological and social factors that impact on diseases that affect both physical and mental health, applying this to the assessment, management and evaluation of care for individuals and groups.
• Acute and Long Term Health Challenges: This unit will develop your knowledge and understanding of the nursing management and co-ordination of health care which is necessary for managing patients with acute and long term health challenges.
• Clinical Pharmacology and Medicines Management: You’ll learn how to apply your understanding of clinical pharmacology and medicines management as part of health care management, in the context of relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Nursing Practice and Nursing Skills 2: This professional practice unit will provide you with the range of experiences you’ll need to develop your proficiency in-line with the requirements set out by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

Core units

• Team Working for Service Improvement: During this unit, you will develop skills for working in inter-professional teams to design and develop service improvements for the people who use services and their carers.
• Clinical Leadership and Management: This unit will prepare you to lead and manage yourself and others in the healthcare setting by evaluating management and leadership theories and how they inform managing change in the workplace.
• Applied Health Care Sciences 3: You’ll critically analyse biopsychosocial concepts that underpin complex health needs and the challenges that individuals and groups face across their lives. You will also build upon developing your knowledge and confidence in the application of pharmacology.
• Developing a Literature Review: You’ll evaluate a specific area of interest relating to your field of nursing and build on your understanding of research and literature reviewing and academic writing skills.
• Therapeutic Communications and Interpersonal skills for Nursing Practice: This unit prepares you for the clinical and therapeutic conversations you will have with patients/service users in the healthcare setting and provide you with the skills to support individuals and their families to make informed decisions about their health and health care.
• Caring for People with Complex Health Care Needs: You’ll show your knowledge of care management and develop the clinical decision-making skills for undertaking nursing assessments and risk assessments, leading to the planning and prioritising of care for individuals who experience critical and complex health care conditions.
• Nursing Practice and Nursing Skills 3: This unit will develop the personal and professional skills you’ll need as a graduate entering the world of work as a professional nurse. You will demonstrate the appropriate ability to practice safely, responsibly and professionally and be accountable for your practice in accordance with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses.

Following award, students on the apprenticeship route are eligible to undertake the end point assessment (EPA) for the Registered Nurse Degree (NMC 2018). This is carried out by the independent end point assessor appointed by the employer. The EPA period should only start, and the EPA be arranged, once the employer is satisfied that the apprentice is consistently working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard, all of the pre-requisite gateway requirements for EPA have been met and that they can be evidenced to an EPAO.

For the Registered Nursing Degree Apprenticeships, End Point Assessments are integrated and not arranged externally.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

These apprenticeship courses are ideal for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in adult nursing or mental health nursing within the NHS, private or community healthcare services. Prospective apprentices should currently be employed in a healthcare role and have the support of their employer. 

With practical learning being integral to your degree, we provide practice simulation suites to mirror both clinical and community workplace settings and provide a safe environment.

Visit our facilities page to find out more – you can also take a 360° tour to get a feel for where you’ll be studying while you’re based on our Lansdowne Campus.

When on placement you will follow the shift pattern of your allocated practice supervisor. It is expected you will experience the full 24 hour / 7 day a week shift pattern during the course. This will include following the placement shift patterns (which may include 12-hour shift patterns used in some placement areas) and include weekend working and night duty. 

Although your term-time address and method of transport are taken into consideration when allocating your placements there is an expectation that all students will have to travel across large areas including some of a more rural nature to reach their placements. Once you have been allocated your locality this will remain for the remainder of your time on the course.

Below are some examples of the specialities of some of the hospitals we work with. Your placements will involve both clinical and community placements throughout your study. 

Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals

• Royal Bournemouth Hospital came in the top 10 in the first ever assessment of NHS hospital quality in England, based on what matters to people e.g. waiting time, infection control rates
• Radiology – the cutting edge of technology. Toshiba has chosen Royal Bournemouth Hospital as the first site for installation of its latest CT scanner – the first of its type in the world
• Pathology – Royal Bournemouth Hospital is the regional haemophilia centre for Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester
• Colorectal surgery – Royal Bournemouth Hospital is one of the best performing trusts nationally for 30-day post operative mortality after major colorectal surgery
• Orthopaedics – third-largest joint replacement unit in the UK
• Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre - National and international reputation in the field of clinical diabetes
• Cardiology – Cardiologists here have the lowest levels of major adverse cardiac events in the country.

Salisbury District Hospital

• Cancer patients at Salisbury District Hospital have rated their care highly with 94% of those asked saying it was excellent or very good
• Salisbury is the Regional Centre for Genetics, Burns and Plastics and a supra-Regional Centre for spinal injuries
• Cancer patients at Salisbury District Hospital have rated their care highly with 94% of those asked saying it was excellent or very good
• New 3D printing service enabling surgeons to plan their operations and become more cost effective
• Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded £115,000 for the Salisbury District Hospital Stroke Unit to improve the technology that enable staff to access electronic patient records in the community and on hospital wards
• Specialist services include – Plastic Surgery Department, Spinal Treatment Centre and Rehabilitation Services.

The Somerset Partnership

• 13 Community Hospitals across the county of Somerset specialising in Stroke Care to Ambulatory care
• A range of 30 nursing disciplines at all levels in the Community Health, Mental Health and Learning Disability Services
• Clinical skills teams who provide on-site clinical skills training and support and advice when it is needed.

To start an apprenticeship, you will need to apply to nurse degree apprenticeship vacancies via your employer or via the NHS jobs website.

You can register interest with your employer who will advertise these opportunities according to their own processes (may be advertised on internal platforms or via the NHS jobs website). Applicants put forward by their employer will undertake the selection process.

We use the UCAS Tariff in our entry requirements and will accept a combination of grades and qualifications to meet the overall tariff requirement. You can use the UCAS calculator to see how your qualifications equate to UCAS tariff points.

We have outlined our entry requirements below using the most common qualifications that we consider for this course. If your qualification is not listed, please contact our Future Students Enquiry Team who can advise accordingly. You can also find out more about how we consider your application in our offer-making process section.

104 - 120 UCAS tariff points including a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent.

Numeracy and Literacy requirement: GCSE English Language or English Literature and Mathematics at grade 4 and above (or grade C in the old grading system). Other Level 2 equivalent qualifications must meet the acceptable qualifications for English and Maths requirements for apprenticeships defined by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) at level 2 and above.

A-level and AS levels: 104 – 120 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of two A-levels.

Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate – Skills Challenge Certificate: We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff.

Access to HE Diploma: 102 – 118 UCAS tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit, Pass grades.

BTEC National:

• Extended Diploma: Distinction, Merit, Merit (112 UCAS tariff points)
• Diploma: Distinction*, Distinction (104 UCAS tariff points)
• Foundation Diploma/ 90-credit Diploma: We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff
• Extended Certificate/ Subsidiary Diploma: We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff.

Cambridge International Pre-U Diploma: 104 - 120 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of two principal subjects.

Cambridge Technical:

• Extended Diploma: Distinction, Merit, Merit (112 UCAS tariff points)
• Diploma: Distinction*, Distinction (104 UCAS tariff points)
• Subsidiary Diploma: We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff
• Introductory Diploma: We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff.

Extended Project Qualification: We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by two A-level sized qualifications to meet the overall UCAS tariff.

International Baccalaureate Certificates: 104 - 120 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of two Higher Level certificates.

International Baccalaureate (Diploma): An overall score of 28 - 31 points.

Scottish Highers: 104 - 120 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of four Scottish Highers.

Scottish Advanced Highers: 104 - 120 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of two Scottish Advanced Highers.

Other useful information

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. 

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry.

Refusing Immunisations

The university has an expectation that all students will comply with the vaccination programme as it is Public Health England requirement for health care workers to have certain immunisations. This ensures that you will be able to undertake the wide range of training placements that your course will require and aims to keep you, as well as the people in your care as safe as possible. Please note that at this time Covid-19 vaccinations are not a mandatory requirement for healthcare workers and so are therefore not a mandatory requirement for healthcare students either. Occasionally some vaccinations are contraindicated in certain medical conditions. Occupational Health (OH) will advise the University in these cases. The University will consider students on an individual basis. Refusal to have immunisations will may result in the student not being allowed to attend practice placement and being withdrawn from the course. There is no opportunity to appeal against the requirements of the immunisation policy

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (previously known as CRB)

All successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barred List check; this will be a condition of offer and will need to be completed prior to commencing the course. Please see the Government website for the most up to date information.

Terms of Expectations

It is important that you understand what will be expected of you as a student studying for both an academic award and professional qualification in nursing. You must agree to adhere to the Student Nurse Terms of Expectation for studying at Bournemouth University as detailed in this document. Failure to comply with these expectations could lead to disciplinary action.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry onto Year 1 for September 2025 and September 2026 entry:

• China: Chinese Senior High School Graduation Certificate (Huikao) average 80%, or Gaokao 61-71%. Grade depends on the course 
• France: Baccalaureate with 11.5–12.5 overall or 10.5-11.5 (international option) 
• Hong Kong: HKDSE Diploma (4,4,3 to 4,4,4 from three subjects). Grade depends on the course 
• India: All India Senior School Certificate Examination (Standard XII) 60-70% 
• Spain: Titulo de Bachillerato with 6 - 7. Grade depends on the course 
• Turkey: Devlet Lise Diplomasi/Lise Bitirme Diplomasi 3.5/5.0 or 70% 

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other components. The NMC also accept the Occupational English Test (OET): At least a grade C in the writing section, and at least a grade C+ in the reading, listening and speaking sections.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Language testing applicants from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the USA

All overseas applicants are required to meet the NMC standard for English language regardless of where they come from. This makes sure that all applicants meet the same standard in a system that is equitable, fair and non-discriminatory. There are no current plans by the NMC to waive the IELTS requirements for these countries”.

Interview

If shortlisted for interview you will be notified of the interview arrangements once your application has been processed.

The roles you can take on are diverse and the majority have excellent career progression routes, leading to the likes of advanced nurse practitioner and consultant nurse. Among the jobs you can move into are:

• Lecturer or specialist practitioner
• Advanced nurse practitioner
• Consultant nurse
• Manager
• Academic lecturer.

On graduating successfully from this course, you can apply for registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree and perhaps following some time in clinical practice you may wish to consider returning to BU to further develop your education! There are various options including working towards a Masters qualification, a postgraduate research degree or choose from our portfolio of continued professional development (CPD) units and courses. 

Research degrees

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us! 

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree. Bournemouth University has a strong nursing research foundation within our Department of Nursing Science and through a number of research centres, including the Nursing for Long Term Health Research Centre, which explores theory, education and professional practice.

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options with the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and the funding options available.

MSc Health Research

Our MSc Health Research degree has been designed to take you through the research process from formulating a suitable research question to designing the study and collecting appropriate data, and reporting the findings to different audiences. All of this will provide opportunities to work with academics and clinicians experienced in conducting health and social care research. The work you will do as part of this course will provide opportunities for you to create research outputs (e.g. manuscripts for publication) to contribute to a portfolio of research experience suitable for applications related to future research study (e.g. NIHR Clinical Doctoral Fellowship), or to further your career as part of a research team (e.g. research nurse). 

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for this course. Scholarship opportunities may also be available.

CPD

Once you have some experience of clinical practice you may wish to consider studying a unit or course from our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio. This may be related to an area you wish to specialise in or move into, or it may be to enhance your career opportunities. We have a wide range of options to consider. We understand that fitting study in around your busy working life can be a challenge, but we have a number of flexible courses that allow you to study bite-sized units at your convenience, while working towards a bigger qualification. 

Find out more about CPD at BU.

Additional costs will be payable by the apprentice as follows:

• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
• Accommodation and living costs. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus for taught sessions (and occupational health referrals if required).
• Travel costs to and from your placement which could be based at various locations across the southwest region.
• There may be an additional charge for replacement uniforms.