On completion of the BSc (Hons) in Children’s and General Nursing, you can apply to register as both a children’s and a general nurse to An Bord Altranais.

The course will provide you with excellent opportunities to develop knowledge and skills relevant to children’s and general nursing practice, including independent and critical thinking and problem solving. It will enable you to ensure that the nursing care you deliver is up-to-date and based on the best current evidence.

This four-and-a-half-year full-time degree course is offered in partnership with health service providers (HSPs) from both the public and private healthcare sectors. Each student is linked with one of these HSPs for the duration of their course.

With an honours BSc in Children’s and General Nursing, you will be ready to start work as a qualified children’s or general nurse in a variety of clinical settings immediately after graduation.

The broad aim of the course is to promote your personal, intellectual and professional development to meet the role dimensions of a qualified practitioner of children’s and general nursing. Theory modules are in nursing and in biological and social science, some core (shared with other nursing/midwifery branches), some discipline-specific (children’s and general nursing students only).

Year 1 Modules:

NU1026  Academic Writing, Information Technology and Evidence Based Nursing Practice (5 credits);

NU1032 Fundamental Knowledge and Skills for Nursing Practice (10 credits);

NU1040  Infection Prevention and Control for Nursing and Midwifery Practice (5 credits);

SC1015  Sociological and Cultural Foundations of Health Care and their Application to Nursing (5 credits);

NU1047  Therapeutic Interpersonal Skills for Nursing Practice and Psychology for Healthcare (10 credits);

NU1060  The Foundations of Contemporary Children's and General Nursing (5 credits);

NU1061  Fundamental Knowledge and Skills for Children's Nursing Practice (5 credits);

NU1062  Integrated Children's and General Nursing Practice (10 credits);

SS1008 Social Inclusion and Health Policy (5 credits)

Year 2 Modules:

Pharmacology and Medication Management for Nurses and Midwives;  Research for Evidence Based Nursing and Midwifery Care;  General Nursing with Adults and their Families - focusing on Common, Acute and Chronic Health Care Conditions I & II;  Growth and Development during Pregnancy, Childhood and Adolescence;  Therapeutic Interpersonal Relationships with Children, Adolescents and their Families;  Nursing Children, Adolescents and their Families in the Community;  Children's and General Nursing Practice

Year 3 Modules:

Professional Issues, Development of Disciplinary Knowledge, Teaching and Learning;  Research for Evidence Based Nursing and Midwifery Care;  Nursing Children, Adolescents and their Families with Acute and Continuing Care Needs;  General Nursing with Adults and their Families - focusing on Common, Acute and Chronic Conditions;  Health Promotion and Primary Health in a General Health Context;  General Nursing with Adults, Children and their Families - focusing on Oncology, End of Life and Palliative Care Contexts;  Health, Ageing and the Life-Cycle - Perspectives on General Nursing with Older People;  Children's and General Nursing Practice

Year 4 Modules:

Research for Evidence Based Nursing and Midwifery Care;  The Profession and Discipline of Nursing: including Ethics, Legal Issues, Equality and Professional Practice;  Professional Development and Nurses as Team Members, Leaders and Managers of the Future;  Nursing Children, Adolescents and their Families with Acute and Continuing Care Needs;  Nursing Individuals through the Life Cycle with Disabilities or Mental Health Needs;  Nursing Management of Seriously Ill Children, Adolescents and Adults;  Children's and General Nursing Clinical Practice;  Elective Module

You can also select an elective module depending on your interests. Choices are outlined in UCC's undergraduate calendar.

Year 5 Modules

Children’s and General Nursing Practice.

See the College Calendar for more detailed information on the programme and the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of programme modules.

Leaving Certificate entry requirements:

H5 in two subjects, and O6/H7 in four other subjects in the Leaving Certificate from Irish, English, Mathematics, one Laboratory Science subject (i.e Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science) and two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.  

Mature students: Applicants should apply directly through the CAO (www.cao.ie) and are not required to meet any minimum entry requirements.  Mature Applicants must also register and apply for the Assessment Test through the Public Appointments Service (PAS) website. This is required as PAS undertakes the written assessment on behalf of the Nursing Careers Centre (NCC). Approximately two places are available on this programme for mature applicants.

International Students should visit the International Education website.

Fitness to Practice

Commencing with the 2013/2014 intake, this programme will be subject to UCC's Fitness to Practise Policy — full details may be found here.

Garda Clearance
All students on this programme will come into contact with the public and assume positions of trust through educational and training opportunities. To ensure the protection of the public, and to justify public trust and confidence, UCC is committed to ensuring that only suitable candidates are allowed to undertake this programme.

Garda vetting is carried out by the Admissions Office in UCC once a student has accepted their place on the programme. It involves a police check to establish whether the individual being vetted has had criminal convictions in the past or whether any criminal proceedings are pending. The Garda Siochána provide this information for students who have resided in Ireland for a period of six months or more (including permanent residence).

All students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of six months or more must furnish a Police Clearance Certificate from their country or countries or residence. This certificate should state that the student has had no convictions recorded against them while residing there.

EU Applicants: Application to Year 1 of the degree programme is made directly through the Central Applications Office (CAO). Applicants should apply online at www.cao.ie. The normal closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of entry.

Non-EU Applicants

Mature Applicants:  Application is made through the CAO (www.cao.ie) and the closing date for the receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of proposed entry.

Theory modules: These involve lectures, seminars, workshops, clinical skills training, experiential learning sessions, field visits, and protected study time. These modules are taken at the university during blocks of study weeks throughout each year of the course.

Clinical practice modules: These require you to be in supervised clinical practice in hospital, community and other healthcare settings for 35 hours per week for a number of weeks each year. In Year 4, you will take a 15-week clinical placement. In the latter part of Year 4, you will also commence a 36-week paid internship with your parent health service provider. This internship continues into Year 5.

Garda Vetting and Infectious Diseases Policy

Fitness to Practise
Commencing with the 2013/2014 intake, this programme will be subject to UCC's Fitness to Practise Policy – full details may be found here.

Written exams will take place before Christmas and in May.  Not all modules will have formal examinations.  Many modules use other types of assesment including essays, projects, seminar presentations, assessment of clinical skills and learning, in-class tests, self- and peer-assessment etc.   Students are assessed by expert clinical nurses while on their clinical placements.

The majority of lecturers and instructors have a professional background in nursing and/or midwifery. Biological and social science lectures are taught by experts in those areas, some of whom are also qualified nurses/midwives.