Specialist Community Nursing - District Nursing Pathway Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

Would you like to specialise in District Nursing? Our School of Nursing and Midwifery has developed an NMC-approved, and QNI endorsed Specialist Community Nursing (District Nursing) programme. This programme is available for Home students who are employed in a community nursing role and are seconded by their employer or funded to undertake the apprenticeship route. It is also available to self employed and self funded students with placements agreed with an approved Health Care Organisation.

Why choose this course?


• Endorsed by the Queens Nursing Institute



• Develop and enhance your essential knowledge and skills as a registered practitioner to prepare for a career in specialist community nursing



• Designed for delivery in a work-based learning environment, allowing you to directly apply your learning in your workplace



• The School of Nursing and Midwifery utilises modern teaching facilities, including simulation suites, skills labs and an anatomy suite



Care and support of people is increasingly being delivered in the community, in peoples homes, and settings close to their homes and therefore the role of the District Nurse is changing and expanding (NMC, 2022).

District Nurses are advanced autonomous practitioners who manage a wide range of complex conditions, which requires not only advanced clinical skills, but also the management of risk skills, case load management and care coordination to ensure that people are cared for in their place of choice, reducing hospital admissions and improving quality of life, whilst also providing education to staff, patients, families and carers (QNI, 2023).

The aim of this programme is to support the development and enhancement of essential knowledge and skills in the registered practitioner to equip them for a career in specialist community nursing. This will be actualised through building upon the theoretical and clinical basis of your specialised area of practice, through the delivery of a coherent programme of study. The award options will have a contemporary focus and initially serve to meet the NMC Standards for proficiency for community nursing specialist practice qualifications (NMC, 2022) for those aspiring to work within the field of District Nursing The programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes.
The purpose of the programme is to enable nurses who hold a first level nursing registration with the NMC and can demonstrate success at degree level study, to complete a Masters' level qualification in Specialist Community Nursing to prepare them for a role of District Nurse.

It will enable you to gain 120 credits and a Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Community Nursing (District Nursing). You can, at a later stage, complete your full Masters' award by undertaking a 60-credit advanced project module or dissertation module.

About Keele
Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.