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Learn the requirements of becoming a registered children's nurse through modules in professional practice and nursing practice. Develop skills to communicate with children, young people, and their families. Graduate with the qualifications needed to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a registered children's nurse.
Are you passionate about helping young people? Do you want to develop your clinical skills and embark on a thriving career in children's nursing? Our BSc (Hons) Children's and Young People's Nursing Practice degree could be for you.
This children's nursing course will allow you to learn how to care for children and young people in community, acute, and critical settings, and develop confidence through practical application of your learning. You'll be taught by expert practitioners with first-hand experience of nursing and you'll gain competence in the care of children who require assistance to meet their health needs, including how to deliver support to patients with long-term health issues.
You'll appreciate the theoretical aspects that are essential to children's nursing and also develop the personal skills to communicate with children, young people, and their families.
Clinical placements will make up 50% of your time on this children's nursing course and we work closely with local healthcare providers to organise placements which allow you to put theory into practice, including the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle, one of the best in the UK. You'll also have the chance to benefit from our on-campus facilities, including our interactive mock hospital wards with child and baby manikins, and work alongside our Patient, Carer and Public Involvement (PCPI) participants.
On successful completion of the Children's and Young People's Nursing course, you'll be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a registered children's nurse.
During your first year of the BSc (Hons) Children's and Young People's Nursing Practice degree, you'll be introduced to the requirements of becoming a registered children's nurse through studying and completing modules in nursing practice and critical enquiry. This, combined with learning about physical and human science, will prepare you for your first clinical placements which will be held in local NHS Trusts.
50% of your time over the duration of the course will be in clinical practice under the supervision of registered practitioners, in a range of clinical settings in and out of hospital. A key aspect of our course is patient involvement and patient centred care, and you'll have regular contact with our PCPI members throughout this children's nursing course, who all have experience as patients or carers.
As a nurse, you'll need to demonstrate compassionate and caring approaches to patients and interprofessional working in the healthcare workforce. This children's nursing degree provides you with opportunities to learn and work alongside other students and staff from a range of disciplines.
Explore our Living Lab and Helen McArdle House, home to state of the art facilities and equipment for our Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedic Science students.
Read more about our fantastic facilities
Nursing is one of the UK’s most employable types of degree and gives you the opportunity to make a real difference to people's lives. Find out more about what you can do with a nursing degree.
Explore the career paths available in nursing
If you’re thinking of becoming a nurse and love working with children, a career in paediatric nursing could be the ideal fit for you. In this article, we’re exploring just some of the reasons you should consider studying for a children’s nursing degree.
Learn more about children's nursing
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
You must show evidence of recent academic study within the last five years at entry level. Please note, we don't accept General Studies AS or A Level.
Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you to study with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.
We also require GCSE mathematics and English language or equivalent at grade C or above, or maths and English language functional skills level 2. If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above.
Your completed application form will be reviewed by our Admissions team to ensure that you have the required entry qualifications. If you meet these requirements, your application will be individually assessed by the Admissions Tutor and, if successful, you'll be shortlisted for interview.
The selection process will include a multiple mini interview (MMI), which will assess you on your values, problem-solving, and communication skills.
This is available to applicants who meet the course-specific APL requirements. It may apply to applicants who wish to transfer their NMC-approved nursing studies from another university where they've achieved 120 credits at Level 4 and a minimum of 675 placement hours. The APL entry route is also available to Nursing Associates who are aiming to become a registered nurse.
If you're interested in the APL route, please contact the nursing admissions tutors for further information by emailing nursing.admissions@sunderland.ac.uk.
Medical assessments of your mental and physical health and disclosure of criminal convictions apply to all nursing courses and are based on current NMC requirements. Nurses are registered healthcare professionals and the ability to practise safely, effectively, and professionally is essential, so all applicants are required to follow our fitness to practise procedures. This means you're required to complete the following:
Instructions on how you complete these checks will be sent to you once you hold a conditional firm offer with us. These forms are then reviewed alongside your application, and you must meet both the academic and fitness to practise requirements before you'll be given an unconditional offer. If you're successful, you'll also need to complete an annual declaration form to confirm you're fit and there are no changes to your DBS.
Fees for 2026 are tbc.
Please note, we're unable to accept international applicants.
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 is available to eligible home students for each year of study. Read more about the Training Grant on The NHS Business Services Authority website.
If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces, then the Ministry of Defence's ELCAS scheme may be able to help cover your funding for this course. Read more about funding for Armed Forces personnel.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Nursing degrees make you highly employable, and job opportunities are flexible both within the NHS and community settings, and in the UK and overseas.
Children's nurses can look forward to a rewarding and challenging key worker career. They make a difference to the lives of children and young people in need of healthcare every day. The completion of this course will lead to registration as a children's nurse.
Find out more about where a career in nursing could take you.
Children's nurses are responsive to the needs of children, young people, and their families and deliver care within a variety of settings, including hospitals, health centres, children’s centres, GP practices and the family home.
Paediatric nurses are key members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the delivery of care to children and young people with healthcare needs.
Start your children's nursing career at the University of Sunderland working in the local healthcare organisations and develop lifelong nursing skills in a collaborative and supportive environment. Many career opportunities are available post-qualification and with additional qualifications, children's nurses have the potential of earning an even higher salary.
At all levels of this children's nursing course, you'll undertake unpaid clinical placements in hospitals and the community. These occur in blocks of varying duration:
Your first placement will take place in the first term, after ten weeks of teaching.
Placements can take place at any of our partner Trusts: South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (including Great North Children's Hospital), North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Harrogate, and District NHS Foundation Trust.
During your children's nursing placements, you'll be assigned Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors who'll directly assess and supervise you, as well as act as a means of support and guidance.
As you may be expected to travel long distances, start your shift in the early hours, or finish your shift late at night, you could be entitled to Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) which allows you to make a retrospective claim for excess travel costs and/or expenses for temporary accommodation near to the location of your placement. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund.
We face challenges, but the lecturers guide you through this and encourage you to grow.
Studying for my degree has helped me get a step closer to reaching my dream career.
All the staff are so supportive, approachable, and knowledgeable, helping me develop my skills.
To sum up my time so far, I would say it’s been challenging, life-changing and worthwhile.
Do I need work experience?
We appreciate that it is not possible to obtain work experience in the health or caring environment. As an alternative we would recommend that you investigate the field of nursing you are interested in through online resources, professional body websites and healthcare organisations so you can demonstrate a clear understanding of the role.
What should I include in my personal statement?
Your personal statement provides a unique opportunity to express your personal qualities and attributes related to a rewarding career in nursing. The statement should include a clear articulation of:
For more advice on your personal statement please read our article on how to write a personal statement when you have no work experience.
What does a nursing interview involve?
Our interviews consist of an individual interview and group activity. For advice on how to prepare, please read our article on how to prepare for interviews for healthcare degrees. Interviews start in late November.
How many weeks' holiday is there each year?
You will have seven weeks of holiday per year, with two weeks off at Christmas. The remaining five weeks is spread across the rest of the academic year. The timings of the holidays will vary over the three years and we do try, where possible, to align some of these to the school holidays. You are unable to take holiday outside of these set times, but you will be provided with a three year plan on enrolment.
How far will I have to travel for my placements?
You will undertake your placements at any of our partner NHS Trusts. Placements are limited, so you'll be expected to travel to ensure you gain experience in a wide range of areas. This will allow you to enhance your clinical experience and develop into a children's nurse with the knowledge and skills needed to be a safe and effective practitioner
How long are the placement shifts?
Your standard working week will be around 37.5 hours on a shift pattern which can include nights, early starts, evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Shifts can be anywhere between 7-12 hours and the pattern can vary between Trusts. Your shifts will be confirmed four weeks prior to starting your placement. It is not possible to fit placements around school hours and holidays.