Overview

Adult nursing calls for sound clinical judgement, compassion and the confidence to act when people are at their most vulnerable. The BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing course at Birmingham City University prepares students to assess, plan, deliver and evaluate care for adults with complex needs across acute hospital, community and home settings. It is designed to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses, and successful completion makes graduates eligible to enter the NMC register. Time is balanced evenly between campus-based learning and practice learning, and professional practice modules run alongside the theory modules throughout the course so that classroom knowledge is applied straight away. Teaching combines lectures, seminars, group work, practical skills sessions and simulation, supported by technology and by regular contact with practice partners and people who use services. Students train in realistic clinical facilities, including hospital ward environments, an operating theatre and life support training areas, which give them a safe space to rehearse skills before using them on placement. The curriculum is shaped with students, people with lived experience and clinical partners, and it builds digital literacy for increasingly technology-supported healthcare. The course suits compassionate, motivated students who want a career in nursing. Graduates finish with the practical skills, knowledge and professional identity to lead, advocate and innovate.

What You'll Learn

• Nursing identity, academic skills and professional growth

• Applied anatomy and physiology for nursing assessment

• Principles of adult nursing

• Health promotion and reducing health inequalities

• Management of the acutely ill adult

• Assessment and care for people with long-term conditions

• Nursing leadership and advocacy

• Research and quality improvement in nursing

• Coordinating and delivering complex adult nursing care

• Professional practice learning in hospital, community, primary care, social care and home settings

• Optional module in the final stage of study

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will understand the human body and the nursing needs of adults at several levels, from anatomy and physiology to the care of individuals, families and communities across acute, long-term and community settings. They will be able to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for people with complex needs, recognise and manage acute illness, and support people living with long-term conditions in line with NMC standards. Placements and simulation-based sessions build practical clinical skills and the confidence to apply theory in real situations. Students learn to promote health and challenge inequalities, to lead and advocate for patients, and to use research and quality improvement methods to evaluate and develop practice. They also develop academic, digital and professional skills that support lifelong learning. This prepares them for registration and for a nursing career in a wide range of clinical environments, with the opportunity to move towards specialist areas of adult nursing such as respiratory, surgical, oncology or critical care.