Overview

This foundation year pathway gives students a solid grounding in the skills and knowledge needed to progress into a full honours degree in adult nursing. At the University of Derby, learners gain the confidence and foundational understanding required for a profession centred on delivering compassionate, effective care to patients across a wide range of settings.

What You'll Learn

• Core skills and knowledge underpinning safe, effective nursing practice

• Hands-on training in realistic clinical environments, including a simulated hospital ward and lifelike patient simulators

• Assessment aligned with professional standards, using authentic tasks tied to real-world practice

• Application of theory to practice through structured feedback and guided reflection

• Development of the resilience, compassion and professional judgement needed to work with people across diverse and changing health needs

• Progression, on successful completion, into the full honours nursing degree

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the foundation year, students will have built the academic and personal foundations needed to enter the honours nursing programme with confidence. They will understand how theoretical knowledge connects to nursing practice, and will have begun to develop the professional values, communication skills and clinical awareness that underpin safe and compassionate patient care.