Nursing

Scotland’s healthcare sector directly supports sustainable economic growth by providing continuous improvement in the quality of services it provides. NHS Scotland employs in excess of 55,000 nurses and midwives, with more working in the private and voluntary sectors. As the single biggest employer in Scotland, with more than 168,000 employees across the country, it makes an important contribution to local economies. Internationally, nurses are a scarce and valued resource, being seen as crucial in the development and support of healthcare in low-income countries.

Governments and the International Council of Nurses have recognised that there is a need for advanced practitioners in nursing who have expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills and clinical competencies for expanded practice, the characteristics of which are shaped by the context and/ or country in which s/he is credentialed to practice.

A Masters degree is considered to be the recommended entry level for advanced practice. Through modernising the image of nursing and nurse careers across the world and developing nursing roles, nurses will be prepared to lead in a changed healthcare system.

Why QMU?

What better place to study than at an institution recognised nationally and internationally for its healthcare education. Nursing at QMU is working at a national and international level to develop the role and reputation of nursing throughout the world. With collaborations in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Singapore, to name but a few, QMU has developed a reputation as a major contributor to nursing development on an international basis. Students on the MSc also reap the benefits of learning with other cultures. As a postgraduate student, the opportunities to gain invaluable experience through applying your learning directly to your workplace allow you to contribute to the modernisation of nursing and healthcare globally.

QMU is a leading provider of masters level nursing studies in Scotland. We offer the MSc Nursing, Pg Dip Community Health, MSc Public Health Practice, MSc Professional and Higher Education, and collaborate with St Columba’s Hospice to offer the MSc Palliative Care. These courses focus on the application of knowledge to practice through offering sound work-based elements which are clinically focused and practice orientated to ensure participants can maximise and focus their learning in their own specialist areas. We have close links with the healthcare industry in Scotland, across the UK and internationally. Our internal experts have many years of experience in nursing, clinical education and policy and ensure that there is a real focus on the individual student’s future working needs embedded into the postgraduate study.

Industry links

By maintaining very close links with the healthcare industry, we ensure that our courses are current and relevant. The linking of your experiences as a nurse with academic study allow for the development of an understanding of the key issues affecting nursing in today’s fast changing and complex healthcare world. Study is based on real situations drawing on your own invaluable experience of nursing and healthcare working in some of Scotland’s, the UK’s and international healthcare sectors.

Our approach to learning and teaching

Our learning and teaching approaches for our courses are developed using the following underpinning core values in relation to student-centred education:

■ Each individual’s learning and practice experience and the context in which that learning occurs is significant. It allows them to make explicit their values and perspectives; thus enabling them to question and defend assumptions and interpret and learn from experience and feedback.

■ Learning is embedded in the principles of equality; valuing and capitalising on the individual diversity of students and the richness of their knowledge and experience.

■ Learning is a continuous lifelong process for both students and educators.

Focusing on the processes of learning is fundamental to our learning and teaching approaches. You will be expected to draw on your previous knowledge and skills to inform your postgraduate study and will benefit from a variety of interesting ways to participate and share experiences and opinions with your peers. This is achieved through the provision of a facilitative environment which encourages reflection and sharing of knowledge and experiences as a basis for personal and professional growth, along with use of the humanistic and adult learning theories that promote valuing and respect of others, relevance of learning and recognition of emotional aspects of learning.

Our commitment to scholarship and effective feedback will aid you in the development of new ideas and theories and lead to a questioning and analytical approach. We aim to develop your ability to challenge conventional assumptions and actively encourage our students to develop collaborative partnerships both internally and externally that will feed the healthcare sector of the future. The learning methodologies we use focus on discussion, debate, collaborative and individual approaches to problem solving and management; with an aim of producing enlightened and focused nursing professionals equipped to deal with the challenges of working in a complex and ever changing healthcare sector.

Facilities

QMU has a purpose-built 21st century campus. Nursing has a fully equipped simulation laboratory where assessment and clinical skills are taught.

Career prospects and guideline salaries

Postgraduate study of MSc Nursing/MSc Nursing (Community Health), the MSc Public Health Practice, the MSc Professional and Higher Education and MSc in Palliative Care opens up a multitude of career opportunities as well as facilitating CPD for those already employed within the healthcare sector. It is possible to take individual modules or the PgCert or PgDip as part of your ongoing career and personal development.

Previous students have gone on to careers in advanced clinical practice, public health practice government, education, management, business and research. We prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century and actively encourage aspiration to higher levels of the nursing profession.

Our courses:

»MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapy*

»PgDip Community Health Nursing

»MSc Nursing

»MSc Palliative Care

»MSc Public Health Practice

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