Childrens and Young Peoples Nursing Practice

Children's and young people's nursing is a specialist branch of nursing focused on the care of children and young people from birth through to young adulthood, across a wide range of health conditions and clinical settings. Working with children requires a distinctive blend of skills: the same clinical knowledge and technical competence as adult nursing, combined with the ability to adapt communication, assessment, and care approaches to patients who are developing rapidly, who may be frightened, and whose family context is central to the care encounter. Children's nurses also work closely with parents and carers, recognising that supporting the family is an integral part of supporting the child.

At the University of Sunderland, this three-year full-time programme combines academic study with supervised clinical placement experience in a range of settings, including paediatric wards, community children's nursing, neonatal units, and specialist outpatient clinics. You will develop knowledge of child development, paediatric pharmacology, the physiology and pathology relevant to children's health, and the communication and interpersonal skills that child-centred care demands. The programme is delivered with the support of advanced simulation facilities, and it is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The typical entry tariff is 136 UCAS points.

Graduates register as children's nurses with the NMC and work across NHS paediatric services, including hospital wards, neonatal units, community teams, and specialist centres. With experience, children's nurses develop into specialist and advanced practice roles in areas such as paediatric oncology, diabetes, safeguarding, and neonatal intensive care. The profession is consistently in demand, and the care of children and young people is a deeply rewarding specialism within nursing.