Children's Nursing

Children's nursing is a specialised branch of nursing practice concerned with the care of children and young people from birth through to young adulthood. It encompasses care for the sick and injured child in hospital settings as well as community and family-centred care for children with long-term conditions, developmental challenges, or palliative needs. Children's nurses develop a distinctive set of competencies that reflect the specific developmental, physiological, and emotional characteristics of their patient group, and they work closely with families and carers who are often the most important constant in a child's experience of illness and healthcare.

At Roehampton University, this three-year full-time programme combines high-quality teaching with substantial hands-on experience in clinical settings, developing the knowledge, skills, and professional confidence you need to practise effectively as a children's nurse. You will study child development, paediatric anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, assessment and clinical reasoning, family-centred care, and the safeguarding frameworks that are central to working with children and young people. You will also develop the communication skills needed to work sensitively with children at different developmental stages, with anxious parents and families, and with the wider multidisciplinary team.

Clinical placements form a core part of the programme, placing you in paediatric wards, community settings, neonatal units, and other specialist environments where theory and practice are developed together.

You will graduate eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a qualified children's nurse.

Graduates go on to work in NHS paediatric departments, community children's nursing, neonatal intensive care, school nursing, and specialist services including oncology, neurology, and child and adolescent mental health. Many go on to specialise or pursue further education, including advanced practice qualifications or postgraduate programmes in areas such as paediatric nursing, child health, or health visiting.