Nursing

Child nursing is the branch of the nursing profession dedicated to the health and wellbeing of babies, children, and young people up to the age of eighteen. It requires a distinctive combination of clinical expertise, developmental knowledge, and communication skill, because the patients you care for range from premature neonates to articulate teenagers, each with fundamentally different needs and each embedded in a family context that must be actively included in their care. The ability to build trust with children, to explain procedures in age-appropriate ways, and to support parents and carers through often frightening situations is as essential as the clinical knowledge that underlies good practice.

At the University of Brighton, this three-year programme leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a children's nurse. The degree combines academic study of child health, development, pharmacology, and nursing theory with substantial practice in a range of clinical settings, including children's wards, paediatric outpatient departments, neonatal units, and community settings. Throughout the programme, clinical placements are integrated with your academic learning, allowing you to develop and apply skills progressively under supervision.

Brighton's location in the South East gives you access to a range of NHS Trusts and healthcare organisations for your practice experience.

Registered children's nurses work in hospital and community settings across a wide range of specialisms. General paediatric wards, neonatal intensive care, paediatric surgery, oncology, and child and adolescent mental health services all employ qualified children's nurses. Community children's nursing, health visiting, and school nursing offer routes into preventive and ongoing care in non-hospital settings.

With experience, children's nurses can progress to specialist and advanced practitioner roles, move into management and clinical leadership, or move into nurse education. The profession offers a clear career structure and strong employment prospects, with children's nurses consistently in demand across the NHS.