This programme will allow you to progress to an undergraduate degree in a range of Engineering and Science-related subjects. You will develop your English language skills and subject knowledge to ensure you are prepared to succeed in university study.

Course Outline

Our BSc General Nursing programme will provide you with excellent opportunities to develop knowledge and skills relevant to professional General Nursing practice, including independent and critical thinking, and problem-solving. It will enable you to deliver nursing care that is up-to-date and based on the best current evidence.

This four-year full-time degree is offered in partnership with health service providers (HSPs) from both the public and private healthcare sectors. Each student is linked with one of these HSPs for the duration of the course.

On completion of the BSc (Hons) in General Nursing, you can apply to register as a General Nurse to the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the profession’s regulatory body. After graduation you will be ready to start work as a qualified General Nurse in a variety of clinical settings.

The broad aim of the course is to promote your personal, intellectual and professional development to meet the role dimensions of a qualified practitioner of nursing. Each year, you will study modules in both theory and clinical practice. Clinical practice modules require you to be in supervised clinical practice in hospital, community and other healthcare settings for 35 hours per week for a number of weeks each year. Theory modules include both nursing and biological and social science modules, some of which are core (shared with students from other nursing/midwifery branches), while others are discipline-specific (taken by General Nursing students only).

Year 1 Modules

• NU1026 Academic Writing, Information Technology and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (5 credits)
• NU1032 Fundamental Knowledge and Skills for Nursing Practice (10 credits)
• NU1040 Infection Prevention and Control for Nursing and Midwifery Practice (5 credits)
• NU1047 Therapeutic Interpersonal Skills for Nursing Practice and Psychology for Healthcare (10 credits)
• NU1048 The Profession of Nursing: Professional Practice, Law and Ethics (5 credits)
• NU1049 General Nursing Practice (10 credits)
• NU1067 Disabilities and Inclusion (5 credits)
• SC1015 Sociological Concepts for Nursing (5 credits)
• SS1008 Social Inclusion and Health Policy (5 credits)  

Year 2

Pharmacology and Medication Management for Nurses and Midwives; Research for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery Care; General Nursing with Adults and their Families - Focusing on Common, Acute and Chronic Health Care Conditions; Health, Ageing and the Life-Cycle - Perspectives on General Nursing with Older People; Health, Life-Cycle - Perspectives on Maternity Care and Child Health Nursing; General Nursing Practice.

Year 3

Professional Issues, Development of Disciplinary Knowledge, Teaching and Learning; Research for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery Care; Mental Health and its Determinants - Application to the Role of General Nurse in Promoting Therapeutic Interactions; Health Promotion and Primary Healthcare in a General Health Context; General Nursing with Adults and their Families - focusing on Common, Acute and Chronic conditions; General Nursing with Adults, Children, and their Families - focusing on Oncology; General Nursing with Adults, Children, and their Families - focusing on End of Life and Palliative care; General Nursing Practice.

Year 4

In Year 4, you will take a number of theory modules at UCC in semester one (before Christmas). In semester two (after Christmas), you will undertake a 36-week paid internship with your parent HSP. Modules include:

Research for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery Care; The Profession and Discipline of Nursing: including Ethics, Legal Issues, Equality, and Professional Practice; Professional Development and Nurses as Team Members, Leaders and Managers of the Future; Nursing Management of Challenging Acute Nursing Events; Communication Skills and Personal Well-Being for Nursing Practice; General Nursing Practice.

Clinical Practice Modules

Clinical Practice modules require you to be in supervised clinical practice in hospitals, communities, and other healthcare settings for 35 hours per week for a number of weeks each year. In semester two (after Christmas) of Year 4, you will undertake a 36-week paid internship with your parent HSP.

Assessment

Written exams will take place before Christmas and in May. Not all modules will have formal examinations. Many modules use other types of assessment including essays, projects, seminar presentations, assessment of clinical skills and learning, in-class tests, self- and peer-assessment, etc. Students are assessed by expert clinical nurses while on their clinical placements.

Academic Programme Catalogue

See the Academic Programme Catalogue for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year-to-year.

Top 50 Ranking

University College Cork (UCC) is ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide according to the major World University Rankings and is ranked as one of the top 50 Nursing Schools. According to the QS rankings, UCC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery is ranked as the top School of Nursing in Ireland and is the top-ranked subject at UCC. The Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Professor Josephine Hegarty notes:

The top 50 QS ranking is certainly a huge achievement for UCC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery. The ranking is a testament to all the hard work of our incredible students, faculty, and clinical partners. We’re extremely proud of the achievement and look to continue to push boundaries in ensuring academic excellence in Nursing and in advancing research capabilities and impact.

The BSC (Hons) General Nursing course at UCC is a highly sought-after course, as evidenced by the consistently high points required for entry to the course. We can offer you a wide variety of clinical placements across a number of university hospitals and community facilities, representing all of the major medical specialties. We can also offer opportunities to study abroad and have a large suite of postgraduate courses available to our graduates to facilitate further study needs.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

Clinical Placements

The varied placement criteria and the extensive array of placement locations require students to travel to clinical placement areas throughout their nursing or midwifery programme, irrespective of their normal residence. This may also entail overnight stays, utilising accommodation in closer proximity to the assigned placement site. The purpose is to guarantee that students fulfil the clinical instruction standards outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).

Typically travel will be within the Munster, but can be outside the region. Some of our clinical partners include, but are not limited to, Mallow General Hospital (MGH), University Hospital Kerry (UHK), University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and Tipperary University Hospital (TUH). There are also several elective placement opportunities in Dublin and with our Erasmus partners throughout Europe.

The Allocations Office in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and our Clinical Partners use several methods to ensure equity to students travelling eg preferred placement submissions and student rotation.

Study Abroad

The School of Nursing and Midwifery participates in several international research and educational programmes which allow you to undertake part of your BSc studies abroad. See our Go Abroad with UCC page for more information.

Skills and Careers Information

The course aims to provide you with sound clinical nursing skills (and the supporting knowledge base) necessary for starting your professional career as a General Nurse. These skills will be further developed through clinical experience and further study at postgraduate and in-service levels.

You will also develop skills in independent thinking, problem-solving, and analytical and clinical decision-making, as well as fundamental research utilisation and application skills.

On graduation, you may seek employment as a General Nurse. General Nurses work in a wide range of areas including hospitals, community/home nursing, schools and nursing homes. Traditionally, Irish nurses are highly regarded by other countries, enhancing work opportunities abroad, in particular in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US.