More online nursing courses on offer this spring

Virtual learning seen as offering greater flexibility, with postgraduate and undergraduate options

Online postgraduate and undergraduate nurse training opportunities are being expanded this spring, with three new courses at the University of Sunderland.

The university is offering a blended learning Master’s in Nursing Studies qualification and Nursing Studies Top-Up honours qualification to help nurses progress into more senior roles and higher pay bands.

Online nature of the course makes it more accessible

Programme leader for the Master’s qualification Karen Giles said there were multiple benefits to online learning. ‘As well as providing flexibility in when and where you study, it provides an opportunity to share experiences and learning with other nurses from across the globe using the virtual learning platform,’ she said.

The university is also the latest education provider in England to launch an online blended learning undergraduate nursing degree.

The introduction of blended nursing degree programmes was announced by Health Education England in 2020, with the aim of encouraging more people into nursing by providing a predominantly online and flexible learning model.

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Seven universities providing online blended nursing degrees

The University of Sunderland is one of seven universities providing online blended nursing degrees in 2021, alongside Birmingham City University, the University of Gloucestershire, the University of Huddersfield, Coventry University and the Open University in separate partnerships with Middlesex University and the University of West of England.

It is hoped that increasing the accessibility of nursing degrees will help address nursing vacancies in England. The government has set a target of 50,000 more nurses in the NHS in England by the end of 2024. Latest NHS data show 36,655 nursing vacancies.

The University of Sunderland’s Nursing Studies Top Up and blended nursing degree courses start on 4 May; applications are open until 20 April. The next start date for the Master’s course is 21 April.

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Find out more

• Blended Learning (Health Education England)
• Nursing MSc Blended Learning Course (University of Sunderland)
• Nursing Studies Top-Up Honours Course (University of Sunderland)
• Online Blended Learning Undergraduate Nursing Degree (University of Sunderland)

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