A new route to qualifying as a nurse in three years at the University of Exeter has been given a clean bill of health by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The University has added a three year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree to the four year masters options it has offered since 2019. Now that the new BSc Adult Nursing degree has been officially accredited by the NMC it gives greater options for students who want to become registered nurses.
The University of Exeter Academy of Nursing team have redesigned all their courses, so that all students undergo the same curriculum in year one and two. They can then decide whether to proceed with the three year BSc, or the four year Masters of Science programmes. The MSci has options to graduate as a Registered Nurse in adult health, or as both an adult and mental health nurse through the Dual Award pathway. The additional year gives training in higher-level skills needed in the NHS or social care settings, such as research, leadership, and enhanced clinical decision-making - all to help students accelerate their careers.
The programme revamp required renewed NMC approval for the two Masters pathways, which has now been granted.
Victoria Sadler, BSc/MSci Programme Lead in the Academy of Nursing, said: "We're delighted that our ambitious new programme has been approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This evidences that our education and training continues to be extremely high quality, fulfilling the needs of the NHS and social care. Our new undergraduate BSc programme offers a shorter route to becoming a Registered Nurse. This means more choice, to ensure students from a wide range of backgrounds and with different needs have options to upskill with us at Exeter."
The first intake for the new BSc Adult Nursing will start their studies in September.
Professor Jo Bowtell, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, said: "NMC accreditation is an extremely rigorous process, and I'm delighted for the team, and for students. The NMC recognised the distinctive quality and innovation at the heart of the Exeter approach to nursing education highlighting several areas of good practice. It means we're now able to offer a wider suite of options to our innovative nursing education portfolio."
The Nursing programmes at Exeter are distinct in a number of ways:
- Outstanding teaching: Ranked 1st in the Russell Group for student satisfaction in the teaching domain of the National Student Survey
- Real-world experience: Diverse clinical placements across the South West from your first year, including in social care - highlighted by the NMC as an area of good practice
- Global perspective: An overseas elective opportunity in your second year
- Career acceleration: The option to qualify in both Adult and Mental Health Nursing through our pioneering four-year MSci programme refreshed and re-approved by the NMC for the 2025/26 academic year
- Programme flexibility: The option to step on to the MSci programme at the end of your second year - another area of good practice highlighted by the NMC.
