Posted 18 December 2020 - 12:01
Posted 18 December 2020 - 12:01
News
First UK university to offer online nursing degrees is named
Applications now open for blended learning programmes, to begin as early as January 2021
Aim is to widen access to nursing careers and address workforce shortage
The first online nursing degrees for adult nursing in the UK will start in January.
Coventry University has opened applications for the blended learning programmes after being the first institution to win approval to host the courses.
The programmes will consist of 50% academic content, of which 95% will be online learning, and 50% practice-based learning of which 25% will be simulated.
Entry requirements for the undergraduate course are three A levels at BCC, the same as Coventry’s existing undergraduate nursing admissions criteria.
The introduction of blended learning programmes was announced by Health Education England (HEE) earlier this year, with the aim of opening access to nursing careers for more people as a way to address high nurse vacancy levels.
Flexibility should attract new groups to nursing
Coventry University’s pro-vice chancellor, Lisa Bayliss-Pratt said: ‘One of the fantastic things about this blended nursing degree is that because it’s so flexible, it will hopefully attract new and different people into nursing,’ she said.
‘There are national and global shortages of nursing, so providing as many innovative routes into the profession as possible is absolutely key.’
Online nursing degrees were suggested as a strategy to boost nurse numbers in the NHS Long Term Plan in 2019.
Six other higher education providers have been authorised by HEE to deliver blended nursing degrees in 2021: Birmingham City University, University of Gloucestershire, University of Huddersfield, University of Sunderland, aadsnd the Open University in separate partnerships with Middlesex University and the University of West of England.
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