The QNI has published its seventh annual Report into District Nurse Education in the United Kingdom, covering the academic year 2018-19.
The report shows an increase of 5% in the number of new students enrolled on District Nurse Specialist Practitioner Qualification (DN SPQ) programmes compared to the previous year, continuing the sustained upward trajectory in the number of students choosing to undertake this qualification.
Key Points from the Survey:
- There were 693 new students who commenced a District Nurse Specialist Practitioner Qualification (DN SPQ) Programme in 2018/19, an increase of 34 students (5%) on the 659 new students in 2017/18.
- Of the 693 new students in 2018/19, 527 were full time and 166 were part time.
- 518 DN SPQs qualified in 2019, compared to 500 in 2018. This represents an increase of 4% newly qualified DN SPQs.
- There are 42 universities in the United Kingdom (UK) approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to offer the DN SPQ.
- 37 universities responded to the survey; of these, one university is no longer running the programme.
- The number of universities offering the V300 Independent Prescribing course as part of the programme has remained constant at 15 in 2018/19.
- 85% of university respondents had mapped their programmes to the QNI/QNIS Voluntary Standards for District Nurse Education and Practice (QNI/QNIS 2015).
- As found in 2017/18 almost all respondents have concerns about the loss of funding with the apprenticeship model being a possible alternative to current funding arrangements; however, over 50% of the respondents were involved in the application to form a ‘trail blazer’ group for the District Nurse apprenticeship standards which has now had formal approval.
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