School welcomes first Postgraduate Diploma students
On Thursday 23 September the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery at King’s College London welcomed its first ever cohort of around 200 students to the new Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing with Registration (PGDip).
In February King’s became the only Russell Group university in London to offer a two year PGDip in Nursing with Registration across the adult, children’s and mental health branches. The programme forms part of the School’s pre-registration education programme. The PG Dip gives graduates with relevant undergraduate degrees and health care related experience the chance to study at postgraduate level.
The PG Dip qualification comprises two-thirds of a Master's qualification. On completion of their PG Dip with registration, students can complete their full Masters in Nursing immediately or may choose to complete this at a later date.
The new PG Dip will replace the School’s current two year undergraduate Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE) for graduates. On successful completion of the PG Dip graduates will become registered with the NMC, a professional qualification recognised across the world.
In addition to studying at the only Russell Group university to offer a PG Dip in Nursing, students will also benefit from King's College London’s position as partner with two Academic Health Sciences Centres (AHSC), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and King’s Health Partners in addition to other leading London hospitals such as Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust. King's Health Partners is a pioneering collaboration between King’s, one of the world's leading research-led universities, and three of London’s most successful NHS Foundation Trusts - Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley.
Professor Alison While, Associate Dean (Education & External Affairs) at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, said: 'The PG Dip course will contribute to developing a world class nursing workforce and enable more early career nurses to go onto gain a Masters in nursing which will not only benefit patient care but also provide a firm foundation for those seeking a clinical academic career in nursing. Encouraging more graduates into nursing also supports the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s progressive view of the profession.'