Starting university and becoming an apprentice will be a busy time but the course team will be here to support you through this transition and throughout your course. This support will be available both at the University and on practice placement to enable you to realise your ambitions to become a registered nurse. 

You will engage in a series of theoretical and practice modules throughout the course and there is an equal split between theoretical learning and practice learning. Together these elements are designed to enable you to acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills to practise in a person-centred way. Further, you will have the opportunity to engage in group clinical supervision, with your peers, throughout the course, which will help you reflect on your learning and develop into a competent and confident Registered Nurse. 

The modules will utilise a blended approach to your learning and so will use online, classroom, directed individual and group activities to meet the course outcomes. You will study a range of nursing skills and knowledge, communication skills, professional issues, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, health and health promotion, the complexity of the issues explored developing as the course progresses. The modules are assessed using a range of approaches. We are eager to support you and enable you to make the most of your studies. 

This course has been developed to meet all the professional requirements to enable you to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and become a Registered Nurse. This degree has additionally been mapped to the Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education Standard for Registered Nurses (NMC 2018). 

By the end of the course you will graduate with the tools that you need to become a “lifelong learner” acquiring new knowledge and skills throughout your career. 

On behalf of the whole team may I take this opportunity to wish you a successful and enjoyable time on the course, and we can’t wait for you start. 

Your welcome and induction will take place at the Canterbury Campus from 09.00-16.30 on Tuesday 17 September, Wednesday 18 September and Thursday 19 September. Over the three days you will learn about the course, what it means to be a student on a professional course and the role of the apprentice in relation to both academic life and time spent on practice placements. You will also be introduced to staff, other students and some of the online platforms you will be required to use.

Welcome and Induction

Please ensure you view and engage with your Welcome Schedules.

Please note that timings given in your Welcome Schedule for uniform measure and issue events are indicative timings only and vary depending on Adult or Mental Health pathways. Please check below for the exact time of your appointment, which will be dependent on your surname (A-Z).

Visit us in the Health Hub to get your questions answered and have a soft drink and biscuit on us!

In addition to your course welcome activities, you can also join us at our Health Hub, timings below, where we can help you with any questions you may have or direct you to the most appropriate service.

You are now on your own exciting journey, but you are also part of our community where we support each other to grow and flourish at university and beyond. Drop in and stay connected, meet new friends and your peers. Meet and chat to our placements team, academic course administration team and existing students.

Drop in on the 2nd floor of the Verena Holmes building in VH 2.60 during any of the times below:

• Monday 16 September, 12:30pm to 5pm
• Tuesday 17 September, 9am to 5pm
• Wednesday 18 September, 9am to 5pm

Follow us on our CCCU_Health Instagram account to keep up to date with what is happening for students.

Occupational Health Clearance & Uniform

As part of starting your studies here at Canterbury Christ Church University, you will need to attend an occupational health vaccination appointment and a uniform measure & issue appointment.

Occupational Health Clearance

Students need to obtain occupational health clearance to ensure they are fit to practice. You will be prompted via your ‘MyRecord’ to complete a clearance check and directed to an online health questionnaire.

Once you have submitted your questionnaire, you are required to attend an occupational health vaccination appointment appropriate to your placement requirements. We use an external company called OH Works for this. They will contact you via email to schedule an appointment with you at their clinical offices in Canterbury. Ahead of your appointment, please gather any vaccination documentation (paper or electronic) from your GP or workplace to take to your occupational health appointment.

For enquiries about your occupational health clearance please email cccustudents@ohworks.co.uk or phone 01227 286288.

Uniform

At your measure & issue appointment during Welcome Week, you will be welcomed by the CCCU Uniform Team and our uniform suppliers, Alexandra. Once your sizing requirements have been determined, you will be able to collect your uniform which is expected to last the duration of your course. Your uniform is provided to you free of charge.

Please note, there are separate slots for Adult and Mental Health pathways. Click here for your uniform appointment location and time. 

Important information regarding your uniform can be found on the uniform policy.

Placement Badge

On placement you will be required to wear a placement badge, which will have your course title and preferred first name. This placement badge is provided to you free of charge. You will be supplied with your placement badge once you have started your course. Please note, this is not your student ID card. 

You will receive an email from the Uniform Team regarding important tasks that you will need to action prior to your Welcome Week. If you have any questions about your uniform or placement badge, please email health.uniform@canterbury.ac.uk.

We would encourage you to review the course structure and module options via your course page before you arrive.

Preparing yourself to study nursing is not always easy due to the wide variety of subjects that will be covered. You will study a range of subjects such as nursing skills, knowledge and theory; communication skills, applied anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychology, sociology, leadership and coaching and the development of others. 

Our students come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds and so it is advisable to start reading, at a fairly fundamental level, the subjects with which you are least familiar. If you feel confident in your knowledge related to anatomy and physiology, then read basic texts on sociology, psychology, patient care etc. If you have not studied science recently, look out for the GCSE combined science textbooks. Read to gain a grasp of the broad concepts and don’t be too concerned about the detail. 

In addition, there are a few general interest websites available that you could review to begin to prepare yourself:  

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) 

Department of Health 

Public Health England 

The modules are delivered using a problem-based learning approach to help develop your understanding and enable the integration of theory and practice. If you are not familiar with this approach to learning, then you might like to read some general information about this.