Nursing: study information

Information about studying on our undergraduate Adult Nursing and Mental Health Nursing degrees. 

This includes information on:

  • learning and teaching
  • mature students and students with family
  • careers
  • international nursing
  • Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership

Find out more information about nursing placements.

Information about entry requirements, fees and funding and course details is available on our undergraduate nursing courses webpages.

Learning and teaching

We offer you an interesting educational experience within a supportive learning environment. We have an experienced team of academics and teachers who combine knowledge and expertise with enthusiasm to help you succeed.

Our focus is on making your learning relevant to your nursing practice. Our innovative nursing programmes use various teaching methods such as group work and simulation-based education. 

In Year 1, students from the Adult Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Paramedic courses study together. This reflects how health and social care professionals collaborate to deliver the best person-centred care. You will split your time equally between attending lectures and seminars on campus, and working out on placement with one of our clinical partners. 

The number of contact hours will depend on the modules you choose to undertake.

  • Each academic year is split into two semesters.
  • Each semester lasts around 22-23 weeks.
  • There is an equal division of theory and practice hour.
  • A minimum of 4,600 hours duration is split into 2,300 hours practice learning and 2,300 hours theory learning​.

Mature students and students with family

All our nursing degrees are full-time. Half of your time will be dedicated to learning theoretical content at the university or online, while the other half will be spent gaining hands-on experience through practice placements.

Placements can be challenging for students with children or other caregiving responsibilities. You will be required to work the same core shifts as the team you are placed with, which may include weekends and night shifts. These placements are mandatory so unfortunately we are unable to make individual adjustments for childcare needs. 

The Practice Learning Environment allocation process is coordinated utilising software called InPlace. Students are placed in a wide range of practice settings including but not exclusive to:

  • care in a homely setting
  • hospital – both ambulatory care and inpatients
  • the prison sector
  • community
  • the independent sector
  • other settings within all areas of NHS Forth Valley

Support and funding

We offer as much support as possible through the university's Student Support Services, and we have had many nursing and midwifery students in this position who successfully complete our courses.

There is also extra funding to help with the costs of childcare. SAAS provide funding for students domiciled in Scotland. This includes Dependant’s Allowance, Single Parent’s Allowance and Childcare Allowance for Parents. Full information can be found on the SAAS website.

SWAP access courses

Find out more about SWAP access courses for mature students.

Careers

Our nursing courses will prepare you for a modern profession. You'll learn how to provide the best possible patient care in a range of settings. Some of our nursing graduates focus on practice - consolidating their learning by working in roles such as a staff nurse in a hospital, community setting or care home. Others progress to postgraduate studies. These experiences can develop a career pathway, leading to specialised areas such as palliative care or advanced nurse practitioner roles.

Nursing graduates mostly find roles within the NHS. Others find employment in other areas of the public sector as well as with private healthcare providers and the voluntary sector.

The Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport provides a diverse range of short courses, and modules for the ongoing professional development of qualified nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals. This includes continuing professional development modules from BSc Professional Practice and MSc Advancing Practice.

Further career information is also available on our nursing course pages.

International nursing

Global health themes are integrated throughout our nursing degree. Our nursing students are actively engaged in the global health community. For example, our students are active participants in the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health.

There is ongoing collaboration and partnerships with:

  • University of South Florida
  • University of Salisbury Maryland
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Indiana
  • University of Navarra

There are opportunities for students to study abroad and gain valuable experience.  You can also meet, collaborate and learn with visiting students, and in virtual classrooms. 

Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership

Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership is an ambitious collaboration between the University of Stirling, Forth Valley College and NHS Forth Valley. The partnership aims to improve patient care and treatment for communities across the region.

The partnership focuses on four key areas: Research, Innovation, Learning, and Careers. It aims to transform the region's health and social care by serving as a hub for for world-class research and innovation. The partnership addresses the needs of the local community as well as offering new learning and development opportunities for students and staff.

The partnership will develop new courses and programmes tailored to meet the needs of both our current and future workforce.

Story of a mature nursing student

Hear from Deborah on why she decided to study nursing as a mature student. She also talks about juggling family and finance and looks ahead to her career.

Contact us