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PgDip Specialist Community Practitioner District Nursing

Specialise in community district nursing practice. Learn how to use evidence-based physical and clinical assessments to formulate accurate diagnoses and make safe and informed prescribing decisions. Gain the skills required to respond to complex health needs in district nursing practice.

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A student doctor and student nurse examining paperwork together
Course codeCID1404
Duration18 months
Fee(s)View fees
LocationOn campus

Course summary

This postgraduate apprenticeship is designed for registered adult nurses who want to specialise in community district nursing. Delivered in partnership with local employers, it gives you the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to meet both the District Nurse standards (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, 2023) and the Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) professional standards for Community Specialist Practitioners in District Nursing (2023).

You’ll develop the expertise to meet the complex health needs of patients, working with individuals, families, carers, and communities in multi-professional and multi-agency settings. The course prepares you to co-create health outcomes, lead teams, and drive quality improvement through evidence-based practice. Leadership and change management are embedded, ensuring you’re ready to shape and advance district nursing services.

Your learning is enriched by Patient, Carer and Public Involvement (PCPI) participants, who bring real-world perspectives into teaching. You’ll also take part in Interprofessional Learning (IPL) alongside health professionals from other fields, giving you the collaborative skills essential for modern community practice.

Each module has a specialist focus, helping you apply evidence and make sound, informed judgements in clinical and service development. By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to deliver inclusive, patient-centred care and lead the future of district nursing.

The application deadline for this course is 22 June 2026.

The skills I’ve gained on the apprenticeship have helped my organisation too, as we can now provide quicker, more appropriate care.

Gillian Fraser

Read Gillian Fraser's story

What you'll study

Core modules

How you'll learn

You'll undertake this apprenticeship with your employer, a local provider of community health services (NHS Trust). It involves an 18-month (78-week) course which includes a minimum of 20% off-the-job, university-based learning.

Successful completion of this apprenticeship will allow you to record the qualifications of:

  • Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualification: District Nursing
  • V300 Independent and Supplementary Prescriber.

A variety of approaches to teaching and learning will be used to enable you to achieve the learning outcomes. These include on-campus teaching, online e-learning, seminars, and group work, as well as learning within your workplace.

The assessments are designed to allow for transferability to practice and applicability to the role of district nurse. Studying at Level 7 allows you to take ownership of your learning, with modules based on evolving content, and you're able to further investigate the topics pertinent to your patient demographic and the communities in which you work.

Your learning within the workplace will be supported by using the Practice Assessment Document. This will act as a guide to ensure your development is following the standards that represent the skills, knowledge, and attributes that all community nurses with specialist community qualifications must demonstrate. This form of assessment will not only support you as you work through the key milestones in practice, but also act as a sustainable method of learning that's relevant and authentic to your practice.

You'll also receive assessments such as OSCE, business case projects, viva, service improvement plans, and assessment in practice. These come with regular ongoing feedback from your tutors and supervisors.

Patient and carer participation is an important part of the course, with service user feedback a requirement of learning and progression in practice. Patient, Carer and Public Involvement (PCPI) participants are an essential part of the education delivery to ensure that service user perspectives are integrated into theory and practice.

Entry requirements

Fees and finance support

Larger organisations can use their apprenticeship levy and government top-up to pay tuition and professional fees of higher apprenticeships. For smaller employers, the government pays 95%, with the remainder co-invested by the business.

For a discussion around your specific requirements please call 0191 515 3361(opens in new tab) or email apprenticeships@sunderland.ac.uk(opens in new tab).

Apply now

To apply for a higher or degree apprenticeship, you must have an employer in place to support you on the course. If you're interested in applying and have an employer in place, please email apprenticeships@sunderland.ac.uk(opens in new tab) and we'll send you the relevant application link.

To search for apprenticeships offered by employers in your area go to: gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship(opens in new tab).

For a discussion around your specific requirements, or if you're an employer interested in creating a vacancy, please call us on 0191 515 3361(opens in new tab) or email apprenticeships@sunderland.ac.uk(opens in new tab).

Disclaimer

We want to make sure you have clear and accurate information about our courses. Our website always shows the latest updates. If you’ve applied and been offered a place, we’ll contact you in writing if anything important changes.

View our programme specifications(opens in new tab) for further information about what the course covers, learning outcomes and the skills you'll gain when you graduate.