BSc (Hons) in Nursing in General Nursing

Our flexible nursing programme

Are you interested in a career in nursing? This full-time blended learning degree programme is designed to provide learning opportunities for mature students, graduates of further education programmes and school leavers.

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Next intake: spring 2025

Course Type: Bachelor of Science (Hons)

Next Intake: Spring 2025
Duration: 3 years and 4 months

NFQ: Level 8
ECTS: 240 credits

Academic Validation: QQI

Professional Accreditation: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)

About the
BSc (Hons) in Nursing in General Nursing

This BSc (Hons) in Nursing in General Nursing has been fully approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) and validated by QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland). The 240 ECTS honours degree has been developed in partnership with a wide range of national and international experts in nursing. The course has been designed for individuals who want to launch a rewarding career in Nursing and make a real difference to people’s lives, every day.

This cutting-edge programme offers an innovative approach to undergraduate nurse education. The programme is delivered through a blended learning design with a mixture of practical clinical learning, traditional classroom-based, simulation and online learning. Our innovative degree programme is taught by experienced lecturers in a friendly and supportive environment.

You will develop a comprehensive understanding of the requirements of becoming a registered nurse through studying and completing modules in professional practice, nursing practice and physical and human sciences.

On your practice placements, you will have the opportunity to apply and hone your theoretical knowledge and skills in a practical environment, learning from expert practitioners. Hibernia College collaborates with health service providers in the private and public sector across Ireland to provide these practice placements. The diversity of placement requirements and the geographical spread of placement sites will mean that travelling to clinical placement areas will be required at various stages of your nursing programme.

On successful completion of the course, you will be eligible to register with the NMBI as a Registered General Nurse (RGN). Graduates of this programme will have a deep understanding of the nature of care as well as a highly developed capacity to be exemplary in clinical practice.

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Reasons to Study at Hibernia College

Blended Learning offers the opportunity to study to become a nurse in a way that offers some flexibility to fit around life commitments, whilst also gaining practical and hands-on experience.
You will gain real-world experience through practice placements in a variety of settings, for example, hospitals, nursing homes, in the community, as well as voluntary and private sectors.

You will be taught by an academic team of enthusiastic and highly skilled professionals in both clinical nursing and teaching expertise.
This accelerated degree programme is full-time and you will complete your degree in 3 years and 4 months.
Typically, 1 day a week in person in Dublin [Academic Weeks]

Entry Requirements

All applicants must be 18 years of age or over on 1 January in the year of entry, be eligible to work in the Republic of Ireland and satisfy the entry requirements of one of three application pathways.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants whose first language/primary mode of expression is not English will be required to provide evidence of necessary knowledge of English to communicate effectively in their practice. The current requirements are IELTS 6.5 in all components or B2+ or higher in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

NMBI Requirements

This programme is designed to lead to professional registration with the NMBI. For more details about these requirements, please visit the NMBI Careers in Nursing and Midwifery webpage.

Applicants must hold the following National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Level 5 qualifications aligned to nursing:

Nursing Studies (5M4349)
Healthcare Support (5M4339)
Community and Health Services (5M4468)
Health Service Skills (5M3782)

In all cases, applicants must have achieved distinctions in five components including:

Anatomy and Physiology (5N0749)
Nursing Theory and Practice (5N4325)
Human Growth and Development (5N1279) or Biology (5N2746)

An applicant aged 23 or over on 1 January in the year of entry is eligible to apply as a mature student.

Applicants must hold a Leaving Certificate with a minimum grade of H5 in two subjects and a minimum grade of O6/H7 in four additional subjects, including:

Irish or English
Mathematics
A laboratory science subject (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Physics and
Chemistry, or Agricultural Science)
Three other subjects

Please note that the NMBI entry requirements do not permit Foundation Level Mathematics or Foundation Level Irish.

Programme Details

The programme is delivered through a blended learning design with a mixture of practical clinical learning, traditional classroom-based and online learning. Hosted within a specialised virtual learning environment, you will interact and engage with interactive online learning modules, which include audio-visual media, such as video animation, and other activities, such as quizzes and online group discussions. You will also interact with your course lecturers in real-time through video conferencing software.

New learning activities are released weekly. In-person classroom-based activities provide a focus for integrating your online learning, clinical skills learning, and small group work. These typically occur one day a week. Competency-based assessment is a key feature of clinical education and uses the National Competence Assessment Document (NCAD). Assessment includes academic writing, including essays, projects and care plans; group projects and presentations; and a limited number of examinations. You will also create a Personal Professional Portfolio throughout the programme.

For further information please see programme brochure for an outline of modules.

Key Knowledge and Skills Taught on this Programme

Safe and Effective Evidence Based Person-Centred Care
Critical Clinical Decision-Making Skills
Human Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology and Psychology
Pharmacology & Medication Management
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Promoting Health and Preventing Ill Health
Digital Health Competency
Ethics for Nursing Practice and Healthcare
Collaborative Leadership and Management
Quality and Governance for Care Delivery
Application of Research Process to Enhance the Evidence Base of Nursing Practice and Healthcare

Online Learning

Hosted within a specialised virtual learning environment, you will interact and engage with interactive online learning modules which include audio visual media, such as video, animation, and other activities such as quizzes and online group discussions. You will also engage in real time with your course lecturers through video conferencing. New learning activities are released on a weekly basis.

Clinical Skills Learning

We use simulation and clinical skills training to support and enhance the development of nursing skills. This facilitates hands-on clinical learning in a safe and supported environment and takes place in specialist learning environments designed and equipped to simulate clinical care areas. We also conduct small group tutorials on these mandatory days which support your preparation for practice placement.

Classroom Learning

During the early stages of the programme, there is a concentration of face-to-face days to support your integration to the programme. As the programme progresses, this in-person activity provides a focus for integration of your online learning as well as clinical skills learning and small group work. These typically occur one day a week.

Reflection

Reflective practice is a core element in the programme. Reflective activities include creating a reflective journal and building a Personal Professional Portfolio. Weekly tutor-led reflective webinars are built into each stage of the programme to enhance and support your learning and development.

Professional Practice Placement

Approximately 50% of the programme takes place in clinical learning environments, the majority of which occur during May, June, July and August. During Stage 1, there are 18 weeks of clinical placement. Stage 2 has 20 weeks of placement, Stage 3 has 8 weeks and Stage 4 has 36 weeks, totalling 82 weeks of placement in the programme.

During your clinical learning experiences, you will work with an experienced nurse, known as a preceptor, with the support of the clinical education teams of the College and placement providers.

Our clinical partners include both private and public healthcare providers.

Required Study and Attendance

This accelerated degree programme is full-time. The theory content is released on a weekly basis to give a study workload of 39 hours per week. This involves working through the online content in the virtual learning environment, engaging in synchronous or live events, and preparing for assignments. This includes tutorials, discussion forums and informal meetups, which are facilitated by the Academic Team. You are required to attend all tutorials, online lectures and clinical skills sessions. Attendance at such events forms a vital part of the programme, and it is an important marker of your engagement with the programme.

Each clinical placement requires a full working week.

Full attendance at clinical placement is a requirement of the NMBI and an essential component for registration on completion of the programme. As a result, absences outside of the timetabled holidays are not permitted.

Assessments

Formative feedback is provided throughout the programme in a timely, regular and individualised manner, allowing you to build the confidence to succeed in the programme. You will build a Personal Professional Portfolio over the duration of the programme. This will include academic writing, including essays, projects and care plans; group projects and presentations; and a limited number of examinations. Competency-based assessment is a key feature of clinical learning and uses the national assessment framework.

Application Fee

€95

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for Stages 1 through 3 are €7,995 annually, with a reduced fee of €3,000 for the Stage 4 Internship.

Other Fees

The other fees payable over the course of the programme include:

Garda Vetting Fee: All students must complete Garda Vetting as part of their enrolment on the programme. The current fee is €50.
Health Screening and Vaccinations: All students are required to undertake health screening and, where necessary, vaccination, as mandated by the clinical placement areas before the commencement of the programme. Applicants will be referred to a nominated third party to complete this step and are liable for the costs.
NMBI Candidate Register: All nursing students must register with the NMBI and be recorded on their candidate register. The current fee is €20 and is payable directly to the NMBI.

Loan Facility

Health Services Staff’s Credit Union (HSSCU) has formulated a loan facility that may interest you. For more information, read about the facility on the HSSCU website.

Tax Relief

Hibernia College is an approved college for the purposes of s.474 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, and this programme is approved for qualifying tax relief. For more information, please view the Revenue website.

If you have any questions, please contact our Enrolment team at +353 (0)1 661 0168 (press 2) between 9 AM and 5 PM Monday to Friday. You are also welcome to email advisor@hiberniacollege.net.

Admissions Process

You will be required to upload supporting documents to your application. Documents vary depending on your chosen application pathway. Upload these documents as PDF documents (under 4 MB), other formats are not accepted. The following documents must be uploaded:

Further Education Pathway: NFQ Level 5 award certificate
Leaving Certificate Pathway: Leaving Certificate Statement of Results
Mature Student Pathway: Valid passport or driver’s licence

You will also be required to meet health and vaccination requirements and be subject to Garda Vetting before your place on the programme is finalised.

If your application is deemed eligible, you will be invited to interview.

If successful at interview, you will be invited to undertake the ACER STAT aptitude test, which focuses on logic and numerical reasoning. Test guidance and information will be provided by ACER, and the fee is payable directly to ACER on registering for the test.

The top scoring applicants in each pathway will be offered a place on the programme. Second and subsequent rounds of offers will be issued should places remain.

Support for Students

Administrative and technical support teams, faculty and tutors are committed to helping students meet academic and career goals while having a positive experience. Students can draw from a range of available support to navigate big and small questions.

STUDENT SUPPORT

Our Faculty

Our dedicated faculty are mentors and leaders who bring their rich experience to the learning environment at Hibernia College. They are educators, practitioners and active researchers. Common among all our faculty is their focus on students.

EXPLORE FACULty

Student Experiences

Are you curious about studying at Hibernia College? Former PME students share their reasons for choosing Hibernia College, their prior experience, research and careers. ‘As a mother and mature student, the course’s flexibility and the use of blended learning made it possible for me to balance my studies with taking care of my family.’ – Therese Barrett

HEAR FROM ALUMNi