Adult Nursing - Postgraduate Diploma

This two-year programme combines academic study with assessed practice placements. The curriculum is designed to build knowledge, skills and confidence progressively across each year of study. To achieve the award and be eligible to apply for NMC registration, students must successfully complete all modules and practice placements.

The modules listed are indicative and may be subject to change. The approved 2026/27 module portfolio will be published by November 2026, with Welsh-medium modules clearly identified as part of our ongoing commitment to expanding bilingual provision.

Year One

Drawing on your existing experience in health and social care, the first year combines rigorous theory with clinical learning to deepen your understanding of person-centred care and the professional, ethical and practical foundations of nursing. You will complete a series of core modules and three practice placements. Each placement ends with a dedicated consolidation week, providing you with the opportunity to reflect, debrief and take part in supported clinical supervision with academic and healthcare staff.

Examples of modules you may study include:

• Foundations of Nursing Practice
• Maintaining Health and Preventing Illness Across the Lifespan in Adult Nursing
• Fundamentals of Person-centred Adult Nursing
• Clinical Placement Part 1

Year Two

In the second year, you will build on the knowledge, skills and professional confidence developed during year one, preparing you to manage and coordinate the care of adults with increasingly complex healthcare needs. Through advanced study and practice-based learning, you will apply evidence-informed approaches to care while enhancing your clinical decision-making, leadership and professional judgement.

As in the first year, you will complete a range of core modules alongside practice placements. Year two includes three placements, offering experience across diverse healthcare settings and opportunities to consolidate your developing expertise and prepare for registration.

Once again, each placement is followed by a dedicated consolidation week, providing time to reflect on your learning, explore practice experiences and receive supported supervision from both academic and clinical teams. This integrated approach ensures you graduate as a confident, compassionate and capable practitioner, ready to transition into registered nursing practice.

Examples of modules you may study include:

• Long term Conditions in Palliative Care in Adult Nursing
• Acute Complex and Integrated Care in Adult Nursing
• Compassionate Leadership and Evidence-based Practice in Adult Nursing
• Clinical Placement Part 2

A range of innovative and interactive teaching methods underpin the programme, including lectures, seminars, simulation-based learning, practical workshops and practice placements. Clinical skills sessions, simulation activities and small group learning will help you develop confidence and competence in essential nursing skills, clinical reasoning and person-centred care within a supportive learning environment.

You will spend 50% of your time at the University and 50% in practice placements, providing extensive opportunities to apply your learning in real world healthcare settings. Placements are primarily based within health and social care services across South East Wales, with opportunities to gain experience in a variety of settings, including the NHS, private and third-sector organisations.

To support a positive study/life balance, on-campus teaching is typically scheduled between 10am and 4pm. Alongside taught sessions, you will undertake independent study, including assignment preparation, reading and research. Flexible online learning resources can be accessed at times that suit you, supported by clear guidance and indicative study times.

Throughout the programme, you will benefit from a strong support network. A dedicated personal tutor will guide your academic and professional development, while experienced nursing academics and practising clinicians will enrich your learning with their expertise. During placements, Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors will support and assess your progress towards achieving the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) proficiencies required for registration.

You will develop your skills in dedicated clinical skills and simulation facilities, including virtual reality technology that allows you to practise caring for deteriorating patients and responding to emergencies in a safe environment. You will also gain experience in our onsite Allied Clinical Health Hub, providing care to members of the local community under the supervision of experienced practitioners.

A wide range of digital learning resources, together with the University’s comprehensive library collections, will support your academic and professional development throughout the programme.

Assessment is designed to be engaging, varied and closely aligned to the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for contemporary nursing practice. A diverse range of assessment methods, including essays, case studies, presentations, infographics, clinical assessments, Observed Structures Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and the development of a clinical portfolio will enable you to demonstrate your learning in different ways. Written examinations are used only where appropriate.

Your progress in practice placements will be recorded through an electronic Practice Assessment Document (PAD), allowing you to track your development and achievement of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) proficiencies required for registration. Feedback from service users as well as Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors will be used to monitor your progress.

Throughout the programme, you will receive timely and constructive feedback to help you build on your strengths, identify areas for development and continually enhance your academic and professional practice.

Each practice placement is followed by a dedicated consolidation week at the University, providing valuable time to reflect on experiences, integrate learning and strengthen the connection between theory and practice. During this week, you will take part in restorative clinical supervision led by registered practitioners from local health boards. These supportive, reflective sessions provide an opportunity to explore practice experiences, build confidence, enhance wellbeing and resilience, and develop the reflective skills that underpin continuous learning, professional growth and lifelong nursing practice.

A career in Adult Nursing offers a wealth of opportunities across a wide range of healthcare settings, both in the UK and internationally. Graduates may choose to work in hospitals, primary care, community services, GP practices, industry, research or specialist clinical fields, making nursing an exciting and rewarding profession with excellent long-term career prospects.

Our practice-focused programmes are designed to equip graduates with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to make a confident transition into professional practice. On successful completion of the PgD Adult Nursing programme, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Registered Nurse.

Throughout your studies, you will be supported by dedicated employability specialists and nursing professionals who maintain strong links with NHS employers and healthcare organisations. These connections provide valuable networking opportunities, career guidance and insights into the wide range of pathways available after graduation.

In line with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements, all applicants to nursing programmes must attend an interview. This enables us to assess the values, attitudes and professional attributes essential for a career in nursing and to ensure applicants are well suited to a profession where patient safety and high-quality care are paramount.

Please note that offers are made only following a successful interview. Interviews are conducted online via Microsoft Teams, providing an accessible and inclusive process that reduces barriers related to travel, cost and location.

Typical Offers

The following requirements are based on typical offers:

• An undergraduate degree: A degree in any subject, with a classification of 2:2 or higher and a GCSE grade C or above in Mathematics and English/Welsh.
• Health/Social Care Experience: You will be required to demonstrate 700 hours of relevant clinical practice, working in health-related environments, such as care homes, hospitals, community or homecare. These clinical hours must have been achieved over the last 2 years and will need to be verified by a registered healthcare professional. You will also be required to demonstrate 450 theory hours, and these will be assessed via a verification inventory and portfolio.
• Numeracy and Literacy: Ability to demonstrate the capability in numeracy, literacy, and digital and technological literacy to meet the course learning outcomes. Please review our Recognising Prior Learning to help you present your evidence for this.
• English Language Requirement: If English is not your first language, you will need an academic IELTS score of 7.0 overall.
• Other requirements: Successful interview, evidence of study within the last 5 years, DBS and Occupational Health check.

Applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements will have their application assessed against a scoring framework based on the information provided in their personal statement. Eligible applicants will then be ranked according to their score, with the highest-scoring candidates invited to interview.

Applicants domiciled in Wales who are studying, or have successfully completed, a recognised health-related Access programme, the Nursing Cadet Scheme, the RCN Wales Healthcare Connect programme, or who have participated in our residential programme, may be eligible for a guaranteed interview. Please contact the Admissions Team for further information on eligibility criteria.

Interview Process

Our online interview process is designed to explore the personal qualities, values and attributes essential for a career in nursing. The interview is not intended to test prior knowledge of the profession; instead, it provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your potential as a future nurse.

Through discussion and reflection, we will assess your ability to:

• Communicate ideas clearly and effectively
• Think critically and respond to new situations
• Evaluate and reflect on information
• Consider issues relevant to contemporary nursing practice

Prior to the interview, applicants will receive five field-specific nursing scenarios. During the interview, one of these scenarios will be explored in more detail, focusing on NHS values and how they are demonstrated in practice. The interview will also consider your motivation for studying nursing and your understanding of the profession.

Applicants may choose to apply and be interviewed through the medium of Welsh.

Information for Overseas Applicants

The PgD Adult Nursing programme is commissioned by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and forms part of the Welsh workforce strategy to support the future sustainability of NHS Wales and the social care sector.

For entry in September 2027 and March 2028, commissioned places are available only to applicants who qualify for Home fee status. Consequently, applications from individuals with EU or Overseas fee status cannot be considered for these intakes.

Applicants are advised to check their fee status eligibility before applying.

For general enquiries, please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6010 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact the Nursing Strategic Lead, Professor Jayne Cutter:

• Email: jcutter@cardiffmet.ac.uk