Introducing the programme lead
Mary Kitson – Senior Lecturer for Return to Practice
- mary.kitson@northampton.ac.uk(available Tues and Weds)
I qualified as a General Nurse in 1981, completed my Midwifery qualification in 1984.Following a Post Graduate Programme in Mental health. I moved to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain worked in a Midwifery led unit for 10 years. I returned to the UK and completed a BSc Hons in Leadership as a distance learning course from Manchester Metropolitan University. I undertook the NMC Teacher qualification and went on to complete my MSc. I work at the University two days and in clinical practice three days as a Practice Nurse in a practice in Oxfordshire.
Structure of the programme
The Return to Professional Practice course is a sixteen-week part-time programme. There is one module encompassing theory on campus and self-directed, the practice component is competency based and undertaken in a clinical placement with the support of a supervisor and assessor.
Flexible route
Students already employed in other areas of healthcare may be eligible to take the course flexibly. The learning and teaching strategy will reflect this and allow the students to work independently to review the indicative content for the programme.This option is for students who have been out of practice for a short period only.
Practice for nursing
Practice hours undertaken will vary according to individual needs, but all Nursing students need to complete a minimum of 100 hours of practice.
Practice for SCPHN
Practice hours for Specialist Community and Public Health Nurses (SCPHN) will vary according to individual needs, and will be locally determined according to the guidance set out in the table below.
| Years out of practice | Minimum practice hours required | Equivalent days in practice
(7.5hrs per day) |
| 5 – 10 years | 150 hours | 20 days |
| 11 – 20 years | 300 hours | 40 days |
| More than 20 years | 450 hours | 60 days |
Useful information
The Return to Practice Welcome site has additional information related to the course with various resources and links that will help you prepare for returning to academic study and returning to the practice environment.
https://nile.northampton.ac.uk/ultra/courses/_44635_1/cl/outline