Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing

Our Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing is a Level 9 programme that aims to develop informed and skilled public health nurses. On successful completion of the programme, participants can apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) for registration as a Public Health Nurse (RPHN).

This is a one-year, full-time programme, usually running from September to June inclusive each year. Students undertake nine modules to the value of 60 credits. There are four blocks of placement with a registered public health nurse in the sponsoring HSE area. If your name is not registered in the Midwives Division of the NMBI Register, you will complete an NMBI approved module or unit of study on maternal and child health as part of the course. Maternity placement of five weeks as part of this module will be in Cork University Maternity Hospital. Total clinical placement accounts for over 23 weeks during the year.

This programme is open to Registered General Nurses, currently registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). Candidates must have an NQF level 8 qualification or demonstrate equivalence using an APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) as detailed in the application materials.

The recruitment and sponsorship of student public health nurses is a national joint application process between the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and the HSE. Current applicants are required to be registered in the General Nursing Division of the Register of Nurses maintained by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) or entitled to be so registered AND have a minimum of 3 years post-registration general nursing experience.

Or

Applicants should be registered in the General Nursing Division and another Division of the Register, including Registered Midwife (RM), Registered Children’s Nurse (RCN), Registered Nurse Intellectual Disability (RNID), or Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) Divisions of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) or entitled to be so registered; AND have a minimum of 18 months post-registration general nursing experience as an RGN, and 18 months post-registration experience as an RM or RCN or RNID or RPN.

In addition, it is necessary to have an academic level 8 (Honours Degree or Higher Diploma) course completed or provide evidence that you can perform at this level as directed on the application form.

TOEFL iBT:

100 Overall

Listening 24
Reading 24
Speaking 23
Writing 27

IELTS:

7.0 Overall
7.0 Individual Skills (academic version)
One Individual Skill can be 6.5