Professional Diploma Breast Care Nursing

The programme aims to develop the practitioner’s capacities for caring and competent practice in Breast Care Nursing, in order to prepare the nurse to provide patient-centred care within the health service.

This is a one (academic) year programme, broken down into two trimesters. Assessments are varied (assignments/short examination questions/MCQ/case presentations and clinical assessments, (Clinical Competency Assessment Tool, Clinical Learning Outcomes) and occur at intervals throughout and at the end of the trimesters.

The specific aims of the programme are:

• To build upon and advance the student’s repertoire of knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional values that were developed during the course of his/her basic training and arising out of his/her experiences in clinical practice


• To provide the student with the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional values for the advancement of his/her role in the care of patients with breast conditions, including critical analysis, creative thinking, decision making and communication


• To develop a greater understanding of the theory which underpins Breast Care Nursing Practice, including theory in the social and behavioural sciences and theory in the biomedical sciences


• To provide learning experiences that advance the student’s professional development and personal growth and experiences that affirm the student’s capacity to be a self-directed learner


• To advance the student’s sense of professional awareness, and commitment and a sense of professional responsibility and accountability in Breast Care Nursing


• To enable the student to value learning as a continuous process and as a necessary process in the context of his/her professional role in Breast Care Nursing

Does this programme have an official conferring ceremony?

Please note there is no online or in-person conferring ceremony for this programme. Your parchment will be posted to you by UCD Conferring.

Possessing a broad and deep understanding of the theory and skills required for caring for patients with breast conditions, you will be well positioned to work in a variety of settings specialising in this area both nationally and internationally. As the programme is particularly aimed at preparing nurses to assume the role of clinical nurse specialist, many nurses eventually take up CNS positions and some may undertake further study required for the role of ANP in breast care. Many nurses also proceed to assume CNM/Educational/Clinical Facilitator roles.

Funding:

If the fees for your programme are being paid by a third party (full or partial), please ensure your funding organisation/sponsor/hospital contacts student.payments@ucd.ie. Please note this is not a student facing email address.

Student Queries:

If you have any queries about your fees, please contact the Student Desk:

www.ucd.ie/askus

https://www.ucd.ie/students/studentdesk/

Application Fee:

Please note that all applicants are required to pay the €60 application fee. Your application cannot be processed fully unless the application fee has been paid.

More information about fees is available on the UCD website at the link below:

General information about UCD Fees

Entry Requirements

• Applicants must hold a Graduate/Higher Diploma in Adult Cancer Nursing

• Applicants must hold a primary degree in Nursing (or equivalent in related discipline)

• Applicants must be entered onto the appropriate division of the Nurses Register maintained by An Bord Altranais (be registered as an RGN)

• Other criteria to be used in the assessment of the application include number of years of experience, and evidence of ongoing professional development

Specific Requirements

• Applicants must have at least one year’s experience in Breast Care Nursing at time of attendance

• Applicants must be employed in a Breast Care unit (focusing on cancer and benign conditions) or related specialist setting prior to commencing the course and for duration of the course

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL may be granted in respect of individual modules if applicants can demonstrate that the modules' learning outcomes have been achieved through prior credentialled or experiential learning. In some cases, where an applicant does not meet the prerequisites for entry to a programme, an RPL application may be considered. Further information can be found in respect of this here.

Documents required:

The official closing date is July 31st, however, as places on the programme are subject to clinical placements which are limited, you are advised to have all of the required documentation submitted by July 1st.

• Certificates of nursing qualifications or validated copies of awards


• Original transcript(s) including date and grading of degree award (non UCD Graduates only) & notarised English translations where relevant


• A current photocopy of NMBI registration


• Copy of Birth Certificate or Personal Page of Passport


• Professional Reference Form(original form)


• Declaration Form


• Clinical Competence Assessor Nomination Form


• Evidence of proficiency in English language (applicants whose first language is not English)

The programme is aimed at advancing the registered nurse’s repertoire of knowledge and skills in Breast Care Nursing; it is particularly aimed at preparing the nurse to assume the role of clinical nurse specialist in this area.

This is a good option for nurses who have completed a level 9 Graduate Diploma in Cancer Nursing.