Nursing

Children's nursing is a profession built around the care of infants, children, and young people across a wide range of health needs, from acute illness and surgical recovery to long-term conditions and palliative care. It requires clinical expertise combined with an exceptional ability to communicate with children and families, to understand child development, and to advocate for young patients who may not always be able to express their own needs. The specialism recognises that children are not simply small adults: their physiology, their emotional world, and their care needs are distinct.

Cardiff University's three-year full-time programme in nursing (child) prepares you for registration as a children's nurse, combining academic study with extensive clinical placements across a variety of healthcare settings. You will study child development, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology, safeguarding, mental health in children and young people, family-centred care, and the ethical and legal frameworks that govern children's healthcare. Clinical placements are integrated throughout the programme, placing you in paediatric wards, community settings, specialist children's services, and other environments where you will develop practical skills under the supervision of experienced practitioners.

Cardiff's location in Wales gives you exposure to the NHS in a Welsh context, with its distinctive policy and service framework, while the programme's content aligns with professional registration requirements across the UK.

Graduates register as children's nurses and work across paediatric wards, neonatal units, community children's nursing teams, school nursing, children's emergency departments, and specialist services for conditions including cancer, cardiac disease, and complex disability. Many go on to postgraduate study to develop expertise in specialist areas, advanced practice, or nursing education, building careers that span clinical practice, leadership, and research.