Terminology and nurse prescriber

[Bas VG]

Hello

I am a nursing student from Belgium and I am interested in the nurse prescriber as subject for my nursing thesis. However I came across some terminology that I am not familiar with. I hope that some of the UK nurses can help me.

Is a first level registered nurse a nurse with a bachelor's degree or a masters degree?

When you have a bachelor degree, are you deemed capable to study at level 3 (1st degree level) or do you need a bachelor's degree with honours? And what is the difference between a bachelor degree and a degree with honours?

Am I correct in saying that a nurse with a bachelor's degree can apply for a course to become a nurse prescriber if the other criteria are met?

Thank you, Bas.

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

a first Level Nurse is an RN regardless of the academic award they hold ...

Second level Nurses are the increasingly defunct Enrolled Nurses ( defunct in that there are fewer and fewer 'unconverted' (to RN) ENs still in practice and even if still an EN they will be working to Registered Nurse Job description

University level 3 /NQF level 6 is the level at which the work in the final year of Bachelor's degree is assessed at.

The Difference between an Ordinary and Honours Bachelors Degree is 60 cat points or approximately half an academic year's work.

Prescribing courses are at Master's / NQF 7 levle and would require evidence of Bachelor's / levle 6 study if not the completion of a Bachelor's degree.

[Bas VG]

ZippyGBR, thank you for your explanation. I hope that you and/or others can answer the following questions.

Is the assessment of the work in the final year of a bachelor's degree based on you college/university level? So if you graduate with a bachelor's degree (360 CATS points) you have studied at a level 6 and are awarded a honours degree?

If you have accumulated 300 CATS points, you are awarded an ordinary degree? Is this at level 5 ?

And if you have completed 240 CATS points during a diploma course you have studied at level 4? Is a diploma the same as a foundation degree?

What is the most common degree among nurses: honours, ordinary or foundation degree?

Thank you for your help.

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

ZippyGBR, thank you for your explanation. I hope that you and/or others can answer the following questions.

Is the assessment of the work in the final year of a bachelor's degree based on you college/university level? So if you graduate with a bachelor's degree (360 CATS points) you have studied at a level 6 and are awarded a honours degree?

Yes

If you have accumulated 300 CATS points, you are awarded an ordinary degree? Is this at level 5 ?

ordinary degree or 'advanced diploma of higher education' - due to funding arrangements - it's at level 6

120 @level 4

120 @level 5

60 @level 6

And if you have completed 240 CATS points during a diploma course you have studied at level 4? Is a diploma the same as a foundation degree?

level 5

120 @level 4

120 @level 5

DipHE , FOundation degrees and some BTEC HNDs are all very similar in academic level as level 5 , DipHE pre-reg for Nurses predates the Foundation degree hence the reason it's a DipHE

What is the most common degree among nurses: honours, ordinary or foundation degree?

Thank you for your help.

Depends where and when you qualified

There have been a small proportion of Honours degree programmes in the UK for many years, prior to the early 1990s most people qualified under the 'traditional ' route which is cert HE equivalent ,

since 'project 2000' the minimum academic qualification is Dip HE , although some Universities offered 'advanced diploma' ( which is an ordinary degree in all but name - but is funded as a diploma - so you got the none means tested Bursary)

we are currently about to move to all honours degree courses - and the Welsh have done this all ready.

Quite a significant proportion of people have subsequently completed their degree after registration.

[Bas VG]

Thank you very much for your information and help !!!

Yours sincerely,

Bas.