A NEW route to qualifying as a nurse in three years at a Devon university has been given a clean bill of health by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The University of Exeter has added a three year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree to the four year masters options it has offered since 2019.

Now that the new degree has been officially accredited by the NMC, it gives greater options for students who want to become registered nurses.

The university’s nursing team have redesigned all their courses, so that all students undergo the same curriculum in year one and two.

They can then decide whether to proceed with the three year BSc, or the four year Masters of Science programmes.

Programme Lead in the Academy of Nursing at the University of Exeter, Victoria Sadler, said: ‘We are delighted that our ambitious new programme has been approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

‘This evidences that our education and training continues to be extremely high quality, fulfilling the needs of the NHS and social care.

‘Our new undergraduate BSc programme offers a shorter route to becoming a Registered Nurse.

‘This means more choice, to ensure students from a wide range of backgrounds and with different needs have options to upskill with us at Exeter.’

The first intake for the new BSc Adult Nursing will start their studies in September.

Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Professor Jo Bowtell, said: ‘NMC accreditation is an extremely rigorous process, and I’m delighted for the team, and for students.

‘The NMC recognised the distinctive quality and innovation at the heart of the Exeter approach to nursing education highlighting several areas of good practice.

‘It means we’re now able to offer a wider suite of options to our innovative nursing education portfolio.’