Qualification

HNC (SCQF Level 7)

Duration

1 year

Starts

Aug 2025

Interests

  • Care

Campus

  • Aberdeen City Campus

Why take this course?

The purpose of this course is to prepare our future healthcare professionals to thrive within today’s health and social care services. You will be provided with the skills, knowledge and critical ability to provide person-centred care.

You will mainly work with people over the age of 16. Your role will involve working with individuals, families and communities to promote health and wellbeing, prevent illness and enable people to maintain and improve their physical and mental health.

You will be expected to support individuals through all stages of the life cycle including end-of-life and palliative care.

This course is for those wishing to articulate into Year 2 of an Adult or Mental Health Nursing degree at RGU, or a Learning Disabilities Nursing degree at Edinburgh Napier University after the course.

The HNC Healthcare Practice course is for those intending to apply for Year 1 of a Paramedic Practice, Midwifery or Children and Young People Nursing degree on completing the course.

What you will experience

  • Clinical Skills for Care Practitioners: Clinical skills such as basic observations, injection techniques and wound care which prepares you for practical at placement
  • Graded Unit: A project, in the form of an investigation, which is used to assess the application of all your knowledge and skills gained during your HNC
  • Human Body in Health and Illness: Gives you an understanding of the human body and how it functions
  • Mental Health and Mental Illness: Investigates the prevalence of mental health and gain an understanding of different types of illness
  • Professional Standards for Care Practice: Insight into your values and investigates NMC codes
  • Safe Working Practice for Care: Examines legislation and relevance in nursing
  • Sociology and Health in Scotland: Explores society’s impact on the health decisions people make and learn about sociological theories
  • Therapeutic Relationships: Helps you understand the importance of  communication and the link between your client and psychological theory
  • Understanding Personal and Professional Development: Enables you to be more reflective and resilient.

Placements

There is a large placement element to this course and you must be able to commit to shift work.

As a NESCol student, you will have to complete 760 hours placement practice. This will include day shift, night shift and weekends. Your placements will be over a range of nursing areas such as adult, mental health, communities and learning disabilities. This Degree Link course is delivered in association with RGU, Edinburgh Napier University and NHS Grampian.

NESCol has a strong partnership with RGU, Edinburgh Napier University and NHS Grampian and, as such, this route is subject to a tri-party interview process.