UHI is taking on board nurse registration programme

These programmes are currently delivered by the University of Stirling in Inverness and Stornoway from next year.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has given the final approval required to allow the transfer of the programmes, meaning students applying and enrolling as new students from the 2017/18 academic year will be University of the Highlands and Islands students.

Professor Crichton Lang, deputy principal of the University of the Highlands and Islands, explained: “We are delighted to have gained institutional and programme approval from the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which will allow us to start recruiting students for next year.

“These nursing programmes will be an important part of our new School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences which will align and develop our curriculum and research to meet the needs of the health and social care sectors in our region.”

Professor Jayne Donaldson, dean of the faculty of health sciences and sport at the University of Stirling, said: “I am pleased that the transfer of the pre-registration adult and mental health nursing courses in Inverness and Stornoway is progressing and that the University of the Highlands and Islands now has full NMC course validation.

“It has taken a lot of work by both universities to get to this point and I fully believe that transferring these courses to the local educational institution is in the best interest for the students studying in the Highlands and Islands.

“We will continue to support the University of the Highlands and Islands, our staff and students through this transition period and look forward to working more closely with colleagues in the University of the Highlands and Islands up to, and beyond, the transfer next year.”

The universities are working closely on the arrangements for the transition.

You can find out more about the BSc mental health nursing and BSc adult nursing courses by visiting www.uhi.ac.uk/nursing or by booking to attend an open day at the Western Isles Hospital, Stornoway from 11am to 3.30pm on Friday, November 18th (these will be held as hourly drop-in sessions).