Bachelor of Nursing (adult programme)

Is this programme right for you?

You want to earn the degree of Bachelor of Nursing while you are already an adult. In most cases, though, it means that studying must be combined with a job and caring for a family. Not an easy task? Correct. It will require strong motivation and good work ethics and the ability to study independently. If you can manage that, you can still make your dream come true.

The nursing programme leads the way to a fascinating, varied job with a lot of responsibility. You will become familiar with all aspects of health care and you will become a resourceful manager of complex patient care. You will be trained for a job where you must use your head, your heart and your hands in a multidisciplinary team.

Fascinating? No doubt. Complex? Absolutely, but rest assured that we will guide you all the way. As a matter of fact, we guarantee that when you graduate you will have acquired all the competences to start as a first-time professional.

What will you learn? What choices do you have ?

The study programme will teach you how to become a professional nurse. We will coach you in such a way that you are able to assume the various roles of a nurse.

In order to assume all these roles, you must have acquired a number of competences. These competences are firmly rooted in your study programme, that's why it is called competence-based education. Every course unit of your study programme will teach you how to acquire one or more competences. Empathy, sense of responsibility, critical attitude, adaptability and nursing expertise are just a few examples of competences which turn you into a versatile nurse. The nursing programme is a generic programme.
The competence profile of a Leuven University College Bachelor of Nursing was developed in cooperation with all university colleges of the KULeuven Association. Please have a look at the descriptive overview.

Our study programme and our coaching efforts are geared towards acquiring the competences of a bachelor of nursing. As a result, graduates will have acquired sufficient adaptability skills in order to be employed in all areas of health care and welfare, which makes them ever so valuable.  

What does it mean in practice?

The adult programme is offered to students doing a major in hospital nursing (clinical orientation) and can be completed in 3.5 academic years.

Can you choose a major other than hospital nursing (clinical orientation)? Of course you can. However, in that case it will require at least 4 years and you will take a number of course units together with the full-time students (not just on Tuesdays). Majors are not specialisations, yet they offer the opportunity to address a particular health care aspect.

Course days of the major Hospital Nursing are limited to one lecture day (Tuesday) per week, throughout the entire academic year, with the emphasis on interactive study coaching. At the end of each semester, 1 or 2 extra course days may be added. The course days also continue on Tuesdays during work placement periods. Examinations are taken in January, June and September. They may be scheduled on any day.

Each academic year, you must be available to do full-time work placements for a number of weeks. The work placement periods will become longer as you progress in your programme. You will come into contact with a broad range of health care and welfare matters through work placements in university and regional hospitals, psychiatric institutions, home care, ...

Course programme

Consult the course guide of the adult programme.

Student testimonials

"Going back to school, while already an adult, requires a certain amount of organisation, especially when you keep on working part-time to support your family. When you do not have the full support of your family and friends, you will surely quit. For example, I had to find out for which grants I was eligible and also the practical organisation of the study programme is sometimes frustrating. Fortunately, Leuven University College is willing to listen to suggestions to improve the programme. Even our lecturers and work placement coaches must get used to it, because their audience is much more critical. These are very busy years which you should not underestimate, yet I consider them a worthwhile investment." Erik, Bachelor of Nursing (adult programme)

Where will you be employed?

The Bachelor of nursing programme offers a wide and varied range of employability opportunities. You may be employed at general and psychiatric hospitals, in elderly homes, in home care, disability care, preventive health care centres such as occupational medicine centres or centres of student counselling, ...

You can be self-employed or employed by an organisation, either full-time or part-time. But did you know that the business world, educational institutions and government institutions are also looking to employ nurses? Are you convinced? As a qualified nurse, you can make your dream come true: being a nurse in the health care or welfare sector.

Want to continue studying?

You have just graduated as a bachelor of nursing, but you are not quite ready to enter the labour market? Or maybe you have already gained a lot of experience, but you want to further train or become an expert in your area of expertise? Or you want to become a lifelong learner? Leuven University College offers a wide range of opportunities. Below a short overview of programmes related to health care. They are described in detail at www.leuvenuniversitycollege.be/Study-at-Leuven-University-College/Postgraduate-Studies/Life-Long-Learning.

Do you want to know how you can transfer to various master programmes? Take a look at www.wanaba.be.

Selection of Second Bachelor programmes at Leuven University College:

• Intensive care and emergency care
• Paediatric health care
• Mental health care
• Oncological care

Postgraduate certificates at Leuven University College:

• Postgraduate Certificate of Gerontological Nursing

Continuous education at Leuven University College

• Breastfeeding
• Palliative care
• Radiological protection
• Wound care
• Nutrition

Exemptions

Maybe you are entitled to exemptions? For additional information, click on exemptions at Leuven University College.

Registration

Are you convinced? Find out how you can enrol at Leuven University College. This study programme is part of the Department of Health and Technology. Need more information? Please contact Anne-Marie Van Gansbeke (adult programme coordinator) by email: anne-marie.van.gansbeke@khleuven.be.
Do you want to learn more about the nursing profession? Take a look at www.flormagazine.be or read an issue of Flor, the youth magazine of UZLeuven (University Hospital Leuven) where you can find testimonials and facts and figures about this fascinating profession. You can watch a movie about the nursing profession at http://vdab.be/beroepen/verpleegkundige.shtml