Health Professions Education - Nurse/Midwife Tutor

Gain confidence and equip yourself with evidence-based teaching and learning strategies on the PgDip from the RCSI Health Professions Education Centre and the RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery. Successful completion of this programme leads to not only an academic award in teaching and learning but also a professional registration as registered nurse/midwife tutor with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. This programme tailors RCSI's leading theoretical and practical Health Professions Education course to the needs and responsibilities of nursing educators and practitioners in a wide array of healthcare systems and contexts.



Deepen your understanding of the landscape around health professions education and contemporary learning theories, and gain practical expertise in techniques such as assessment and feedback methods, instructional design, educational evaluation and health professions education research.



Following a 'Community of Inquiry' pedagogical model, you will learn with and from peers, experienced clinicians and academics within the field of health professions education.



Learning will be supported through weekly synchronous (webinars, small group tutorials, teaching demonstrations) and asynchronous (videos, interactive web-based content, discussions, self-directed reflections) activities.



Learning resources will be guided by best practice in higher education including universal design for learning (UDL) principles (AHEAD, 2021), and contemporary approaches to formative and summative assessment (National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2021).



The award title for this course is PgDip in Health Professions Education (Nurse/Midwife Tutor Qualification) (PgDipHPENMT). A PgDip in Health Professions Education, without the additional nursing module, is also available.



This is a part-time blended learning 70 ECTS programme. All theory is delivered online with students required to obtain 100 hours' practical teaching experience, of which 20 hours must comprise clinical teaching. While the programme may be undertaken on a part-time basis, a 70 ECTS programme carries a full-time academic workload. The programme runs over a calendar year and our team of experienced health profession and nursing educators will guide and support you all the way through the programme.



This course is a Level 9 award on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.



Suitable for

This programme is designed for both experienced and early career educators working in the healthcare industry and who support learners in clinical and non-clinical settings.



Accreditation and recognition

We are proud to be a recognised University of the National University of Ireland (NUI). All RCSI programmes are accredited by the NUI.



Recognition by Ministries and bodies in all jurisdictions must be determined by the individual applicants.



We are pleased to confirm that a number of our recent graduates who are domiciled in the United Arab Emirates and in the Kingdom of Bahrain have successfully had their certificates recognised by the Ministry of Education in their respective countries.

Module 1 Introduction to Health Professions Education:

How learning takes place, and can be nurtured, in health professions education settings



Module 2 Principles of Teaching and Learning:

Evidence-based teaching and learning methods



Module 3 Assessment as/for/of Learning in Health Professions Education:

Assessment and feedback in health professions education



Module 4 Curriculum Design and Evaluation:

How to evaluate sessions, modules and programmes



Module 5 Practical and Applied Nursing and Midwifery Education:

Advance your teaching practice towards the role of registered nurse/midwife tutor.

To apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education, you must:

• Hold a Bachelor's degree (if you don’t hold a Bachelor's degree, see the recognition of prior learning pathway).

• Be working in the healthcare industry.



Applicants to the PgDip in Health Professions Education (Nurse/Midwife Tutor Qualification) will require a teaching agreement to be confirmed with their nursing employer and must provide a valid NMBI pin with their application.



Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

If you do not meet the minimum academic requirements above, you may still be eligible to apply through recognition of prior learning (RPL). RPL is the assessment of knowledge, skills and competence previously acquired.



Learning occurs in many contexts, including work, involvement in social and community activities, or learning through life experience generally. RPL does not give credit for experience as such; rather it considers the learning that was acquired as a result of the experience.



RPL may be used to gain:

• Admission to courses/programmes where a person may not have obtained the standard entry requirements.

• Exemptions from course modules which duplicate the learning outcomes an individual has already demonstrably acquired through prior learning.



English language requirement exceptions

You must meet the English language requirements (unless exempt): IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent score on another standardised test (certified proof should be uploaded with your application; see below for exemptions).



Exemptions may apply for:

• Applicants who have completed their school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) through English in a country where English is the majority native language.



• Applicants who have completed their school or undergraduate studies (three or more years) in an English speaking institution in a country where English is not the majority native language and where an IELTS score of 5 or more was a requirement for admissions to the programme.



• Applicants who have been working in a country (three years or more) where English is the majority native language or for an employer where English language is the official language.



• Graduates of an RCSI Undergraduate, Masters or Professional Diploma programme in Dublin and Bahrain.



Please note: Certified proof must be uploaded as part of your application.

How to apply

Applications for the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education, beginning in September 2026, are now open.



Please ensure you attach the following supporting documents with your application:

• Clear copy of your valid passport.

• Copies of your academic transcripts/degree.

• Copies of your CV

1 year. Mode of delivery Hybrid - Part-time.

Next start date: September 2026.