University of the Highlands and Islands Tests of Change
Driving sustainable change for nurses and midwives across Scotland.
Explore University of the Highlands and Islands Tests of Change - innovative projects designed to trial new approaches in nursing and midwifery education and workforce development.
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Where Learning Means More
2025 / 2026 Tests of Change
Supporting Upskilling of Health Care Support Workers
Healthcare support workers have valuable practice experience but can at times lack the necessary academic entry qualifications to access undergraduate nursing programmes. This can be exacerbated by difficulty in obtaining the necessary academic entry qualifications to access University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) nursing degree programmes through current available routes. The current full-time HNC/HND can also be unachievable for many healthcare support workers for a variety of reasons including finances and ability to attend a college for set days. Alongside this, some have part of the entry criteria and would like an alternative option to studying an HNC.
Photo credit: Image source UHI website.
The aims of this test of change is to scope alternative to Highers from UHI existing provision such a HN clusters. Informed by this scoping, to develop approaches to provide healthcare support workers with academic credit to support their experiential learning and to provide access to nursing and midwifery programmes. The broader goal, depending on individuals’ academic profile, is to support widening access to nursing education at year 1 and year 2 entry points.
2027 / 2028 Tests of Change
An Alternative Online Pre-Registration Nursing Programme to Support Remote and Rural Island
People who live in remote and rural island locations, who can’t commit to on- campus delivery for theory, and to undertake extended periods of practice learning away from their home location, but wish to access undergraduate nursing degrees, have limited options if they are not employed as a health care support worker (HCSW). Existing programmes that support online delivery and localised practice learning are not available to people who are not employed in these roles.
Photo credit: Image source UHI website.
This test of change aims to provide an alternative pathway to enter undergraduate pre-registration nursing for people who live in remote and rural island locations who: i) are not eligible for existing online programmes; ii) are not able to commit to an on-campus delivery mode of theory and iii) who cannot have extended periods of practice learning away from their home location. This test would offer both adult and mental health nursing and would aim to recruit those from remote, rural and island communities. Key to this test will be the identification and recruitment of local hubs for skills delivery, avoiding the need for student travel.
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