Update on 2025 recruitment for the Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nursing Programme

In 2022, Crohn’s & Colitis UK set out a three-year strategy to focus our priorities and to maximise our impact on the lives of people affected by Crohn’s and Colitis. One of the key aims of this strategy was supporting the invaluable work of IBD Nurse Specialists, with the Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nursing Programme playing a central role. Since starting the programme in 2019, the number of Crohn’s & Colitis UK Specialist Nurses has grown to 37, and we have been able to see the positive impact the programme has had on nurses and patient care.

Now that we are in 2025, the charity is in the process of developing a new strategy, in order to lay the groundwork for the next few years. While we undergo this important work, we have taken the decision to pause recruitment for both the MSc and RCN Credentialing pathways in 2025. In the meantime, we will continue to sponsor our existing cohort of Crohn’s & Colitis UK Specialist Nurses, and to support them through quarterly Community Days. This also provides us with the opportunity to evaluate any improvements we can make to the programme in the future, so we can have the best possible impact on the lives of IBD Nurses and people affected by Crohn’s and Colitis.

We thank you for your patience, and if you have any further questions, please get in touch at ibdnursing@crohnsandcolitis.org.uk.

What can the Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nurse Specialist Programme offer you as a Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nurse Specialist?

Becoming a Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nurse Specialist is a unique opportunity to gain funding and support for your education and development.

All Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nurse Specialists come together for Community Days four times a year, which enables them to get to know others on the programme, building a community and network of support.

Our Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nursing Programme is open to IBD Nurses through two pathways:

1. IBD Nurse Specialists that have an MSc and want to credential with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
2. IBD Nurse Specialists that wish to undertake an MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (part-time, over 3 years).

For the MSc pathway, Crohn's & Colitis UK will fund up to £10,000, and we will provide peer support for nurses on the programme.  For the credentialing pathway, we will cover the cost for you to credential with the RCN.

In order to join the Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nursing Programme, IBD Nurse Specialists will need to meet a clear person specification and application process.

Applications are now closed for 2024.

What impact does the Crohn's & Colitis UK Nurse Specialist Programme have?

In order to understand the impact of the nursing programme, nurses were asked to complete a
question-based evaluation form. This incorporated questions from the ‘Foundation of Nursing Studies’
model of personal and professional impact evaluation to understand the impact on nurses of
participating in the programme, the impact on their own IBD service and on patient care.

We conducted in depth interviews with a smaller number of the programme nurses from both the MSc
and credentialling pathways. We used a modified version of the Kirkpatrick evaluation model to find
out more about their experiences and impact of their learning while on the programme

You can read about our findings in the following report: Crohn's & Colitis UK Nursing Programme Impact Report