My son is thinking of retraining and going into nursing is this a good idea?

[Dowser]

Of course all the planets have to be lined up, the moon in the seventh house and Jupiter aligned with mars ie
Dil getting a job ( will be min wage)
They’ll be able to feed , clothe and keep a roof over the heads of their three sons
Childcare arrangements for youngest with special needs will work out

That’s just for staters. He’s 37 . Got an nvq in computers. He wants to better himself. Background as a security technician.
Monitors cameras.

He thinks he’d make a good nurse. I do too...but logistically...it’s a bit of a nightmare

Can it be done?

It'll be hard, especially second year but most people do bank shifts alongside studying to earn extra money. If he could get night shifts on a ward that may work well as it's enhanced pay and depending on how busy it is some people on my ward choose to do their assignments during their shifts once patients have gone to bed.
Has he got any experience in healthcare? I would definitely advise becoming a HCA before committing to a nursing degree.

No, none. Thanks Kiabella
Sounds like a good idea
I’ll put that to him
I hope they pay more than min wage but I bet they. Don’t

Another one who’d 2nd doing some bank shifts as a healthcare assistant first.
You mention an NVQ in computers, does he have the A Levels to apply for nursing ?

I think you’ll find even with no experience Band 1 in the NHS is above NMW.
If he doesn’t have the qualifications for nursing - Phlebotomy/ assistant nurse practitioner/ OT assistant / ECG technician etc post may be worth exploring, there are so many NHS posts which people often are aware exist unless they are already in the profession and qualifications which can be gained whilst working.

Thanks Doc 👍
I think they are the equivalent of two a levels

I think he’d have to be incredibly lucky to get in with that - he probably needs to look into doing an access course first.

Yes, I think to get onto a nursing degree, he'd need to do an access course via access to he. They'd also help him get any gcses he's missing. This would take a year but he could work part time alongside.

He'd then be able to get a place on a nursing degree and progress as people have suggested.

It may also be worth looking at some of the non-graduate roles people have suggested!

Could he afford it? Is there finance available? I don’t know where you live, but where I am there are no bursaries. I’m a mature student at the minute and graduate next year. I was hoping to go into nursing by way of a ‘fast track’ nursing degree, which would be another two years. Unfortunately it’s £18k so not feasible.

He has 8 GCSEs all at grade C

I think they stopped bursaries last year

He could look at nursing associate courses.

I think these are being introduced in order to address finance issues with studying and to fill the shortfall in qualified staff. I'm not a nurse but work with some. The nurse associate complete their course in 2 years instead of 3. Much like the old fashioned SEN or SRN, sorry I don't know which way round is which.

That sounds good saw rainbow

He would need to take an Access to Nursing course at college - it's designed for people like him who have been out of education for a number of years but want to go to uni.

Don't let finance put him off - while bursaries have gone, there are maintenance loans available (and the repayment terms are very, very favourable - most never pay it all back and it's wiped off after 30 years). There's also extra money for childcare and dependents. Don't let misunderstandings about finance put him off.

www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator

Thankyou avocados
Will pass all this on

If he thinks he can manage it I'd say go for it. You might find he is a really good nurse. Before he starts training he could take up a related occupation, HCA for example, it would certainly give him a 'feel' for the job. Also read up on anatomy and physiology.

Good luck to him!

I'm the same age with the same number of children and I'm thinking about doing this, too (child branch). I'd definitely recommend getting experience. I do a related (but non-professional) job and love it but it certainly isn't for everyone! If his DP is on a low wage they will probably get financial help with childcare. The debt sounds terrifying but I doubt most nurses ever pay it all back!! Good luck to him.

As far as I know, to be a nursing associate you have to already be employed by the trust before you can apply to do it. It's a very new role. That no one is entirely sure how it will work and I for one would rather have well trained HCA's working with me rather than a semi qualified nursing associate. So I'd steer clear from that for a few years until it becomes established or abandoned.

Ps paediatric nursing is the best job ever.

The NHS also offers apprenticeships in varying allied roles to nursing.

www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/apprenticeships-traineeships-and-cadet-schemes

I am older than him with three young kids, youngest also has SEN and I managed (bursary). It is hard graft juggling everything and shifts can make childcare difficult (the other parent will have to be around as it is very difficult to dictate shift patterns on training placements). I second working as an Healthcare Assistant first on the bank as most places won't let student nurses start on the bank straight away so best to have that experience first if needing that extra income. I do manage to work some bank shifts to supplement income even with kids.

If he really wants it he can make it, but he needs to make sure the reality matches the expectation. Working as an Healthcare Assistant or another role within a hospital would give him the opportunity to see what it is like before committing to a degree.

It depends on what aspect he wants to do. If he wants to work in a hospital and be part of the whole medical process, then I'd recommend he look at becoming a physiologist. Good money and good hours once you qualify.

On MN everyone says that going into nursing is a really bad idea. I am a nurse (also a paediatric nurse), and it is a really hard job in every way, the pay isn't great, the shifts are very not family friendly (ever changing days and nights and most weekends and Christmas etc), but I do still love it most of the time.
He would need experience of working in healthcare (HCA bank shifts as others have advised) and an access course to apply for the degree. Then he needs to be prepared for a 3yr degree course that requires you to do essays and exams at the same time as doing placements that are basically the equivalent of almost a full-time job in hours, could be not very near his home and generally with no say in what shifts he does. So, he and his DW would need to ensure childcare is sorted for 24hrs a day 7 days a week. His DW needs to be up for being basically the sole parent on some days, like my DH is because I don't see my DC on work days, I leave before they wake up and get home after 9.30pm. There are no bursaries anymore, so it would have to be financially feasible. I don't know if there is still any financial help with childcare available to nursing students.
I am not saying all this to put him off. It can be a very rewarding job with some wonderful bits (I get the impression that children's nursing is not as bad as adult/ mental health for the staff cuts and demands etc), but you have to go into it with your eyes open and not what you are letting yourself in for or you will not survive the degree. I am always in awe of the students who come for my ward for placements who have DC, I could not have combined uni and family life at all. Good luck to him if he does decide that this is what he wants to do.

I also think that the nursing associate course (where I am at least) is for people already employed by the Trust as CSWs, as it is funded by the Trust.

Also point him towards Ambulance service paramedic , may suit him better

@ElspethFlashman What do you mean by "physiologist"? I've never come across them before.

OP, HCAs start on £17,652. The pay enhancement for shifts at nights/weekends is pretty good. It's worth contacting the university he's interested in to ask about entry requirements, but he will almost certainly need to do an access course.

Actually I'm talking crap (blame the Pimms), I know lots of physiologists because I work with them But I don't think that they're generally paid much better than nurses, they start at band 5 I think, same as nurses. They're quite different jobs though as physiologists are generally is a more technical role.

Well I'm no expert (I'm a nurse myself) but you seem to get cardiac or respiratory physiologists, maybe there are others I don't know about. They measure the function of the organ. So the respiratory ones administer pulmonary function tests and things like sleep apnoea measuring and the cardiac ones do a lot of echocardiagraphs and angios and stress tests and things like that. You've probably met one and didn't know what they were.

It's generally 8-5 or thereabouts and Mon-Fri. There's a degree you can do.

It's not a massively varied job but people seem happy in it and it's v v interesting from a clinical standpoint. And of course you can become the Manager of your team and earn a fair whack.