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Higher education

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Original poster

Question about Nursing Course

9 replies

alexa1 · 16/09/2006 18:21

Hi. I am currently doing an access to H.E course at my local College and hope to go on to do the Nursing course.

Does anyone have any idea if I have to pay for the course (someone mentioned a bursary) and do student nurses get paid anything at all??

Also, I know the university I want to go to has a creche and I will put DS in there. Do students get any discount or do we have to pay the full wack like everyone else?

Last question. How difficult is it to get on the course? I have heard rumours it's more difficult now than ever as we no longer have a shortage of nurses.

OP posts:
liquidclocks · 17/09/2006 11:58

Hi, I'm not a nurse, I'm an OT, but we're funded similarly. The short answer really is that you should go to the uni you're applying to and ask them these questions - everywhere is different. You may get a bursary but how much it is if you do get one depends very much on your personal circumstances. DH and I did the same course a few years apart - he was a mature student and received £300 per month plus tuition fees paid for, I went after a gap year at 19, received tuition fees only for 2 years then £100 per month in 3rd year as another of my brothers had gone to uni so my parents cirumstaces changed. I currently work at a uni and as far as I know there's no discount for student parents at the creche, but again, this varies from place to place, and there are other places to get financial help from if you have young children who need childcare while you're studying - there's usually someone in the student union or a student services dept who can help with that.

In terms of whether it's more/less difficult to get on a course, it slightly depends where you apply, but technically there's still a huge number of places and we do still have a health professionl/nurse shortage - it's just that the recent financial problems in the NHS are causing recruitment problems - by the time you qualified hopefully all that would be sorted out.

Good luck in your decision making, hope my mini-essay helps!

Original poster
alexa1 · 17/09/2006 18:30

Thanks liquidclocks.

I will contact the university tomorrow and ask them.

OP posts:
ratclare · 18/09/2006 13:47

if you do the 3yr diploma you get a bursary ,paid monthly ,i think its about £450 -500 a month ,depends on age and dependents .If you do a degree then im not sure . To be honest the major difference between degree and diploma is the degree spends more time management . If you do the diploma you canalways add a degree on later part time ,get paid to do it and do it in something relevant like midwifery ,hope that helps . As a nurse currently in the NHS i have to say ' are you mad?' Be an OT ,the hours are much nicer !! the works just as hard though !

Original poster
alexa1 · 18/09/2006 14:16

Ratclare - I didn't realise there was a diploma and degree. I am sure it is a 3 year degree course. It doesn't mention diploma in the prospectus.

When u say I am mad, are you saying you don't like your Job as a nurse? I know the shifts are crap and the NHS is in a mess at the moment, but I am hoping by the time I qualify, things would of changed for the better.

How long ago did you qualify?

OP posts:
BrummieMomInMerthyr · 20/09/2006 22:39

Hi alexa1, i'm a nurse and did the 3 year diploma which is 2/3 of a degree which you can top up to later if you want to be a senior sister/ward manager/matron. i started training 11 yrs ago (OMG!!) and was paid a bursary of approx 350 a month but didn't have any dependents. I found the shifts hard work, but a lot of NHS hosps have implemented a 12 hr system which means working 3 days a week for 3 wks and 4 for 1 week. i worked in ITU and found the work very rewarding, but hard and emotional at times. I would do it all over again though and never regret the decision to become a nurse. I left the NHS 12 months ago and now work in a phase 1 drug research clinic in south wales. The options open to you are endless, and like me, you don't have to work in a hosp. Good luck, the diploma is hard work but worth it CAT me if you need any help or advice!

Original poster
alexa1 · 21/09/2006 19:25

Hi brummiemuminmerthyr. Thanks for your advice. 2 questions. First is, did you study at the university of Glamorgan by any chance? This is where I am hoping to study.

I have no idea what CAT means. I have read it on here but have no idea what it means?

OP posts:
BrummieMomInMerthyr · 22/09/2006 18:33

Hi alexa1, no, i studied in birmingham, moved to merthyr when met dh. CAT means 'contact another talker', scroll to the top of the page and it's under 'useful stuff'. have to pay £5 for the year though, but much easier to chat through email rather than a thread
Where abouts are you?

BrummieMomInMerthyr · 22/09/2006 18:58

Just tried to send you a message but you're not set up to receive emails from other talkers, if you change it i'll be in touch!!

Original poster
alexa1 · 22/09/2006 19:37

Hi Brummiemominmerthyr. I live in Bridgend.

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