For those who are doing nursing/midwifery courses.........advice please!

[QueenVictoria]

I am keen to retrain as a midwife. I dont have any healthcare background at all. Left school with my GCSE's - with the 5 above C grade inc maths and english. Im now 29.

What do i need to get get onto one of these courses/degrees? Do i need to do an access course? How long to get on a course? Are bursuries means tested? Sorry lots of questions i know but any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

bump

Hi QV,
Whereabouts are you?
I think it is quite likely that you have enough to do the course. You need to contact recruitment for the univeristy you want to attend where are you?

North/north East London.

Loads of opportunites.
Ring TVU, just out of curiosity.
Ring the student liason unit Tel switch 01753 697000.
I don't know a specific number, be quick before they all go homw for the weekend

Thanks Mrs D. (Just out of interest, how do you know about the opps in my area?)

Now that would be telling

Spoilsport! So i wouldnt have to wait long to get on a course then? Ive heard some people say that they have been trying to get on a course for 18 mths etc.

Are they full time courses ie 9 to 3.30(or similar) 5 days a week?

Midwifery is hard to get into at the moment to be very honest. Or should I say there are extensive waiting lists. Lots of people want to be midwives at the moment it seems.

I am doing access to health, its part time ands runs school hours etc.

After this course (taken over 1 or 2 years) i can do nursing or midwifery at uni

hth xxx

But not where i am?

Thanks for all your help - and on my other thread too

Ta huggy!

QV - My local University only takes 20 students on a year!

Now you see you misunderstand me. There are lots of opportunities, you never said RIGHT NOW did you?
I doubt you would want to start right now anyway, your children are quite young. Shift work and study are very hard work for students, I wouldn't like to be one again {smile]

tvu run an access course, for the midwifery/nursing course, this usually starts in september, but i beleive ealing may also do one starting in april, the course is 2 days a week and lasts for a year. you probably would need this as the course requires education to an 'a' level standard.

i beleive ealing has ahigher intake than its slough campus because they cover more hopsitals.

the midwifery course now has 2 intakes, october and april, so if you got on teh access course for april you would be able to apply for the following april.

TVU run the course as a degree/diploma, you all follow the same programme for the first 2 years and then in the third and final year you choose between the degree or the diploma. this depends on your grades and academic ability as well as your personal choice. the main difference between the two is money! for the first 2 years you would get a non means tested bursary of around £500 and then if you had children you can get a means tested allownace on top and also a means tested childcare allowance, then in the final year if you continue doing the diploma the funding stays the same, but if you transfer to the degree it changes to a means tested grant, with no childcare funding(this is completley unfair and i won't start ranting now as i will be going forever!!).

I know this because i am studying at tvu in slough!

oh and the course is full time in that the study days run from 9-5, even though you do have study days at home you will need these to study, and the placement work is shift work, so earlies, lates and occassionaly a department run from 9-5, like the community placement, for visits and clinic.

Thanks everyone!

If that's the case vicyumyum - you know youare at the best campus!!