It's now or never to be a mature student in nursing but so scared

[Lilman223]

Hi so basically I am a nearly 35 year old mum of 2 boys I'm currently and always have been a mobile hairdresser over the last couple of years I've felt myself not wanting this career no more as I'm getting older I don't feel hairdressing is giving me what I need I work alone no pension scheme it's uncertain wages,I have a really caring nature and always always wanted to be a nurse but just never thought I could be clever enough I got rubbish GCSEs at school and just never found the right time to even think about it but now my kids are growing older one 11 and one 8 I felt good I don't do this now I'll never do it,so I have spoken to my local college who said I can do 2 years at a pre access to nursing course and one year uni to qualify I explained I was worried because I'm not the cleverest she explained you get tonnes of support and she feels I'm a great candidate to do it so I'm so close to enrolling now my only other worry is money I've always brought a regular wage in and I would have to give hairdressing up or dramatically cut down as it's a full time course does anyone no if you can any funding to help you while your doing and also anyone else been in similar situation and took the plunge was nursing the right choice are you glad you did it or do you regret giving everything up to do it and if you are a nurse reading this any tips for me I just need some encouragement really or advice thanks Marie

Don’t want to sound negative but I did 1 1/2 year of my nursing degree and left because I found it so controlling. I had no time for my family even as a student, I was broke, I found it a really unsupportive course to do, the other students can be very bitchy and competitive which seems to be a norm in nursing. If you’re genuinely caring this quite honestly isn’t the job for you because that gets drained out of you, you’re not allowed to care properly everything is about ticking boxes and paperwork and budgets. Even when you qualify the pay is rubbish and those I know who are nurses now have no life outside of work. Also as a student other students will rat you in for everything - your social media posts (I posted a picture of me on a night out, was wearing jeans and a bodysuit, got called into head office at uni - “a fellow student sent this in from your Instagram, should you really be showing cleavage as a student nurse?” Literally you are not allowed a life outside of it without being called into the office.

Hate to put you off if it’s what you really want but in my placements I witnessed abuse from nurse to patient (reported it and they got fired), heard a doctor talking about a 30 y/o single mother oncology patient saying “she might want one last shot at chemo but she’s not getting it because it’s a waste of budget” etc. I am honestly so glad I left. Give it some real deep thought before you jump into it. X

Are you sure about the qualification route? I have a levels and a non relevant degree and would still need to do a three year nursing degree- I would think the access course you need to do to get a place on the three year course if you don't have a levels already ? So I would think it would be at least four years of training ?
I'd love to do mine as I work in nursing in a supporting role but can't justify the debt and wouldn't manage the childcare while studying

the access course doesn't bypass the 3 year degree. It will take you 5 years to fully qualify. 1 year pre access (to get the GCSE's) 1 year access to health studies. 3 year degree course.

Hi, I'm a nurse but I qualified quite a while ago now.
I love my job and I love the people I work with. I feel blessed and privileged to do what I do.
I can't comment on training now but I would say if you can get somewhere to go and shadow someone for a day or 2 that might give you some more insight.
I really feel for
The poster who found it bitch in my 20 plus years I have never experienced that so I really feel for you.

@QforCucumber that is my understanding as well

It’s oribsbly a job for life if you choose, it has a pension (at the moment), there are a wide of roles you could do and it’s a profession. But as a qualified nurse l need to make clear it’s not a bed of Roses. While training you will be kept on a short leash if only 6 weeks holiday off a year (which isn’t much for a degree course) and at the times the university tell you. Being moaned at for having a part time job. l started my training at 30 so didn’t especially appreciate this! It has taken over the last 10 years of my life pretty much -5:15am alarm calls, sometimes working 7 weekends in a row, back to back 13.5 hour days (often with no break at all -can’t even leave the ward) and constant short staffing which often makes things dangerous. The pay isn’t great, the government and a lot of the general public have no respect for you. The annual leave is generous and the extra pay for nights / weekends help but lm sure the government want to take them away

Could you look at doing a nursing associate course? they get paid for the training on the ward and paid to go to uni and no uni fee's! It's a 2 year course, 1 day in uni and the rest on the wards/depts. Once qualified you need to do a further year training to get fully qualified as a nurse if you want to go further. We have them at my hospital, you can apply if you're a hca which is I think now an 18m apprenticeship, I know someone who got accepted onto the nursing associate course just after their hca apprenticeship. During your apprenticeship you will know if you want to take the next step to being a nursing associate.

I've worked in hospitals for 10 years and I couldn't do it. I couldn't be a hca either! But with this new course it seems better. I'd never go to uni and get saddled with the debt it's just not worth it in my opinion. My mum qualified when she was in her late 40's so it's never too late. She was a healthcare before that since she was 16.

Thank you ladies so so much I can't tell you how much this has helped I really feel like before giving up the career I'm in despite me not having my heart in it no more I need to not rush into this as it seems I need to weigh things up a lot I would absolutely love to qualify but if it will take 5 /6 years it's a lot to be without any money the apprenticeship that one lady mentioned seems a good option I will take all this said into consideration thanks again ladies