Nursing

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Nurses don’t just work in hospitals. You can find them in health centres, private hospitals, hospices, the Prison Service or in the Armed Forces. But wherever they work, their main role is to care for people’s emotional, psychological and physical needs.

nursing

HOW TO GET STARTED
You need to be at least 17 years old to start nursing training, although you can apply to join a course when you’re still 16. Your choice of training is between a three year Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE), a three year ordinary degree or four year honours degree in nursing. You’ll need to pass a Disclosure Scotland check to prove you have no criminal convictions and will also be asked to provide evidence that you have been immunized against Hepatitis B.

Around 80% of nurses are recruited through the Centralised Applications to nursing and midwifery Training Clearing House (Catch); the rest are mainly degree level programmes which recruit – like any other degree course – through UCAS.

Nursing training is available, in some form, from most institutions of higher education in Scotland, although not all offer both DipHE and degree courses and may only cover some of the four branches of nursing – these are adult, mental health, learning disability and children’s nursing. Entry requirements will depend on the institution – the more popular the course, the higher the qualifications you will need to join it – but the minimum set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council is currently five Standard Grades including English. Many courses will demand you have between two and four Higher Grades including Maths or a science subject.

THE COURSES
Unlike most higher education courses, nursing involves lots of hands-on practice as well as classroom-based study. You’ll spend at least half of your time on placements – in hospitals, or “out in the community” in health centres, GP surgeries, and so on – and these could well mean working early mornings, late nights or through the night. The courses are also longer than most degree subjects; university and placement commitments mean you’re likely to work up to 45 weeks a year rather than the usual 30.

Nursing courses begin with a year-long Common Foundation Programme (CFP) which, as the name suggests, is completed by all trainee nurses. After the CFP you choose your preferred branch of nursing and then focus on the particular clinical skills needed for that specialism. Children’s nurses, for example, need to understand the physical and psychological consequences of child development, as they will potentially be dealing with
everything from a premature baby to a sulky 15 year old with a broken limb. Learning disability nurses, meantime, focus as much on the skills needed to work alongside social workers, psychologists and other medical professionals as they do understanding the needs of people with learning difficulties.

Whichever branch of nursing you choose, you can expect a busy three or four years. After graduating, you then register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in order to work as a nurse anywhere in the UK.

CHOOSE WISELY
As we’ve said, you need to choose your course wisely, and for the right reasons. You might think children’s nursing is particularly nice, but it can be physically and emotionally draining to be involved with extremely ill children and their families.

PROSPECTS
A nursing qualification sets you up for a varied and rewarding career. Most people start with at least six months’ experience as a junior staff nurse in hospital, but you’re by no means stuck in that role. You can work towards the post of nurse team manager or matron, go into research or enter graduate entry programmes for other professions including midwifery.

Ongoing shortages of nurses in the NHS and a growing private sector mean you’ll have little difficulty finding your choice of full, part-time or job-share work. Nurses aren’t just employed in hospitals: you can find work through nursing agencies; in private hospitals, nursing and residential homes; with charities and voluntary organisations; in the pharmaceutical industry; in schools and universities, the Prison Service and even on cruise ships.

So, could a nursing qualification be for you? It’s definitely a challenging course but it is rewarding in that you’ll end up doing a job that’s incredibly unique and give you a lot of satisfaction. No matter what you end up doing. With a nursing qualification you’ll have the skills to help look after people.

IS NURSING FOR YOU?

Do you have…
• Good Communication Skills
• An interest in science
• Good observational skills
• Maturity, tolerance and flexibility
• Team working skills
• Physical fitness and emotional resistance.

If you can say yes to these, nursing could be the career for you!

SHOW ME THE MONEY!
Scottish nursing students studying in Scotland receive a bursary from the Student Award
Agency for Scotland. Those completing a three year diploma will receive the full rate of
(currently) £6,411 while those on the four year honours degree course will receive £6,411 for the first three years and £4,808 for the final fourth year of study. Additional allowances are also available if you are a single parent, have childcare needs, or have an impairment. The SAAS will also make a contribution to transport and accommodation costs arising from any
clinical placements.

Newly qualified nurses currently start on £20,225 a year, rising up to £26,123 depending on skills and experience. Nurse team leaders will earn between £24,103 and £32,653, while managers can earn from £29,091 to £38,352. At the highest levels, matrons and nurse
consultants can earn up to £64,118, depending on responsibilities.

MORE INFO
Catch
0131 220 8660
www.nes.scot.nhs.uk

Nursing and Midwifery Council
020 7637 7181
www.nmc-uk.org

UCAS
0870 11 222 11
www.ucas.com

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