*~* Nursing Training Advice Please *~*

[hawalkden]

I'm currently on Maternity Leave. I'm due in Dec to have I want to start thinking about a change of career whilst I'm off work and thinking about becoming a diabetic children’s nurse or baby/children's nurse. Possibly midwifery?!

I don't have GCSEs in Maths or English and thinking of doing them at college next September.

Me and my partner are thinking about doing an OU course. Partner finishing his Engineering and me doing Level 1 in Social Science. The reason for the Social Science was I did it when I was in college as part of one of my BTEC National in Children's Care, Learning & Development module. I got an overall PPP due to being diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at the end of my course in March 2009 so I had to rush the end of the course.

I currently work well I'm employed as a Nursery Practitioner in a Private Day Nursery and worked in the Pre-School room which I loved but I would like a different career regarding children.

Just wondering how I get about (after my GCSE course finishes) starting courses etc and what advice do I need. I want to go back part time mon-wed days at work when LO is older and its a must due to money etc.

The things I'm worrying about is if I do a university course part time the night shift placements that are compulsory so I've heard. I don't drive so getting there etc is going to be hard!

Also money and fees? Do I get help etc with having a child and working etc?

Any advice and tips will be much appreciated thanks

 

[everdreaming]

Hey I'm a student adult nurse and I also work for the course enquiries helpline at my university.

Not many nursing courses are run part time - this is because there is a NMC (nursing & Midwifery Council) requirement to complete the course within 5 years to qualify as a nurse/midwife. I'd recommend contacting your local uni to see whether or not that would be a possibility, but quite often it isn't and the students with young children are left hanging.

The placement time when on a nursing course is full time 37.5 - 40 hours a week. I work one day a week part time which is actually against regulations (So don't tell ) because they expect whilst you are on placement NOT to be working at all. A lot of students do, and it means going over working hours regulations - and also being left thoroughly exhausted at the end of the week. There is no way, as far as I'm aware, of doing placements part-time.
In your first year of placements you have to work half days, nights and weekends. That means 5 days a week you will be on placement for 7.5-9 hours a day or the full 12-14 hour night shift. There is no escaping the half day rule unless you are on a good placement that allows you to do long days. I wasn't! I did 5 days a week placement plus 1 or 2 days part time work each week in my last placement block - and I don't have a child to look after!

As for fees and money, nursing courses are all funded by the NHS student bursaries there is a 'bursary calculator' on the website to find out how much you would be entitled to. The nursing degree courses are income-assessed and the yearly bursary is in the region of £3000 a year for a low income family. The midwifery course is currently a higher rate - £7000 roughly a year - but that will be changing before you apply. There is a minimal support for mothers, but I don't know the exact amount. I know it's not much! The fees are paid for by the NHS and they don't have to be paid back.

I can tell you for the entry requirements at my university that a PPP would not be a high enough grade, I'd recommend taking an access course instead of just your GCSEs because then you will meet the minimum requirements for the course so long as you do maths & english & science preferably at Level 3. Entry requirements are changing and going up every year, especially with the new move to degree-only nursing courses and the high volume of applicant for the huge cut backs in the amount of nurses the nhs is funding to train, so it is likely that they will increase dramatically before you apply. Level 3 qualifications and above will be preferable in application though.

This is a looong rambly message... But if you want more advice just reply on here or pm me