Nursing as a mature student.

sinz

Hi

I am interested in studying nursing next year? I have completed a commerce course. My question is now that I am a mature student what are my options? Do I have to apply through the CAO? Can I somehow study nursing through an evening course? Should I do first aid courses ect to maximise my chances of getting in to the course?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cliona99

Here's what I know.

Nursing degrees are at Level 8 on the...what's it called? National Framework of Qualifications? something along those lines...if your commerce course was Level 7 or below, you'll still be eligible for 'free fees' for nursing. But if the commerce course was level 8 or 9, you'll have to pay the tuition fees yourself. (I don't know about nursing but for midwifery it ranges between €7000 and €8500 per year, for four years). Plus registration and student services charges which could add another one or two thousand. If you are eligible for a grant these can be paid for you.

On the bright side, if you apply to the UK, the fees are paid by the NHS and the course is only three years long.

Mature students still apply through the CAO.

Regarding first aid courses etc, anything you can do to improve your chances will be worthwhile. It's competitive.

A FETAC course in nursing studies/healthcare or a fas course for healthcare assistants would be helpful for giving you a taste of the actual job. Also, you can apply with your FETAC results as well as your Leaving cert results if you go this route.

Some websites: www.studentfinance.ie
and don't know the exact address but google Nursing Careers Centre (if you haven't been there already) they produce a handbook every year full of info about applying for both mature students and school leavers.

Sorry for waffling on so much! Good luck.

First Aid Ireland

sinz wrote: »

Hi

I am interested in studying nursing next year? I have completed a commerce course. My question is now that I am a mature student what are my options? Do I have to apply through the CAO? Can I somehow study nursing through an evening course? Should I do first aid courses ect to maximise my chances of getting in to the course?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

With regards to first aid, you can always benefit from first aid training. But you probably don't need to go to huge expense to do a full FETAC occupational course, unless you particularly want to.

In the hospital environment, you'll need a course called "Basic life support for healthcare providers" or BLS for healthcare providers. This is a quick enough course lasting about 4 hours and covers CPR in adults, children and babies as well as choking. But in addition to the stuff that the public cover, you'll cover more 2-person CPR and the use of different types of resuscitation masks. You don't need to be a nursing student yet to do one of these courses, but it's the CPR course that most of the nurses in the hospitals will do, and it means you can help out at a resus in the hospital early on, because you'll know how to start chest compressions and you'll know how to use a resus mask etc. I think that would go down quite well at the application stage. A FETAC level 5 occupational first aid course would also be good, but it's not the type of courses that nurses would routinely sit. Though it's a good course to have, as the second you enter nursing school people will look at you for help if somebody keels over when you're out. I can tell you that from experience!

Google is your friend for any of these courses. prices vary between different companies, so shop around and see if there's a discount for students etc (you shoudl be able to get a student discount if you're doing the course to help a college application...remember there's a recession on out there!).

Good luck.