Mature student nursing studies

con14

Hi i recently done my leaving cert through the VEC.. Im 22 and applied for a nursing studies PLC as its what ive always wanted to do.. im applying through the CAO in January as a mature student then do my NCC assesment in April next year... im just wondering would me doing the plc in nursing studies help me progress into general nursing as a mature student?.. thanks )

paperclip2

Yes it does help. Doing a PLC in Nursing studies both prepares you for the mature student assessment test in a few different ways as well as giving you the opportunity to get a Nursing degree place as a FETAC applicant, (depending on the modules studied and the grades achieved). So its giving you 2 chances to get into nursing.
Just one question OP, when are you 23?

con14

Oh thank god.. I had my interview today for the PLC and got accepted there and then.. I didn't do any science subjects for my leaving this year as it was through the VEC and thought immediately when i was asked about biology that i wasn't going to get it.. thankfully i got offered a place there and then .. oh thats brilliant aswell as that i can do the preperation course before the assessment so i'll be well ready for it lol.. im 23 in october

Jfk1904

Hey,
I completed my nursing studies course few months back and me and a few more got distinctions in every module and none of us got offered nursing places based on our results, which is a joke considering we were told the more distinctions u have the better a chance you have. The reality is that once you have the 5 distinctions in whichever modules they require you to have them in, you are put on a list and from this list there is a complete RANDOM selection to fill the very few places available for FETAC route students. We all completed the mature student assessment (which is totally separate from fetac, you can get info on the bord altranais site) and luckily I did as it was through this route that I got offered my place. So in short, the course I put every ounce of my energy into all year with the tutors promising us that we would all get places if we put in hard work, turned out to be a waste of time as I would have gotten my place even if I had worked for the whole year. Teh course is interesting no doubt and it will stand to me for the first year of my degree but I feel the tutors gave us all false hope from the moment of the interview right up until those CAO offers for FETAC came out, I have friends who were crushed because they did not get a place again being reassured by the college that they would definitely get a place. So just bear that in mind and do enjoy your course but put more effort into preparing for the assessment, which is again random selection but if u get a good score you will almost definitely get a place.
Good luck with the course not trying to put u off but wish I knew this earlier on in my course and would have shifted focus to concentrating on the mature assessment

QueenBee1

Dont forget to check out careerservices.ie they run a one day course with exam prep and sample exams and answers I done it last year and honestly wouldnt have got a place if i didnt do it. Cant praise it enough

paperclip2

Yes it is random selection for FETAC applicants but the same process applies if there are more Leaving cert students with the same CAO points than Nursing degree places. However it is true that the FETAC route is more competitive with more people applying for fewer places. Mature applicants get much more scope to get in with the Mature application route but its no harm having a backup.