Course advice! Please?

For about 2 years i've wanted to be a child psychologist but after getting accepted for uni this year to study education psychology, i withdrew my application. This was due to healtn reasons (i have a disability and i'm sorting out medication so not the right time to leave home) and i want to be positive it's the right career path as i know post grad/doctorate level is incredibly competitive, plus i'm 20 so probably wouldn't be in a career till i'm around 30. I'd be worried about even getting the career due to the competitiveness but it is something i've wanted to do.The other careers i'm consiering is midwifery or nursing, to do a post grad too which wouldn't take as long and before my disability i wanted to be a midwife for quite a long time and i got it in my head i wouldn't be able to cope. The reasons i'm put off is the hours, i love family time and want that work/life balance and the pay especially now the bursaries are gone... i know there's so many avenues you can go in nursing and i can imagine it to be incredibly rewarding which is what i want in my career. Problem with me applying for nursing is that i have no science a level. The third is social work, i love love love sociology, i would specialise in child protection. I know it's a similar salary to nursing and i know it's meant to be 9-5 but that alot of social workers end up doing more hours than contracted and that it's becoming less face to face and more paperwork and you can do less for the people that need help. I like the fact the hours are more structured than nursing but i also hear there's less promotion avenues and the burn out rate and stigma is immense.Any one have any advice or can tell me of their own experience? I'm taking a gap year to get some experience this year but i keep chopping and changing my mind between all 3. Sorry if i rambled but i really am at a loss. Thanks if you read that far!😁

I read all of it 😀 I'm a qualified children's nurse - 1 year's experience. First thing to say - just because you don't have science A Level doesn't mean you can't do nursing. Some universities require it, some "prefer" a science A Level and others aren't bothered. Some unis do count psychology as a science, too.

As for the hours, as a nursing student you'd have to do the full range of shift work. 9-5 nursing jobs are decreasing now as community care etc moves to weekend and evening services. If the hours are an absolute deal breaker for you, then nursing won't be a great choice to be honest!

Without knowing you, it's hard to advise any further. Have you got trusted friends and family in your life? If you do lots of research on the roles, and share your findings with them, they may be able to help you choose as they know you best. Equally it does have to be your decision but maybe get some input from them.

Feel free to pick my brains about my role as a children's nurse and the degree etc too. Hope that helps!

Hi! Thanks for getting through all of that! 🙂 it's not so much the hours are a deal breaker i'm just worried i'll miss out on a lot of things when i eventually have a family but i have no problem with 12 hour night shifts and 12 hour shifts as it would possibly mean 4 days off? Which makes me think i'd get full days with family instead plus i know the holidays are good too. I was just wondering what it's like in your experience of the hours? As if i was a social worker or psychologist i still could be working long hours and bringing work home even though it's meant to be 9-5. Mostly i want that job satisfaction - which i'd find in all 3 careers. Is their a lot of options in the NHS to grow career wise? Such as promotion, ect. Another thing i want is to make close friends with my team and i was wondering whether that happens in nursing? Also when it comes to the degree how many days are spent in lectures and on placement? Sorry if that's a lot of questions but i'm so considering it. I've applied for work experience through the NHS so i'm hoping i get accepted!

For about 2 years i've wanted to be a child psychologist but after getting accepted for uni this year to study education psychology, i withdrew my application. This was due to healtn reasons (i have a disability and i'm sorting out medication so not the right time to leave home) and i want to be positive it's the right career path as i know post grad/doctorate level is incredibly competitive, plus i'm 20 so probably wouldn't be in a career till i'm around 30. I'd be worried about even getting the career due to the competitiveness but it is something i've wanted to do.The other careers i'm consiering is midwifery or nursing, to do a post grad too which wouldn't take as long and before my disability i wanted to be a midwife for quite a long time and i got it in my head i wouldn't be able to cope. The reasons i'm put off is the hours, i love family time and want that work/life balance and the pay especially now the bursaries are gone... i know there's so many avenues you can go in nursing and i can imagine it to be incredibly rewarding which is what i want in my career. Problem with me applying for nursing is that i have no science a level. The third is social work, i love love love sociology, i would specialise in child protection. I know it's a similar salary to nursing and i know it's meant to be 9-5 but that alot of social workers end up doing more hours than contracted and that it's becoming less face to face and more paperwork and you can do less for the people that need help. I like the fact the hours are more structured than nursing but i also hear there's less promotion avenues and the burn out rate and stigma is immense.Any one have any advice or can tell me of their own experience? I'm taking a gap year to get some experience this year but i keep chopping and changing my mind between all 3. Sorry if i rambled but i really am at a loss. Thanks if you read that far!😁

I am in a similar boat.


Nursing is rewarding as well as challenging at the same time since most nurses are expected to work 12-hour shifts as opposed to 8 hours.

Having said that, as a nurse, you can work in outpatients which is basically working day shifts.

You don't necessarily need science A levels- Universities accept BTEC applied science, Health and social care(what i am doing) and access courses.

Whilst science A levels/GCSE is preferred, its not like you won't get into a university without them.

People get in with various qualifications as long as they are related to nursing such as psychology or sociology A level.

I don't know much about psychology and midwifery but you just have to ask yourself every question possible, from working hours to pay and even the abolishment of NHS bursary

Nursing offers lots of career prospects and development compared to psychology, social work and even midwifery.

I hope your health gets better and i definitely think you should take a year out to think about things thoroughly and maybe even see a career advisor.

Also, check out this website called plotr, its like no other.

I can't speak for nursing with a family because I don't have a girlfriend/wife or any children, however yes you do get plenty of full days off. When you have children there is always the potential to go part time. Many of my colleagues who have kids just do two nights a week - they feel like they miss out on less time with their children because for most of the time they are asleep while they are working. I personally have a reasonably good work life balance, overall. Yes I have to miss things sometimes, but I can't complain about that too much because I chose nursing knowing full well it was shift work. Equally, I can book up to 5 specific days off per month which are 99% gauranteed (I've not had one refused yet) so I just don't work those days. Means I can book tickets for gigs etc and thus still have a bit of a life!

Within the NHS, and nursing, there are loads of options for specialising, additional study and promotions - if you want them 😁

Nurses are generally a close team due to all the things we go through together. Where I work is a bit different as it is such a large ward and so there's about 70 nursing staff, which does make it hard to know everyone really, really well. But I have a couple of nice friends there and there are lots of friendship groups within the ward and we socialise as a whole ward where we can (Obviously there are some who have to miss out - we can't leave the ward unstaffed! 😂)

Nursing degrees are 50% theory, 50% practical. I think most places do it in blocks nowadays. So you'll do a couple of months at uni and then a couple of months on a placement. Uni hours do vary but start off in first year as 9-3/4 for 5 days a week and decrease to more "personal study time" as you progress. Placement hours will depend on the area you go to. You should end up doing the equivalent of 13x 11.5 hour shifts a month - thats what I do as a FT Staff Nurse 👍