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Applying for Child Nursing and teacher training at the same time?

So in school I was torn between studying chemistry or nursing at uni. I always knew I wanted to a 'meaningful' job but was persuaded to study chemistry.

I wanted to be able to use my degree in my future career so have been set on becoming a teacher for the last couple of years. I'm now in my final year and honestly I have lost all passion for my subject. I've had experience in schools and love working with children, but I've realised that my motivations for pursuing teaching was the pastoral side of things rather than academic.

The last few months I've really regretted not pursuing nursing and it is a career that is everything I want - it's all about care and compassion which is what I want to give to people, and I don't feel I can do this enough through teaching.

I know I can work my way up in teaching and move over to the pastoral side of things, so I don't know whether it's worth applying for a Chemistry PGCE and seeing how it goes, and I can always apply for a second degree in nursing if I do indeed find it's not for me? (I've never been motivated by money when choosing a career, although I would get a 25k bursary to do the Chemistry PGCE which would make funding a nursing degree a lot easier!)

I've had a lot of experience of working with children from different backgrounds, although none in a healthcare setting. The way I see it, my options are:

1) Apply to both the Chemistry PGCE and Child Nursing this year (I'm not sure if it would be worth it with no healthcare experience?)

2) Apply to both again but defer my nursing place if I get accepted, meaning I can study the Chemistry PGCE next year and then start nursing the year after that. As they are on different parts of UCAS I can make two separate applications, although if either faculty found out I had accepted the place on the other, would this risk my place?

3) Apply to solely the PGCE. I may find that I'm enjoying it way more than I thought, and if not I will have more time to find healthcare experience. I can then make a fresh application to nursing next year. However, it would mean missing days of school for interviews, and it would look quite bad applying for nursing when I've only just started teaching.

TL;DR: I've wanted to be a teacher for ages, but have lost passion for my subject. I would be more suited to nursing, but still wish to try teaching. What is the best option?
Original post by jessmari
So in school I was torn between studying chemistry or nursing at uni. I always knew I wanted to a 'meaningful' job but was persuaded to study chemistry.

I wanted to be able to use my degree in my future career so have been set on becoming a teacher for the last couple of years. I'm now in my final year and honestly I have lost all passion for my subject. I've had experience in schools and love working with children, but I've realised that my motivations for pursuing teaching was the pastoral side of things rather than academic.

The last few months I've really regretted not pursuing nursing and it is a career that is everything I want - it's all about care and compassion which is what I want to give to people, and I don't feel I can do this enough through teaching.

I know I can work my way up in teaching and move over to the pastoral side of things, so I don't know whether it's worth applying for a Chemistry PGCE and seeing how it goes, and I can always apply for a second degree in nursing if I do indeed find it's not for me? (I've never been motivated by money when choosing a career, although I would get a 25k bursary to do the Chemistry PGCE which would make funding a nursing degree a lot easier!)

I've had a lot of experience of working with children from different backgrounds, although none in a healthcare setting. The way I see it, my options are:

1) Apply to both the Chemistry PGCE and Child Nursing this year (I'm not sure if it would be worth it with no healthcare experience?)

2) Apply to both again but defer my nursing place if I get accepted, meaning I can study the Chemistry PGCE next year and then start nursing the year after that. As they are on different parts of UCAS I can make two separate applications, although if either faculty found out I had accepted the place on the other, would this risk my place?

3) Apply to solely the PGCE. I may find that I'm enjoying it way more than I thought, and if not I will have more time to find healthcare experience. I can then make a fresh application to nursing next year. However, it would mean missing days of school for interviews, and it would look quite bad applying for nursing when I've only just started teaching.

TL;DR: I've wanted to be a teacher for ages, but have lost passion for my subject. I would be more suited to nursing, but still wish to try teaching. What is the best option?


If you use two UCAS systems at once they would make you choose once you d receive offers as you couldn't accept both or I believe you d be breaking t&cs to accept two offers.

I would say applying for nursing without direct care experience could be harder but sounds like you ve plenty of experience with children so that's a definite advantage . if you ve no passion for your subject anymore then I imagine that teaching wouldn't be something you could then enjoy much.especially as you mentioned the pastoral side of teaching being something you like more rather than teaching itself.

Have you considered potentially taking a year out and getting both some more school experience and direct care experience, I think maybe that can help you make a more informed decision.
(edited 8 years ago)

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