2015 Nursing Applications - Where? Which Branch?

Scroll to see replies

So true!! Eventhough I started this thread i've had an awful job as a healthcare assistant where people were swearing at me so i've decided i'm gunna do a sociology degee and then decide as atm i'm not a very hard person. I completley agree with you as some people do not get a clear idea of what nursing is like! You need to be a type of person that is quite hard and can deal with a lot of this! I think i remember you on the threads last year as I didn't get any offers for child nursing last year but i'm so so glad i didn't as decided i didn't want to do that anymore!

What are you doing now? Good luck with your future studies, even if it's not down the nursing route :smile:

Hey Glitter Fairy :smile:

Well, I suppose some people are suited to Nursing, for example, currently I volunteer at a dementia hospital and often student mental health nurses come in from Swansea University and one that I was talking to really enjoyed her job "she said she couldn't get enough of it" even though she was often subjected to aggressive behaviour by the patients, name calling and all sorts of verbal abuse. However, I think some people really do get taken in by the "glamour" of nursing and really don't realise how difficult the career is and I'll admit, I was one of these people, I thought "Yeah, I could change patients", "Yeah I could deal with cleaning sick and other bodily fluids off of people" and "Yeah I could deal with all the verbal abuse and the great deal of stress in the career" However, I don't think you really know whether you could deal with these things unless you have actually been in the situation yourself. In some ways I really don't think work experience is enough to get a realistic view of Nursing when I did both of my work experience placements, I didn't see much of the "bad" side of nursing but rather just the bog standard good side and that is why I thought the career was for me. I mean what really persuaded me to leave the Nursing idea behind, was that every Adult Nurse I asked who had been in the career for such a long time told me that they hated their job. But, to all the people on this thread who might be reading this, as I said before, Nursing might be for some people but not for everyone, so I would recommend they all really think about this career and really consider all the "negatives of the career" and whether you really have the personality to cope. People need to ask themselves the vital questions as to whether you can cope. I mean if you're going into Children's Nursing (or any Nursing for that matter) you are going to see your patients of whatever branch you have gone into screaming in agony, your going to see your patients die on a regular basis. Not everyone can get cured. You need to ask yourself whether you can cope with this! Because the negatives are not the whole career I grant you but however you cannot just focus on the positives of your career to make an informed decision.

Nah, that wasn't me, I wasn't on any threads last year, I don't think haha. I made a str account a little while back but it took me ages to actually get into it.

Reply 101

Glitter_fairy5

Exactly- well i had a care assistant job at a nursing home and i dealt with so much in my first few days (sick, bodily fluids), i had to stand back and think is this really what I want to do. Don't get me wrong there is some really great sides of nursing, I just finished my volunteering at winchester hospital and i didn't really see much of the bad side of nursing but when i went back the other week and spoke to some of the senior nurses they just told me not to go into nursing as they hate their job. A lot of people who are doing nursing, love there job but yes defiantly you need to be a type of person who can deal with abuse and may be in some difficult situations!

What are you planning to do now?

Reply 102

LouieSax

Original post by Glitter_fairy5

Couldn't agree more. I mean I have the highest respect for people who do go into the career though, because it is a very difficult career to go into. Personally, I have always been interested in Health Care and honestly, after deciding that Nursing wasn't for me, I couldn't imagine myself not working in a Health Care Environment so I decided to do some research on different courses that are out there and have decided to go into Occupational Therapy, which honestly, I think suits my skills, abilities, personality and idea of an ideal career far better. So for the next year or so I've got a job as a Health Care Assistant, I am just waiting for my DBS check to come through :smile:

How about you?

Reply 103

Glitter_fairy5

Yes exactly nursing is quite different to other types of healthcare. Ah that's where I saw you as I was looking at doing occupational therapy but still unsure on that aswell, so i'm thinking doing a sociology degree and then deciding what I want to do as they accept this degree post grad for many courses that I would be interested in, i'm just not sure if it's right going into something very vocational at the moment! Are you doing your healthcare assistant job in the hospital? I tried numerous times in the NHS but none of them never got back to me but I would have prefered the hospital enviroment to the nursing home!

Reply 104

mrsc2010

Try going through nhsp to get a job in the hospital. They are an agency for southamptom general)
Thats how I managed it. Nhsp do a trainee scheme. They give you a weeks classroom training and online training. Then you start on a ward as a trainee hca. You do 700ish hourse (bout 6months) as a trainee then you take a test and once you pass you are taken on as a normal nhsp. They advertise about every 6 months so keep an eye out on the nhs jobs website.

Reply 105

mrsc2010

https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/55f1e22dc52b9d17fe3cd8df9bc111a0/?vac_ref=913524155

They are advertising for portsmouth at the mo, but disnt see one for Southampton

Reply 106

Glitter_fairy5

Original post by mrsc2010

Im also applying at Southampton. I went to the open day a couple weeks ago. The dual field looks great. I spoke to a couple people there that are doing it. They were the first people to do dual at Southampton. They said there was ony 12 places per dual course!!!!

Posted from TSR Mobile

I'm applying for dual but they consider you for adult if you don't get on the dual so it's worth it! don't let the 12 places put you off tho! I live near southampton so it's not my first choice but some of my friends have gone there this year and it's a great university!

Reply 107

LouieSax

Original post by Glitter_fairy5

Well, as I said I am still to start my job as I am waiting for my references and DBS check to come through but yeah when I start I'll be on a Hospital Ward at my Local Hospital. It all comes down to luck I think but personally, I was willing to take on anywhere because I know that a) It looks good on my university application b) I'll improve my CV to get bank work during Uni and c) It'll hopefully improve my career prospects for after I graduate.

Reply 108

alicetulips

I'm applying for 2015 entry to do Mental Health Nursing. I'm in year 14 and came out with ABB in August. I'm applying to Leeds Beckett, Birmingham City, Lincoln, Hull and Worcestershire. I'm struggling a little bit on my personal statement in terms of structure so if anyone had any advice, it would be appreciated.

Reply 109

Rednov8

Original post by alicetulips

I started off with why I wanted to be a nurse and what qualities I will bring to nursing. I talked about what subjects I did at college and linked what I learned from them to nursing and also how I will cope with the academic side of the course.
I then spoke about work experience and linked it to nursing and because I was out of college a while I spoke about why I had waited to apply now. But you could include any extra curricular stuff and hobbys but don't go into too much detail.

Generally i think they are looking for someone who is compassionate about nursing, and understands the course and demands but can also cope with university and being independent.

But I dunno lol just an idea.

Reply 110

hullaballoon

Hi, everyone :smile:

I'm applying for Child Nursing at Surrey, Southampton, King's College London, Cardiff and Brighton!

Reply 111

hullaballoon

Hi, all! I'm going to be applying for Child Nursing at Surrey, Southampton, King's College London, Cardiff and Brighton :smile:

Reply 112

Glitter_fairy5

Has anyone been to look round canterbury christ church uni for nursing?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 113

claireestelle

Original post by Jessie113

Does anybody have 240 ucas points? I got BCD and finding it hard to find any uni that will accept it. I am doing a placement in a hospital next month and have just started a new job as a sales assistant so hopefully work experience wont be a problem. Applied to midwifery last year but got no offers :frown:

I got pretty horrendous a levels in 2013(about 200 ucas points) but did a foundation certificate(level 4) last year which plenty of universities accept( I m currently doing my ucas to apply for mental health nursing), as its basically the first year of uni and therefore harder than a level so you could consider that if you do struggle to get a place.

Do you have an as, many places accept them in combination with a levels so that would take you over the 240 and as you re applying already with the grades rather than predictions you ll be in a much better place this time round

Reply 114

Jessie113

Original post by claireestelle

I did my 4 as levels but failed one of them so wouldn't count sadly. I was going to do an access course but with having a job I'd have no time. I've looked around and found 8 unis that accept 240 ucas points so will apply to which is best and hope that they'd consider me :smile:

Reply 115

Glitter_fairy5

Original post by Jessie113

Hi,

My friend got about 240 ucas points and is going to sheffield hallam, they are quite flexible on the grades and you will get in some unis, just need to look around unis to see what grades they need.

Good luck :smile:

Reply 116

username1229433

Hey, I am currently applying for the September 2015 intake for Adult Nursing.

I chose King's, City, Greenwich, South Bank and Middlesex. :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 117

Jessie113

I'm applying for adult nursing at derby, Bedfordshire, Greenwich, Anglia Ruskin and I am undecided on the 5th :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 118

Glitter_fairy5

How's people getting on with their application? I sent my yesterday off and i've had one email from one uni to say they've recieved it :smile:

Reply 119

Rednov8

Have any of you been told you have to work as a nursing assistant for a year before you can apply?
I did read that this was going to be a requirement before nurse training, and a few new starters at the hospital where I work as a nursing assistant, are contracted for 1 year and will then be able to apply to university. Unless that hospital is doing it as a trial?

Posted from TSR Mobile