Torn about the best nursing training route - HELP!
Hello, I’m hoping to get some perspective on a huge study dilemma I now find myself in! Will try to keep it as brief as possible.
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
Original post by Midnight_Boom_89
Hello, I’m hoping to get some perspective on a huge study dilemma I now find myself in! Will try to keep it as brief as possible.
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
Hi,
Im a second year BSc adult nursing student and im 19 years old. Even though i cant really relate to the financial aspects of your problem i think you should just join the masters nursing course instead of the the nursing associate course. there are pros and cons however i can say that i dont think its worth studying for 4 years just to end up in primary care as a band 5. nursing will open up so many doors, for example bank and agency work, working abroad or private sectors, climbing up to band 6 and 7 and you can basically work anywhere you want the in field. my lecturer said that a nursing degree is almost equivalent to a passport and its true. I'll just give you an insight of the experiences in nursing ive had and how i make money during my undergrad degree. I dont know that much about bills, marriage and mortages so i wont say anything about those things tho, sorry.
field - primary care is good however most people who work in primary care hated or got tired of bedside. bedside/ wards are a great place for learning the nursing and clinical skills and that experience personally doesnt compare to primary care. Ive been to gynaecology, infectious disease, gastro wards, neurosurgery recovery and ive experience both ward and primary care. i did love the gynaecology clinic because i got to witness baby ultrasounds and got to use the ultrasound machine but most clinics were super boring compared to my busy and exciting experience on the ward, where i got to see so many procedures and gain so many skills, like wound dressing, changing patients, management, giving handover ect. In primary care honestly you can learn most of the skills in a few month which is personally why i think its not worth the time, i would save primary care for when im in my late 40's when i have back pain and have 0 patience for difficult patients on the ward, but for now im loving wards and difficult patients. I think knowing where exactly you want to work will help you decide. since i love ward/ hospital settings i would go for the master course, but if you loved clinics and GPs then you should stay in the nursing associate.
in terms of finances during your degree you can apply for Healthcare assistant bank shifts after 12 weeks of placement. most student nurses do HCA bank shifts which helps us survive and we have a flexible schedule. I do 1 or 2 bank shifts a month and its enough for me to earn a bit and complete my uni work. loads of money with 0 commitment, especially during summer some of us make £1000+ during the summer after only doing a 4 or 5 night / weekend shifts. You will also get free money from the NHS bursary. youre gonna get a loan after becoming a nursing associate so you might as well get a loan to become a nurse in a quicker process. you can also take up easy uni jobs like i became a brand ambassador at my uni and i just answer questions on student room for 30 mins a week. doesnt even take up any of my time lol. also quite honestly i havent seen many nursing associates in the hospitals around in london - where i live not sure about your area but most nursing associate end up just becoming nurses and a lot of them say they wouldve just gone straight to undergrad course or whatever course.
age - my oldest classmate is 51. its never too old to be a nurse and loads of nurses were once HCAs who converted into nurses in their 30s and 40s are most of them are already band 6. 55% of nursing students are mature students in their 40s so personally youve got the time.
you should also discuss this with your husband and express that you really want to take the master course and then you can work it out expenses and plan together.
goodlcuk, hope that helps a bit
(edited 1 year ago)
I asked my teacher for advice on three degrees: biomed, radiography, and nursing. They suggested nursing for its wide opportunities, biomed for those into medicine or labs or PhD , and mentioned that radiography might see a reduced demand due to automation(robot)
Considering nursing, I'm curious about the salary and if it increases yearly If I finish the degree further Can I control my shifts during school, like doing it only weekdays? Also, what are the hourly placement requirements and how many hours do I need to complete in one week.
Is it really hard I did bte lv3 applied science meaning I have some basic foundation of science and I a Filipino ...... Also the exam, is it hard . Am initially interest in adult nurse is it nice than health or child nurse ??
I also hunting for apprenticeship but I can't find anything in my area (London) most of the apprenticeship is outside the city and some is really hard to find like they are hiding and some deadline is finish. So if there info about apprenticeship for nursing in diploma or degree can please share it or maybe illustrate it in step s to get there . So in summarise I want all info about nursing in school and in real world bc I don't have such experience....
Considering nursing, I'm curious about the salary and if it increases yearly If I finish the degree further Can I control my shifts during school, like doing it only weekdays? Also, what are the hourly placement requirements and how many hours do I need to complete in one week.
Is it really hard I did bte lv3 applied science meaning I have some basic foundation of science and I a Filipino ...... Also the exam, is it hard . Am initially interest in adult nurse is it nice than health or child nurse ??
I also hunting for apprenticeship but I can't find anything in my area (London) most of the apprenticeship is outside the city and some is really hard to find like they are hiding and some deadline is finish. So if there info about apprenticeship for nursing in diploma or degree can please share it or maybe illustrate it in step s to get there . So in summarise I want all info about nursing in school and in real world bc I don't have such experience....
Hi there,
I'm a current mature student (in my 30's) studying BSc Adult Nursing. Finances can pay a massive role in influencing your decision, especially since you have a mortgage.
Regarding Student Finance, as I'm unsure of your circumstances, I advise you to look into a Student Finance calculator or contact them directly to see what your options are. In England, we also have the NHS Learning Support Fund, where you get £5,000 per year, non-means tested.
If you already have a degree, then you can apply for an MSc in Nursing, which is typically 2 years from start to finish. Here at LJMU, you must hold an undergraduate degree and have experience in healthcare, which by your post, it sounds like you have those ticked off already. Enquire with Student Finance and the NHS LSF to see what funding is available to you, as this would be the quickest route into nursing.
In terms of the repayment of your student loan, it would be a minimal payment each month. It can vary from how much you would earn, but most barely notice it leave their wages each month.
My advice to you would be to enquire with SF and the NHS LSF, if it comes back that you wouldn't get funding for the MSc, it may be that your apprenticeship is the best financial option at this moment in time. Whether it takes you 2 or 4 years, you'll get into nursing one way or the other, and you need to do what is best for you.
Nat
I'm a current mature student (in my 30's) studying BSc Adult Nursing. Finances can pay a massive role in influencing your decision, especially since you have a mortgage.
Regarding Student Finance, as I'm unsure of your circumstances, I advise you to look into a Student Finance calculator or contact them directly to see what your options are. In England, we also have the NHS Learning Support Fund, where you get £5,000 per year, non-means tested.
If you already have a degree, then you can apply for an MSc in Nursing, which is typically 2 years from start to finish. Here at LJMU, you must hold an undergraduate degree and have experience in healthcare, which by your post, it sounds like you have those ticked off already. Enquire with Student Finance and the NHS LSF to see what funding is available to you, as this would be the quickest route into nursing.
In terms of the repayment of your student loan, it would be a minimal payment each month. It can vary from how much you would earn, but most barely notice it leave their wages each month.
My advice to you would be to enquire with SF and the NHS LSF, if it comes back that you wouldn't get funding for the MSc, it may be that your apprenticeship is the best financial option at this moment in time. Whether it takes you 2 or 4 years, you'll get into nursing one way or the other, and you need to do what is best for you.
Nat
Original post by Midnight_Boom_89
Hello, I’m hoping to get some perspective on a huge study dilemma I now find myself in! Will try to keep it as brief as possible.
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
Hi Midnight
I am a (very) mature nursing student at Surrey University in my final year. The degree is 3 years.
I have a mortgage and bills to pay each month. You can apply for a student loan for fees and also maintenance loan. You are looking around £10k ish if you have no dependents and have no family who will give you money. Working a little during holidays will also help you get through.
This was the main sticking point for me when I decided to go to Uni. It is do-able but with hand outs from family and from working during holidays.
Hope this helps,
Nicky
Original post by Midnight_Boom_89
Hello, I’m hoping to get some perspective on a huge study dilemma I now find myself in! Will try to keep it as brief as possible.
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
I’m in my 30s, have an undergraduate degree and a PGCE (used to be a teacher) both of which I of course have student debt from ( 1 maintenance loan as well as the two tuition loans). My partner and I live together in the house that we own together, so have a mortgage as well as the usual bills to pay. Our mortgage renewal is up January 2026. I have been working in healthcare for the last 4 years and know I want to be a nurse; my long-term goal is to be an ANP but I of course want to get experience as a band 5 first and be the best nurse I can be.
I got accepted onto a TNA apprenticeship which started a couple of weeks ago; I took this route because I was worried about money and didn’t want to put me and my partner in a situation where we would be struggling all the time and this route meant I would get a salary as well as having my tuition paid. The place I secured was outside of the Trust I was working in and actually paid more than what I was earning where I was, plus the hours were better since it is based in primary care, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Now that I have started the course though I’ve been despairing a little as I have realised that I’m pretty sure that primary care nursing isn’t really for me. I think a lot of the things I thought I would be able to do are actually the responsibilities of a physician rather than a nurse and I don’t feel particularly inspired by / interested in the tasks I would be doing as a nurse in this area. I have been panicking a bit as I feel like I will be bored for the next 2 years, let alone 4 if I stay in the Trust to get my top-up funding to band 5. I definitely want to be a nurse but don’t especially want to be a nurse associate, I just took this route as financially it made sense and would give me a stepping stone to becoming a nurse through a funded pathway. I will still have placements in other settings (LD, MH, paeds, etc) but would be at the surgery the majority of the time. My understanding is that if I move out of the Trust at the end of the apprenticeship that I would either have to get a loan for the top-up or wait a while until a new employer is in a position to sponsor me through it. Given my age and the fact that I haven’t yet had children, I’m also conscious that time isn’t on my side.
While feeling distressed I ended up emailing the course lead of the adult nursing masters course at the university I am at to see if there was any way I could transfer as it was still early days in the courses. Long story short I was offered a telephone interview and have been accepted onto the course as a result. So I’m now really torn about what to do. The money worries are very real, both from the perspective of the amount of student debt I would be paying back for the rest of my working life and in terms of my partner and I getting by financially for the next 2 years if I take the masters option. If I do take this option it drastically reduces my training time; I’d be a band 5 in at least half the time I would if I stick with the apprenticeship route. I have been told by a former colleague that I also wouldn’t then need to do a masters when it comes to training up as an ANP, just my health assessment and prescribing modules, since I would already have a masters level qualification as she took this same route and has been advised that this is all she will need to do, however other people have said she has been misinformed and this can’t be the case so I’m not sure if this is correct.
If I stick with the apprenticeship route I think all of these things will still be available to me with funding from the organisation I’m working for but would take a longer amount of time to achieve (at best I would be a band 5 in 4 years). Equally I am worried that being in a primary care setting is going to limit the clinical skills I can execute and whether that would potentially hold me back trying to move back into an acute environment. A friend of mine has just trained through the same route, has ended up getting a job in an acute setting so will now get a loan to do his top-up he thinks; so if I end up in this situation I would kick myself for not just doing the masters in the first place! But I guess there’s no way to know what my options will be in 2 years time. I feel completely torn and have basically no time to make this decision!
If anyone feels in a position to shed any light on my dilemma I would hugely appreciate it 😊
TIA if you have any advice 🌟
Can I ask where you came across your apprenticeship? I'm not having much luck finding live listings.
(edited 3 months ago)
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