nursing training?

Caroline73_2

Who advised this? Sounds a bit odd. You'd need a CRB check to work (even voluntary) in any sort of care setting. I doubt people would take you on, had you thought of working as a care assistant somewhere to gain proper experience?

Where you go depends what area of nursing you would like to get into?

A nursing home, hospice, respite centre etc

Louisa_Jane_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You'd need really exceptional reasons for doing the Diploma when the profession is becoming all graduate in 2 years.

Er - £550 a month?!

Oldernotwiser

Louisa_Jane wrote: »

Er - £550 a month?!

You get funded for the degree course as well!

Louisa_Jane_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You get funded for the degree course as well!

No you don't - you get a means tested bursary (which in my case would mean b****r all!) In England it's only the diploma where you are guaranteed to get at least £6531 per annum (non means tested bursary)

Oldernotwiser

Louisa_Jane wrote: »

No you don't - you get a means tested bursary (which in my case would mean b****r all!) In England it's only the diploma where you are guaranteed to get at least £6531 per annum (non means tested bursary)

You also get a Student Loan for the degree.

However, if you're ineligible for the means tested bursary then that might well be a reason for doing the diploma rather than the degree; I did say that it could be worthwhile in exceptional circumstances.

Swirlywurly

The student loan is non means tested if you do the degree. This year it was £2265. That doesn't even begin to cover the basics for me. I'm doing medicine so its not exactly the same but the basic level of student loan is. I can really see why people go for the diploma and then top up if its due to finances.

Good luck with getting what you need to start your course

j-lo1972uk

Jeffy22,

I was in a similar position to you ten years ago-not made redundant but didn't like my job and could see redundancies looming. I went and got a job as a (then called) nursing assistant on a ward at the local hospital (no previous care or Health and Social Care experience but I emphasised and highlighted my transferrable skills). Although I took a 70% pay cut from my first job and went from Mon-Fri flexi-time to shifts, weekends and nights, I never regretted my decision and never looked back. After working for the hospital for a year, my manager encouraged me to apply for nurse training and I was seconded onto the advanced diploma course at Bradford Uni and was paid 80% of my wage instead of the bursary. Due to illness and debt, I had to leave the course and returned to work. A few years later, I heard that the Open University were starting nurse training through distance learning in conjubction with NHS employers. I gained a place, my employers 'sponsored' me to participate on the course and I started in Feb 2004. The first year, I studied part time (16 hrs pw) and worked the rest. The next year I studied and did placements through my employer, (2 days each) and worked the other day. The third year and fourth year I studied and was on placement full time. During the course, I received a laptop to use (funded by the West Yorkshire Workforce Confederation), all the books that were part of the course were provided and paid for and I was paid my full salary and some travel expenses throughout. Although there were some teething problems with the course (we were only the second intake to participate) I found it a thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating experience, yes, even the exams!!!

I qualified last year, despite having cancer and several other major health problems during the course-the OU course has much more flexibility to accommodate problems such as this, whereas, if participating in the 'conventional' university course, I would have invariably have had to leave or repeat a year or module.

I can highly recommend this method as a way of gaining your nursing qualification-personally, I wouldn't have been able to do it the conventional way due to the financial constraints of the bursary. Perhaps you could pursue this as an option? or at least investigate whether your local NHS or Care Trust enables Health Care Support Workers to participate in the scheme. I don't know where in Yorkshire you are but the last I knew Airedale NHS Trust, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Trust, Leeds, Wakefield and Huddersfield had students on the OU courses.

If you want any more info/numbers/links etc, feel free to PM me.

Good Luck.

jeffy22

Caroline73 wrote: »

Who advised this? Sounds a bit odd. You'd need a CRB check to work (even voluntary) in any sort of care setting.

the university told me i had to do it before i could apply, everyone has to apparently