Nursing Career - Diploma/Degree?

Degeneratemoo

Haven't quite got time to read through all of this right now so this post may have already been covered above.

I'm doing my nursing diploma and start in January at Staffs uni.

I am under the impression that you have to have quite a strong background in biology/science to be able to do the degree hence I went for the diploma (and being a mature student I couldn't really afford it without the bursary.... don't really want more debt).

This looks like an interesting and helpful thread.. I'll be back to read it all later!! :rotfl:

emmasebbeth

DonkeyKong77 wrote:

Hi

Is that at Manchester Uni? I didn't see that if it was - we contacted them re: open days/advice etc, and frankly the admissions staff on email, for the diploma, were less than useful.

I think she is favouring an advanced diploma, or one where she can "uppgrade" to a degree during the 3 years, if she wants. Financially, it would be less of a burden being on a degree for two rather than three years. Academically (trying not to put any undue pressure on) but she should be able to get the grades to enrol on a degree course. If she doesn't, then she can go on an advanced diploma and take it from there.

Looking at uni's locally (north west) we didn't see any offering advanced diploma's, but i may be wrong. Nearest otherwise are sheffield hallam, and leeds. I know Derby do it, and that could be a possibility (decent website at least). She has a few visits lined up for salford, manchester and derby where we'll hopefully get a better idea.

Though i don't know whether it's possible if she can apply for advanced diploma's (via nmas i think) and degrees (via ucas) or whether it's one or the other.

Yes Manchester University, I've just started my second year this week and we have had a talk about our options regarding the advanced diploma/degree should we get an offer to do it.

They did not make this clear on open days though, I had to ask at interview to clarify.

Another post also stated that if you choose to do the degree you get the full bursary for two years. We were told early this week that this used to happen but now as you start on the degree from the first module of second year that you lose your bursary straight away.

I'm not sure if this happens at all Universities but I thought all bursaries were given by NHS Student Grants- surely they wouldn't have different rules for different Uni's?

KayEdwards

I finished my diploma in nursing last friday. I could not have done the course without a bursary as I have a house to run, and I worked approximately 16-20 hours on top of the full time course as well to make ends meet.

My opinion is that its potentially better to have a degree in a specialised area in alternative to the nursing degree ie having upgraded from the diploma to say a degree in cancer care, or palliative care for instance. It shows that you are indeed keen on the area you wish to specialise in, and are prepared to study in that subject.

Some people on my course transferred to the degree in the last year and forfeited the last years bursary but about double transferred from the degree to the diploma at some time or other on the course because of sheer financial desperation.

The job situation is dire. Of the 120'ish student nurses that have qualified with me, 12 have a job. Yes 12. I am sure it will pick up, but it cannot come soon enough.

Content wise the diploma and degree courses are very similar. All lectures are attended together. The degree students submitted their assignments for marking at level 3 whereas the diploma could have them marked at level 2 (or level 3 if they were planning on doing the degree later and wanted the level three credits for that). The only additional piece of work was a module (most did research or counselling) plus the dissertation.

Degree students do get some bursary but those with partners will get much less than those who are mature and alone (or with kids). The max bursary for degree is not as much as the non means tested bursary for the diploma. A pal whose husband was self employed got £80 a month, whereas I got £546 a month (mature student - non means tested).

Hope that helps someone,

Kay

KayEdwards

Re secondment - it sounds great doesn't it - get paid to study. Bear in mind tho that many seconded students only get 80% of their pay and those with children could be better off on bursaries.

Many of the seconded students that finished the course with me last week found that they no longer had a job because of the cuts.

I started another course today paid for in full by the Workforce Confederation. If it hadn't been funded by them it would have been free as a local arrangement that Northampton Uni has just brought in for post registration students without a job because the job situation is so bad.

Kay

pondie1

kay, do u have enough hours off on a full time diploma to do some other work,my daughter starts next week and is unsure yet of hours she will be doin,days off etc

Lady_K

My daughter is on the full time advanced diploma she has just started her 2nd year.

Last year she was more or less doing 4 days a week in uni sometimes 5 and one day a week got back to her uni accom at 8.30pm. She had a lot of work with assignments and exams so she didnt have too much time to do work outside of study. She did manage to do 2-4 hours a week after her first placement as they asked her to come back to do her reflexology/aromatherapy for them (she was already qualified as a clinical therapist before this course) During her placements she was working different shifts different days in the week and weekends so any job you would need an understanding employer

She found some weeks she couldnt fit it in because of the assignments and exams though but it worked out well because they understood her possition. Because she didnt get set days at uni either keeping some jobs wouldnt be as easy as they may not be as flexible.

This year she has just joined the Nurse bank it took 6 months for the CRB to come through or she would have started earlier. Again her last placement over summer asked her to come back to work for them on bank work as a HCA while shes training. This seems a good way to do it because you arent commited to working if you have a lot of work on. Her friend has been doing bank work for the last year and she said if you cant work they are fine about it, they just ring someone else on the bank and don't hold it against you for next time they are very understanding

KayEdwards

Hi,

Some terms are heavier than others. Most student nurses work on a bank basis for one organisation or another or several in my case! That means they give availability for whatever shifts they can do and hopefully it matches up with when an organisation needs a shift filling. On my course there are 13 weeks off - half are holiday weeks and the others are reading weeks. I personally had no choice but to work financially. My rent is £425 and the bursary £546 - that doesn't leave a lot for bills and food. I worked just about every day of the three years whether on placement or in college, or banking for wages. Some days I did an early shift on the ward as part of my placement, came home to sleep for a few hours, then worked a night shift for cash, getting up at midday to then go and do a late shift on placement!!! I didn't do that often though because it killed me and being diabetic I have to be careful about adequate sleep and food.

If I hadn't worked though, there would have been no food in my fridge, and having said all that I ended the course owing £6000 on cards. I did have 3 months where I couldn't work any bank shifts because I had a double mastectomy and reconstruction but I got through that mainly falling back on cards as I wasn't eligible for benefits as I was a full time student.

My last placement was a full time placement - 5 days a week, which meant it very much depended on what shifts I did before and after a day off as to whether I could fit in a night shift for money. If you end on a late finishing around 9 you would have problems doing a night shift straight away.

My bank shifts were mainly night shifts because I work for a charity that works mainly at night but those banking in a hospital can be more flexible about fitting in shifts.

Feel free to ask about other survival techniques!!

Kay



Just wanted to add that if you want something badly you do all sorts of hours to get thru to the end. It was tough, financially mainly, as opposed to academically, but I am very glad I did it. If I had family to help me maybe it wouldn't have felt as much of an achievement.

randomguy_3

Cant seem to find any words without sounding cheesy or patronising, especially in text form! But wow!! seriously, wow! Just think what the world would be like if we were all even a fraction as dedicated! You dont say if you were one of the twelve that got a job? Fingers crossed!!! :A

Lady_K

Kay

How did you stay on the course at the same time as having a double mastectomy and reconstruction? You must have had to have time off for that?

On my daughters course if they miss time on placements they would fail it and they cant miss time at uni either. My daughters friend another student nurse was ill and because of this she had to drop the course half way through that year and start it again at the beginning of the next year.

You definitely are a very strong lady to go through all that and keep going the way you have. You are an inspiration Congratulations I'm sure you will make a fantastic Nurse

KayEdwards

Aww thanks guys. I don't have a job yet but will contine to bank for the charity I work for.. Marie Curie Cancer Care and they will upgrade me to a nurse as soon as my pin comes through, so my money will go up. The only problem is that there is no guaranteed work as I take the work thats left after the contracted nurses have their pick.

Re the surgery I asked for it to co-incide with the start of 4 weeks holiday (so I was going to be off anyway) in December 2004 and took just 2 extra weks off the course which I later made up, so 6 weeks off in all. I wasn't able to do the extra work that I had been doing while I recovered but arrangements were made so I had a "light" placement on my first return.

I am relocating to Devon in February to be near friends, so will keep my eyes open for something down there. If anyone works in a hospice in Devon where they have a job perhaps they could let me know! Well you never know where the MSE's are!

Kay