Nursing courses deliver high employability prospects
By Gemma Raw
With 94% of graduates getting nursing jobs within six months, a nursing degree remains one of the top choices for employability.
According to UCAS clearing data published on A-level results day in August, more than 16,000 people were accepted for nursing degree courses in England. An additional 2,790 were accepted onto midwifery courses.
Last year was a record year for nursing degree applications, with increased interest in nursing jobs following the COVID-19 pandemic. This level of interest was always unlikely to be maintained in the longer term. Therefore, despite representing a 7.5% drop on 2021, the 2022 figures are encouraging, showing a 4% increase on 2020.
“It is fantastic to see so many people choose a career in nursing, " a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson commented to Nursing Times. “Over 30,000 undergraduate students were accepted onto nursing and midwifery courses in England in 2021, the highest total since records began.” The spokesperson added that the government was also 'well over halfway' towards its target of 50,000 more nurses by 2024.
Financial support for nursing students
Annual payments of at least £5,000 are available via the NHS Learning Support Fund to help eligible undergraduate and postgraduate student nurses fund their studies. The package includes a training grant of £5,000 per year, a parental support payment of £2,000 per student per year to help with childcare costs, a specialist subject payment of £1,000 per year for students studying mental health nursing and learning disability nursing, help towards additional travel and accommodation costs for clinical placements and an exceptional hardship fund of up to £3,000 per student per academic year.
Some universities offer adult nursing courses where the theoretical content is mainly delivered online, making it easier to fit studies around home life.
Recruitment drive
The NHS in England has launched a nationwide recruitment drive to recruit more nurses, against a backdrop of workforce shortages, with tens of thousands of nursing vacancies across the country. The We are the NHS campaign highlights the many NHS nursing roles available and features real-life accounts from patients, telling how nurses have helped them on their journeys to recovery.
Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, summed up why nursing jobs can be so rewarding: "From mental health to A&E, community and children’s services – there are countless roles, specialisms and opportunities across the nursing profession which all make an invaluable contribution to patients and the NHS and social care every day, so if you are considering beginning a career in nursing, I know we will have the right role waiting for you."
Nursing apprenticeships offer an alternative route into nursing jobs for those who don't want to study full time. Find out more in our previous blog.
