The GOOD news for anyone wishing to train as a nurse in England is that Britain's Central Council for Nursing and Midwifery is now accepting the NCVA level 2 award for entry to the higher diploma in nursing. Bray Senior College, which offers this course, has linked up with Anglia University which is recruiting students directly from the Bray nursing studies course. "We get a lot of students who don't get particularly good Leaving Cert results, but when it comes to the subjects they are interested in, they do very well," explains Cliona McLoughlin, head of the department of community and health care at Bray Senior College.
The one-year nursing studies (pre-nursing) course consists of eight modules and covers anatomy, physiology, an introduction to nursing, psychology, social studies, health, hygiene and safety, communications, first aid and art and crafts for people needing care. Students spend one day per week and one week per term on work experience in a hospital. The majority of students go on to do nursing in England, McLoughlin notes. Some students, however, drop out of nursing altogether - which is no bad thing, according to McLoughlin. The one-year programme gives them the chance to discover whether they're going to enjoy nursing.
Bray Senior College offers a range of community and healthcare courses which are of interest to both school-leavers and mature students. While school-leavers can take the programmes full-time, mature students have the option of taking courses over a longer period. Take the one-year certificate course in childcare (NCVA level 2), for example. Mature students who have other commitments have the option of doing the course over two to three years, McLoughlin says. School-leavers are required to have a pass Leaving Cert for the course.
"The main thing is the ability to do the course and having an interest in working with children," she says. The course covers childhood development, the care of children up to six years, early childhood education, caring for children with special needs, social studies, communications and working in childcare. Students spend two days per week on work experience, working in creches, playgroups and schools. The course boasts a 100 per cent job placement, McLoughlin says. Creches and playgroups apart, students have also gained jobs as classroom assistants. "Three of our students are now classroom assistants in Bray," she notes.
If you want a more in-depth childcare course, the two-year diploma in childcare, validated by the Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education in England (formerly the National Nurseries Education Board), could be the one for you. The course, which is similar to the one-year programme, but goes into greater detail, deals with children up to seven years.
It's an internationally recognised childcare programme, which means you can work abroad. It's good, too, for people who wish to work in creches or in residential areas, McLoughlin notes. One of the problems with childcare as a career is the low pay on offer in the sector. At a time when demands for childcare are growing, it still doesn't receive the recognition and status it deserves, McLoughlin argues.
Other courses on offer at Bray Senior College include a nurses' aid programme, holistic health studies and animal healthcare. Many people taking the latter course are interested in starting their own businesses - running catteries, kennels, pet shops or grooming parlours, where there are growing openings for entrepreneurs.
McLoughlin interviews all applicants for courses in community and health care. "I'm always available to people to discuss the courses before they send in applications," she stresses. "If people are not sure, they are welcome to call informally to the college."
