www.shb.ie

The Southern Health Board Homepage prominently directs users to a section on the new National Health Strategy. Useful for wannabe nurses. The website includes Cork University Hospital, which is attached to UCC medical school. With 26,000 admissions and 110,000 outpatient visits last year, it is one of the largest acute hospitals in the country. Site is Bobby approved (access for disabled). An Irish language version of the website is also available.

Www.wit.ie

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) offers courses in nursing in association with the South Eastern Health Board. You can download a booklet that is issued to registered students: it contains detailed information, including the syllabuses. The college's site is well designed with lots of information on facilities such as the library ("hard-wired" with 1,200 reader spaces, "a major investment in information-age learning", according to the site's authors).

Www.stjames.ie

St James's Hospital, Dublin The largest university teaching hospital in Ireland, the website gives a good insight into how a hospital works. There is an alphabetical list of departments which goes from accident and emergency, to biochemistry, cardiology, gastro-enterology, to urology and vascular medicine. The history of the hospital stretches back to 1667, when Dublin Corporation paid £300 for the site, and built a poorhouse there.

Www.ucg.ie

NUI Galway Why is the old college name still on the website, please? Quibble aside, this is a very inviting website. The centre for nursing was established in 1993 and the current nursing diploma was based on what is known as the "Galway model". For nursing, look under courses, as the faculties and departments section is still under construction. College life is well covered from Flirt FM, the campus radio station, to the 11 cafΘs/restaurants.

Www.lyit.ie

Letterkenny IT The visual guide to the college allows you to click on any room on the floor plan, and view a photograph of the facilities. A little light on nursing information, the website lists two courses: a national diploma in general nursing or psychiatric nursing. Students' Union has a separate site www.lkstudent.com, with general advice for new or wannabe students. Established in 1971, Letterkenny IT expanded to two campuses in 1990.