The parents guide to nursing degrees and careers

Transcription

1 For general undergraduate enquiries please contact: The Enquiry Centre t: +44 (0) e: w: faqs The parents guide to nursing degrees and careers

2 Contents Welcome 2 Welcome 3 A career in nursing has it all... 6 Amazing careers start here 7 Our innovative courses 9 A friendly, supportive environment 10 Find out more Front cover image: A family visiting one of the halls of residence on University Park Campus. We are delighted that your son or daughter is considering studying for a career in nursing. This is an exciting, important stage in any young person s life and The University of Nottingham is here to provide you and your family with answers to all the questions you have. Forget any preconceptions you may have about nursing this dynamic profession is undergoing a radical transformation, spearheading a new healthcare system that will meet the needs of our society. The Trent Building on University Park Campus. At the heart of this change is a nationwide initiative to ensure all new Registered Nurses are educated to degree level by This higher level training, with an emphasis on developing students analytical, practical and decision-making skills, is underpinned by rigorous academic theory and will open up exciting career prospects in a wide range of specialist areas and healthcare settings. 1 2

3 A career in nursing has it all... Passionate, caring, highly skilled, ambitious nurses from Nottingham are all this and more. Here are just a few reasons why nursing could be the perfect career for your son or daughter. No course fees With university tuition fees set to rise dramatically for many courses, many parents are understandably concerned about their children graduating with high levels of debt. Nursing is different. Our undergraduate degree courses are paid for by the Department of Health and come with bursaries to support student living. This makes nursing one of the most affordable professions to train for. Exciting career opportunities One of the myths of nursing is that the profession lacks challenges or career progression. The reality is very different. Nurses have extensive knowledge and provide sophisticated levels of care in a range of fascinating settings. As diseases and conditions become more complex, the opportunities for nurses to work in specialist areas are growing all the time. Nurses work covers areas such as cancer, spinal injuries and neurodegenerative diseases; they become managers of wards, health centres and even hospitals; they branch out into areas of research, contributing to the body of knowledge that shapes healthcare policy and practice; and they become clinical directors, practice partners and departmental leaders. The possibilities that lie ahead are wonderfully diverse. Salary levels The high levels of training, responsibility and career diversity that come with nursing are reflected in the salary your son or daughter can expect. It s a myth that nursing is low paid. In fact, newly qualified nurses in the NHS have an annual starting salary of between 21,478 and 27,901 and as they progress they can earn considerably more. A nurse specialist, for example, can be paid more than 34,000, while a team manager s salary can be over 40,000. Some nurse consultants earn around 67,000 a year. Making a real difference Yes, nursing is challenging and it isn t a nine-to-five job. It can be emotional at times and nurses often find themselves working under pressure. But there can be few careers as worthy and richly rewarding as nursing. How many people can say they make a positive difference to people s lives and a valuable contribution to society every single day? Nursing isn t for everyone, but those who do enter the profession can be justifiably proud of their choice. Job security Faced with an increasingly ageing population and ever more complex disease management, the UK will always need nurses in some capacity. A career in nursing is a career for life something that s increasingly rare in today s rapidly changing society. More information For more details on career opportunities, visit nursing 3 4

4 We have outstanding staff here at Nottingham. They have a passion that permeates teaching and our curriculum is really informed by some of the leading research in the country. Derek Chambers Director of Education A student nurse learning with their mentor. Amazing careers start here The University of Nottingham is a pioneer in nursing education. Innovative courses informed by powerful research, delivered by high-quality teachers in an inspiring environment have led to us becoming the largest nursing school in the UK. Nottingham is in the top 10 for nursing in The Guardian University Guide 2015 and The Complete University Guide As a University, we have an impressive worldwide reputation for academic excellence. Not only are we part of the Russell Group of 20 leading UK universities, but we are also placed in the top 1% of global universities, according to the Times Higher World Rankings. Driving our success as a university is research that has a major impact on all areas of life, from health and business to renewable energy and climate change. In the Government s last Research Assessment Exercise, Nottingham was ranked 5th for nursing in the UK in terms of research power. The University of Nottingham is the most targeted university by Britain s leading graduate employers* and we are renowned for producing graduates that are highly skilled and much sought after. Our employment record is one of the best in the country, and our approach to blending hands-on practical experience with sound academic knowledge makes our nursing graduates very attractive to employers, both nationally and internationally. You can find out more about The University of Nottingham s outstanding reputation, and get a flavour of student life in our vibrant city, at * The Graduate Market in 2014 High Fliers Research. 5 6

5 Our innovative courses For undergraduates, we offer a challenging, carefully structured course. The course is designed to give your son or daughter the blend of skills, knowledge and experience they will need to enter nursing. BSc (Hons) Nursing This is an innovative three-year course. It provides an integrated blend of core and specialist modules reflecting the health field the student would like to work in, whether that s caring for adults, children, people with mental health problems or those with learning disabilities. Entry requirements Three A levels at grades BBB, plus five GCSEs at A-C including English, maths and a science subject. We also accept a range of equivalent alternative qualifications, listed on our website at Find out more about our courses and hear from our current students at Each module has been designed to develop the real skills and knowledge they will need to become a Registered Nurse. Half of the course is dedicated to working in practice, giving the student a broad experience in a variety of healthcare settings at each stage of a patient s journey. The remaining half enables you to learn about nursing and develop your knowledge to degree level. A student nurse learning in the Clinical Skills Centre. 7 8

6 A friendly, supportive environment Find out more General support With your son or daughter heading off to university, you ll want to feel reassured they will be well looked after and have access to all the help, advice and support they might need. At The University of Nottingham we pride ourselves on providing practical support, whatever our students needs; whether they have a disability or learning needs, are looking for help with financial concerns or just need someone to talk to. You can find out more about the University s services at studentservices During their course Within nursing, students enjoy an open, supportive environment. We have spent a lot of time creating an integrated course structure that supports students as they become more confident, independent learners and practitioners. All students have a personal tutor who works with them for the whole of their course. Regular one-to-one meetings with tutors are common, giving students the opportunity to discuss academic progress and assessment feedback, or seek confidential help and advice. They also get plenty of support during their time working in practice, ensuring they always feel supervised and cared for. Accommodation All full-time undergraduates are guaranteed a room in catered halls at University Park Campus or self-catering accommodation at Broadgate Park, Raleigh Park or St Peter s Court halls of residence. Some students can choose to study at our other locations, where they will be offered self-catering accommodation. Find out more at accommodation School website You can find further information on our courses, teaching and nursing careers as well as download our detailed nursing brochure on our website. Visit University website The University website has lots of general information about the University, our history, campuses, facilities and reputation, as well as the city of Nottingham itself. If you haven t got one yet, this is also the place to order a prospectus. Visit Open days University and nursing open days are an excellent way for your son or daughter to explore the place where they ll study and to meet lecturers and current students. Find out more: /open-days Get in touch We re here to help, so if you have any queries please get in touch. t: +44 (0) e: nursing-enquiries@ nottingham.ac.uk w: This publication is available in alternative formats. t: +44 (0) The University of Nottingham has made every effort to ensure that the information in this brochure was accurate when published. Please note, however, that the nature of the content means that it is subject to change from time to time, and you should therefore consider the information to be guiding rather than definitive. The University of Nottingham All rights reserved. Printed June