Should I apply for nursing on my CAO application ?

Should I put nursing down on my CAO?

Is a question many Leaving Certificate students across the Island of Ireland are probably asking themselves right now. CAO change of mind is open until July 1st 2025. After you read this blog perhaps you will add nursing to you CAO application OR perhaps you will remove it. This post is not to sell nursing to anyone and I will do my very best to be unbiased. I studied nursing and loved it , HOWEVER if it's not a career for you then you will be signing yourself up for 4 years of torture. You may be reading this post and you are not a Leaving Cert student , you may be someone looking to change your career , a PLC student , or someone who never had the opportunity to further their education, this is for you too ! Lets get straight into it. At the bottom of this entry I will add a link to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) resources which will educate you in greater depth about wether a career in nursing is for you or not.

Nursing is diverse

Nursing is way more diverse then people realise , it is a career that opens so many doors that lead to a plethora of amazing opportunities. However before one can even think about the possibilites their nursing degree can provide , they have to actually get the degree first :) Here are the level 8 undergraduate degree options for nursing in Ireland ↓

General Nursing : 4 year course - 45 weeks unpaid placement - 36 weeks paid internship - the rest of the weeks are made of up a mix of lectures and clinical skills.

Childrens and General Nursing : 4.5 year course - 59 weeks unpaid placement - 36 weeks paid internship -  the rest of the weeks are made of up a mix of lectures and clinical skills.

Psychiatric Nursing : 4 year course - 45 weeks unpaid placement - 36 weeks paid internship - the rest of the weeks are made of up a mix of lectures and clinical skills.

Intellectual Disability Nursing : 4 year course - 45 weeks unpaid placement - 36 weeks paid internship - the rest of the weeks are made of up a mix of lectures and clinical skills.

Note that placement experiences differ from cohort to cohort e.g. Psychiatry nursing students and Intellectual disability nursing students do not do a maternity placement where as General & Childrens and General nursing students do. (Just one of many examples).

Dental Nursing

Dental nursing Is a career that I've noticed doesn't get spoken about enough. In Ireland to be a dental nurse you can do a 2 year level 6/7 course (depends where you go) to become a dental nurse. You would qualify with a higher certificate (level 6) or a diploma (level 7) and there is of course work placement involved. Note that dental nurses are regulated by the Dental Council of Ireland and not the NMBI. Dental nursing may be a path you'd like to explore !

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What is your why ?

Nursing is one of theose courses that people run into without really knowing why they want to do it. If you decide to study nursing TRUST ME you need a why. Your "why" will be the reason you don't give up when it gets hard.

Here are some "whys" ↓

Is it a vocation ?

The job stability?

The lifestyle?

The wages?

A passion to care?

My main why is that I believe nursing is a career God has called me to. Secondary to the vocation , I have a sincere passion to care and everything else is honestly just a cherry on top.

Do you really have an understanding of what you are saying yes to when you decide to study nursing ?

Alot of people think you know what they are signing themselves up for when they decide to study nursing but the truth is you don't and will never TRULY know wagwan unless you talk with a nurse/nursing student who is actually living the life you want to make your reality. I could break this down further but it can never be as insightful as having a thorogh conversation with someone. Find a nurse / student nurse you can talk to about training and working as nurse in Ireland. My Instagram Dm's are always open too for a chat! (@jennyfa_x)

Pros of studying nursing (to name a few)

• Being qualified to work as a healthcare assistant in hospitals / nursing homes after first year
• Full time paid internship in final year
• The privilege to take care of people is invaluable and truly rewarding

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Cons of studying nursing (to name a few)

• Unpaid 12/13 hour for the first 3 years and a bit (supernumerary)
• Living far away from mandatory placement areas
• Not having a “normal college experience"

Have you looked into other healthcare courses or did you just put nursing down because it’s a popular choice?

If you are looking into nursing then I think it's safe for me to assume that you have an interest in healthcare. In varying capacities all healthcare staff have a duty of care for patients. Here are some other healthcare courses you can look into that you may have never considered / heard of.

• Medical Doctor
• Radiographer
• Physiotherapist
• Dietician
• Speech and Language Therapist
• Occupational Therapist

https://www.nmbi.ie/NMBI/media/NMBI/NMBI-NMCFY-2022.pdf?ext=.pdf

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Copy and paste the link above into a search engine for all the undergraduate and postgraduate nursing opportunities in Ireland - this in an official NMBI document

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Choosing a career path can be so daunting ! As a woman of God I put my faith and trust in Jesus , I put my life in His hand and I trust that he will lead me on the right path.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." - Psalms 32:8

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I'm rooting for you !

Signing out ,

Jennyfa - RGN to be x

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