NURSING / MIDWIFERY: GRADUATE WITH A CAREER, FOR LIFE (LONG VERSION)
Do you like to be at the very centre of things? Are you interested and involved in life around you? Do you care about what happens in your community? Do you notice the great changes that are taking place in Irish society? Do you sometimes desire to improve the quality of life – your own, and that of others? If you find yourself answering ‘yes’ to a majority of these questions, then perhaps nursing or midwifery is a potential career choice for you. It’s certainly well worth your while spending a short while reading on and finding out more – after all, it’s your future we’re talking about.
At the centre of life
In many ways, it’s hard to imagine any other career being more life-focussed than either nursing or midwifery. Both are central to our very well being from before we are born into what can turn out to be a confusing, problematic world. Nurses and midwives are trained to help people cope with the challenges of life – most of these are routine, but many are complex and intimidating. The vital thing that must always be remembered is that each and every health challenge is a personal one for the patient concerned – and it is the professional duty of the nurse or midwife to assist in health-care development in a needs-led culturally sensitive, high quality manner. It isn’t the easiest of careers, but then that’s not what you’re looking for, is it?
“I never thought any job could offer so many positive experiences
or the opportunity to do so much work of real benefit to people”
19 yr old student in 2nd year practice placement
Changes for the better
Irish Nursing is now at one of the most exciting points of its long distinguished history. Men and women entering the profession in 2008 can look forward to graduating with what is justifiably called a career for life – a genuinely rewarding career from professional, financial and personal perspectives.
In present-day parlance, nursing or midwifery is truly a 24/7 undertaking – birth, life, death and the awkward bits in between care not one whit for normal time-keeping practices. As you read this - regardless of which day it is and what time it is – nurses and midwives are busy working in hospitals, clinics, health-care units, residential units, nursing homes and right throughout the community. Modern practice involves co-operating with other professions – the new programmes recognise this and aim to develop nurses and midwives who will act as effective members of dynamic healthcare teams operating at various levels of a constantly developing holistic healthcare system. Were Florence Nightingale to walk the wards tonight in any modern Irish hospital, she would be astonished at the high levels of responsibility and extensive skill-sets of the nursing and midwifery teams.
(Mind you, we’d prefer if she didn’t – it might upset the patients!).
A greater choice of careers
The world of nursing and midwifery studies and the life of the student changed dramatically in Ireland in 2002. That was the year when the first cohort of student nurses embarked on a unique four year pre-registration course in General Nursing, Intellectual Disability Nursing or Psychiatric Nursing that would ultimately lead to registration with An Bord Altranais and an honours degree at Bachelor of Science level. Even greater opportunity was introduced in 2006 when CAO Applicants were offered the choice of applying for two new career disciplines – in Children’s and General Nursing (Integrated) and in Midwifery.
Every student considering nursing or midwifery as a career is well-advised to ‘take time out’ to carefully consider the way of life that best suits or most appeals to him or her. Talk to qualified nurses and midwives and students if you can – they will give you the low-down on what to expect. Most of it will, we know, be highly positive!
“My years as a student midwife were full of emotion, rewarding work
involved with the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth”
Student Midwife
“I never thought any job could offer so many positive experiences –
or that so much of my work would be of real benefit to people”
Student Psychiatric Nurse
“The main thing for me is I really enjoy what I’m doing – working in an
Activation Centre with elderly people and in a small mixed community”
Student Intellectual Disability Nurse
“Babies cannot tell you what is wrong – so you have to talk to parents.
Everyday on the wards we put what we’ve learned into practice”
Student Children’s Nurse
“The scope and depth of responsibility assumed by nurses is expanding rapidly. Now I’m in 3rd year, I am so excited to be part of it”
3rd year Student General Nurse
Five Different Days in Five Different Lives
A day in the life of a General Nurse
Nursing is an integrated interpersonal caring process that acknowledges the extremely high skill and attitudinal levels required to meet the demanding needs of the acute or chronically ill. Working throughout the healthcare service, general nurses are often the crucial public face of the entire profession – you are the person who most immediately and most intimately answers the need of each and every patient. Nursing is not only vocational – you will be well-rewarded financially and highly regarded in your community.
If you want to be at the very cornerstone of healthcare delivery, then general nursing may well be your number I choice.
A day in the life of a Nurse in Intellectual Disability
The care of people with an intellectual disability forms a critical part of our modern healthcare system – indeed it is arguably part of what defines us as a civilised, caring society. Intellectual Disability Nursing is vital to the nation’s as well as the individual’s well-being - and will provide you with a range of unique challenges very different from other disciplines of nursing.
In total, there are about 27,000 people with an intellectual disability – all ages are represented and the range of disabilities are varied and often complex.
It is your role to care for their needs and promote their emotional, physical, and social well-being while always advocating their rights and human dignity.
You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, enjoy a highly challenging and expanding career - and at the end of the day be able to truly say -
“I can make a positive difference”
A day in the life of a Psychiatric Nurse
Any one of us can experience mental health difficulties at any stage of our lives. Human nature seems designed to throw up sets of circumstances that challenge our ability to cope with changing lifestyle patterns, social and domestic situations, personal experiences or genetic makeup. These can result in mental health illness such as anxiety, phobias, bipolar disorders schizophrenia – to name but a few. A psychiatric nurse helps people understand and cope with such challenges and guides them on the road to recovery. So on an everyday level, you will find your goals are threefold –
the promotion of mental health, the prevention of mental illness and the provision of holistic care for individuals experiencing mental health problems. You will need to be well-focussed and capable of working both within a team and on your own initiative. The rewards include highly personal job satisfaction – and a high degree of variety and challenge.
A day in the life of a Children’s Nurse
Life in a children’s ward is a bright, noisy and mischievous environment - because even when they’re ill, children will always be children! Today, the philosophy of family-centred care is very much in evidence and the children’s nurse plays a pivotal role in this complex relationship. Most days of your life as a children’s nurse will be vibrant exciting ones – but there are times when you will have to face up to what most consider the harshest challenge of all – helping grieving parents cope with the death of their young child.
Overall however, should you apply to become a Children’s and General Nursing (Integrated) student, you can look forward to a life full of involvement, interest - and joy.
A day in the life of a Midwife
Midwives provide care to women during pregnancy, during the birth itself and to mothers and their babies after birth. Pregnancy and birth are times of enormous change in the lives of women and their families and the midwife plays a significant role in enriching the birthing experience for people of every creed and culture in a sympathetic, professional and emotionally-supportive manner. Most midwives work in maternity units, but some midwives now work in community practice helping women who wish to have a home birth. A number of hospital-based midwife-led units are also being currently developed. And as over 60,000 babies are born in Ireland each year, the demand for midwives is constantly growing and ever more recognised and appreciated.
Making an Application for all Pre-Registration Degree Courses in General Nursing, Intellectual Disability Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, Children’s and General Nursing (Integrated) and Midwifery
Applications are made through the Central Applications Office (CAO) Galway.
The CAO Handbook and Application Form 2008 are available from Guidance Counsellors in second-level schools in the Republic of Ireland or direct from the CAO. Before completing the Application Form, the applicant should study carefully the Higher Education Institutions literature, the CAO Handbook, and the Nursing Careers Centre (NCC) publication Nursing/Midwifery A Career for You (2008 edition).
Closing Date for Application: 1st February 2008 (5:15 PM)
Central Applications Office (CAO)
Tower House
Eglinton Street
Galway
Telephone: 091-509800
Facsimile: 091-562344
www.cao.ie
Codes
There are 2 codes an applicant to Nursing or Midwifery may use:
Standard Code is for those applicants who have, or hope to have, the Republic of Ireland Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) entry requirements. For details of such requirements see Nursing/Midwifery A Career for You (2008 edition), available from the NCC.
Mature Code is for those applicants who are 23 years of age or over on 1st January 2008 and who do not have, or do not expect to have, the education entry requirements. Such applicants will be required to undergo an assessment process. For details, see Nursing/Midwifery A Career for You (2008 edition), available from the NCC. A quota of places is allocated to mature code applicants. As a guide, this amounts to approximately 15% for general nursing, 35% for intellectual disability nursing, 35% for psychiatric nursing, 15% for children’s and general nursing (integrated) and 20% for midwifery. However, this is a dynamic quota and may vary between courses.
An applicant who wishes to be considered under both standard code and mature code categories must enter both appropriate codes as separate preferences. Only one programme code may appear in a preference box; a single programme code is a preference.
Order of Merit
Those who meet the minimum entry requirements will be placed on an
Order of Merit list for each course in nursing or midwifery for which they have applied. The position on the Order of Merit lists is determined by:
· Points in the Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) for Standard Code Applicants
· Scores achieved at the Written Assessment for Mature Code Applicants who pass the NCC Interview.
Nursing/Midwifery on the Web
The Nursing Careers Centre (NCC) which is managed by An Bord Altranais has developed a website dedicated to providing information on careers in nursing and midwifery. Whether you’re a school leaver or a mature person considering career options – or if you are a registered nurse or midwife who is deciding on pursuing further education, then log on to:
www.nursingcareers.ie
You’ll find all the relevant information you need and lots more useful advice on how nursing or midwifery really can be a career for your life.
Nursing Careers Centre
An Bord Altranais
18/20 Carysfort Avenue,
Blackrock,
Co. Dublin
Ph: 01 639 5500
Fax: 01 639 8577
Email: ncc@nursingboard.ie
Web : www.nursingcareers.ie | 
