Becoming a nurse

[laurenm82]

Afternoon all.

I wish to become a nurse after serious consideration and working in administration for the last six years. I am 25 years old and cannot afford to leave a full time job to do a nurdsing degree full time. My question is If you join the NHS as a Healthcare assistant can this be a foot in the door to maybe becoming a nurse ?? I have seen jobs for hospitals in my area as a health care assitant and I could drop a few thousand pounds to do this job if I knew it was the right option. I definatley cannot afford to study full time thats all!!

Any help and advice would be much appreciated!

[4GS]

Some university such as De Montfort http://www.dmu.ac.uk/Subjects/Db/coursePage2.p hp?courseID=4629
offer a bursary and, while studying you can indeed become a carer and earn some PT cash with the 'nurse bank' this is what my wife done, she qualified in 2003 and is now an Occupational Health Advisor earning a considerable salary so, you may struggle at first, but the long term rewards are more than worth it

[aims1202]

I have worked as a healthcare asisstant and yes it is a way into nursing. You can study for NVQ while you are working and then later do the diploma.
If you just start the diploma (a close friend is doing this) then you have to do full time, you will study and have placements in hospitals. You do get a bursery to support yourself. It is hard work, if you really want it then go for it, but look into it more before you do. Go onto the NHS website for more info.
Good luck

[Suzieb]

Yes it is a foot in the door. But most of the student nurses I know used to be a HCA, then eventually gave up and just did their nurse training the usual way.

All universities pay a diploma student �531 a month. For extra money you can do bank nursing at your local hospital, which is basically working as a HCA in your spare time.
That's what most student nurses do, loooads of them older than you and with kids. So it is do-able.