So you want to be a nurse?
Starting Out
During the first year of your nursing degree or diploma, you will be introduced to all of the four ‘specialists’ or branches of nursing as part of the Common Foundation Programme. In years two and three, you will focus on the branch that interests you most.
The Student Years
Life for Student Nurses and Midwives is no different to those of any other student. Each year you’ll usually have 40-45 weeks of course work and 7-12 weeks annual holiday, usually around Christmas, Easter and the summer depending on the individual University.
As a student, you will be introduced gradually to shift work during clinical placements. It’s important that you experience the full cycle of ‘round the clock care’, so expect to work a few weekends during your training.
Lifetime Friendships
From the time you begin your training, you’ll make friends who will probably stay friends for life (many nurses and midwives who have trained together end up working in the same hospitals and even delivering each others babies!).
You’ll discover your own hidden depths and facets of your personality that you never knew you had, rise to meet new challenges, and take immense satisfaction from the successes achieved every day by you and your colleagues.
