The recruitment of the 2017 intake of Isle of Man student nurses is underway, with a particular emphasis on the opportunity a degree in nursing offers for either a first career or a change of career.
Programme Leader for Mental Health Nursing Degrees, Mark Haith, said:
'Nursing is a varied and versatile career path that appeals to different people, for different reasons, at different stages of their lives.
'Provided candidates meet the minimum academic requirements for entry, a career in nursing is open to everyone: whether it’s existing health and social care workers looking to progress; individuals in the private sector looking for a completely new challenge and direction; or school leavers looking to embark into a profession. Nursing offers an exciting and rewarding opportunity.'
Two degree courses are available in the Isle of Man, with applicants able to choose between adult nursing and mental health nursing. All of the teaching and placements happen on the Island with the added opportunity of off-Island practice, usually in the UK, but students have been as far afield as Tanzania and New Zealand, although they must fund their own travel etc.
The Isle of Man boasts excellent learning facilities at Keyll Darree, the Island’s dedicated health and social care education centre, as well as two additional skills labs. Unlike in the UK an annual bursary of £5,000 is available to all successful applicants and there are no tuition fees.
With only 20 degree places available each year, class sizes are small which means students have increased access to lecturers and additional support in comparison to similar nursing degree courses in the UK. As a result the Island’s student nurses have enjoyed significant academic success. Many have achieved a first class honours degree and in recent years none had a result below a 2:1.
Minister for Health and Social Care, Kate Beecroft MHK, said:
'The Isle of Man Government is committed to nurturing home grown nursing talent as evidenced by its ongoing investment in bursaries, the waiving of tuition fees for student nurses, and the increase in the number of available places since 2015.
'It is vital that we grow our nursing workforce. We want to see Island residents in these roles wherever possible. There is a global demand for nurses, including here in the Isle of Man, and we are at times too reliant upon agency staff to meet our needs. Over 130 people have qualified to become a nurse since the on-Island programme recommenced in 2000, with a further 52 currently studying. This is something we can be proud of and which stands our community in good stead for the future.'
There are 14 places for the adult nursing programme and six available for the mental health field. The degree courses are full time and take three years, which see students graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Chester.
Applicants must be resident in the Isle of Man and have a total of 280 UCAS points from GCE A Level or equivalent, as well as GCSEs of grade C or above in maths and English.
The deadline for applications is Friday 3 February 2017 with the programme commencing in September. Further information can be found at www.gov.im/nursetraining or by telephoning 642933.
