This book is a helpful companion for those hoping to become nurses or midwives. Applications to nursing and midwifery courses are on the rise, and with limited university places available, competition is high.
This accessible guide, packed with up to date and practical information, will guide you through all stages of the admissions process and maximise your likelihood of success.
"This is the definitive guide for those considering nursing and midwifery as a career and a must-have book for the careers section in every sixth form and college library." - Nursing Standard
"I am very impressed. The overall feeling I got when reading the book was that I was having a very informative chat with healthcare professionals. There is a great deal of information from nurses and midwives and you get a great deal of insight into the profession, the NMC and the NHS. [...] I was very impressed with how Sarah Snow managed to juggle the sometimes difficult reality of training whilst being encouraging and optimistic. [...] There are probably many books on how to apply for nursing courses and the UCAS selection process but if you want inside information on what the nursing/midwifery training is about, this is a must read." - AC Silva, Nursing Student
Sarah Snow is a midwifery lecturer and admissions tutor at the University of Worcester. Her career as a nurse and midwife spans 27 years, the last decade of which has been within higher education, teaching across a range of pre and post registration midwifery and sexual health courses.
CONTENTS
Preface ix
List of contributors xi
Key facts xii
Acknowledgements xiii
Chapter 1 An Introduction to the professions 1
Why be a nurse or midwife? 2
What is it like being a nurse or midwife? 5
What skills and attributes do I need to be a nurse
or midwife? 18
Midwifery specifics 20
Nursing specifics (Jo Rouse) 24
Summary 29
Further reading 30
Chapter 2 Starting the journey 31
Entry routes 32
Examples of university courses 36
'But I'm still not sure' 46
Summary 48
Open day checklist 50
Chapter 3 Application and selection 52
Completing the application form 53
Selection days a 'bird's-eye' view 64
How to be successful at interview (Sarah Holling) 71
'I'm worried that I won't get a place because I have dyslexia/
a criminal conviction a / health problem 90
Summary 97
Interview checklist 98
Selection day resources 100
Interview survival kit 101
Example interview questions 102
Chapter 4 Pre-course preparation 103
Start-up skills 104
Save money 105
Organise a back-up plan 105
Refresh study skills 106
Health and well-being 108
Emotional intelligence 109
Summary 111
Friendly pre-course reading 111
Annotated bibliography tool 113
Chapter 5 Planning for adversity: building resilience 114
Older and wiser (Martin Spurin) 115
From a student's point of view 120
The successful student (Kim Russell) 124
Summary 129
References 131
Index 133