NHS urges students to choose nursing careers

Ruth May, the chief nursing officer for England, has urged those receiving their A-Level results on 13 August to join the thousands of their peers who have already applied to study nursing this year.

With levels of appreciation amongst the public sky high, the health service is calling on young adults – dubbed the ‘Covid Generation’ due to the long term impact the virus is likely to have on their lives – to not just clap for carers, but to become one.

NHS England says that interest is already high; the number of young men in England who have applied for nursing degrees already is the highest for five years. They are among more than 17,000 young people (aged 20 and under) living in England who had applied to join a nursing degree course by June 30 – up around a sixth on 2018.

With thousands of degree places available at dozens of universities across the country, grants between £5,000 and £8,000 per year available, starting salaries of £24,900 and no shortage of jobs when qualified, the NHS is seeking to highlight nursing as a strong career choice in ‘uncertain times’.

As part of the successful We Are The NHS campaign, NHS England will be intensifying its targeting of those getting their A-Levels, with direct emails to 50,000 people and ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat appealing to those entering the clearing system to apply for nursing degrees. The campaign will encourage those going through clearing to search ‘Nursing Careers’ to find out more about the huge opportunities offered in modern nursing.

May said: “The last six months has seen nurses and midwives play a leading role in the fight against coronavirus, cementing the high esteem they are held in by the nation, so it’s no surprise that interest in nursing degrees is already high.

“Uncertain times lay ahead, but one thing we can be sure of is that the country and the NHS will always need nurses, and that nursing will always offer a rewarding and varied career – making it a strong choice for any young people considering their options tomorrow. Even if a Covid-19 vaccine is found the NHS will still need all the staff it can get to help deliver on our Long Term Plan to save more lives and improve the country’s health. So whoever you are, whatever your background and wherever you want to go: your NHS needs you, so search ‘Nursing Careers’ today.”