Experts suggest that if interacting with people is your passion, the field of nursing or midwifery could act as a fulfilling career choice for you. Mary Devane, Professional officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland’s education centre, affirms that this sector is an excellent choice for those contemplating their future. She insists that earning your degree is just the beginning of a career path filled with diverse nursing or midwifery opportunities.
Such opportunities within the occupation of nursing are plentiful. Clinical nursing is particularly favoured, as it allows one-on-one patient interaction. The roles can range from a clinical nurse specialist to an advanced midwifery practitioner. Moreover, management positions which focus on generating strategic approaches and policies for the profession are also available. The educational department is another important branch where nurses and midwives can indulge in research or instruct forthcoming aspirants in relevant programs at various universities.
Devane emphasises the dynamic nature of nursing and midwifery, offering a fulfilling professional life outside the confines of an office. Additionally, it provides the opportunity to make a significant difference in other people’s lives every day. If such attributes are attractive to you, she highly recommends considering nursing as a possible profession. There are abundant routes to enter the nursing or midwifery sector and to be registered with the NWBI(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland).
General nursing is the commonest route, which Devane indicated as the most sought-after one. This program offers a flavour of the full range of nursing skills in the curriculum. She points out that this standard track is highly competitive and tends to require higher CAO points. Nonetheless, there are alternate ways of entering the field with comparatively lower point prerequisites. She cites the example of a student pursuing a course in intellectual disability and then continuing with a post-graduate course in general nursing, where the entry requirements are not as stringent.
An alternative pathway into nursing could potentially be acquiring qualifications in mental health nursing and afterwards, enhancing skills with a post-graduate diploma in general nursing. The integrated children’s programme is another viable option. If one’s preference lies in general nursing, there are unique routes available to explore this field further. Furthermore, a door to nursing is also opened by PLC courses where, depending on specific module distinctions, students could earn a place in nursing via a lottery system. Tertiary degree programmes represent an exciting emerging opportunity. Unlike the PLC system, where progression starts in the further education and training sector, tertiary degrees guarantee advancement to higher education. More information is available at the National Tertiary Office. Data taken from an interview conducted in 2022.