Health and social care – advice for students making applications for nursing roles

After talking with many experienced health care professionals recently this month’s post is focused on teaching legislation. And I’d like to share some knowledge that your students can use to their advantage when making future career choices.

During November we ran a health and social care forum working alongside several external organisations. The speakers who gave their time were from the RCN (Royal College of Nursing), Anglia Ruskin University, Addenbrookes Hospital and Kingston and St Georges University.

Our conversations with professional bodies, universities and hospital trusts during the event helps to further our understanding of what is relevant in the health care sector and ensures our qualifications are fit for purpose.

From the numerous discussions that took place during the event, it became apparent that when applications are being made for nursing courses (and related professions) knowledge of different types of legislation is highly beneficial for candidates.

What to include on an application to help secure an interview?

Many centres can find the teaching of legislation dry and challenging, but this is knowledge that your students can use to their advantage. It’s important that this understanding is emphasised; whether in the personal statement or in the subject reference of any application.

At the forum, it was discussed that knowledge of different legislation is beneficial for candidates and when applications are being made for nursing courses this is emphasised; whether in the personal statement or in the subject reference.

Writing a personal statement presents a challenge to some students and guiding them about what to include is often difficult. But we know that getting the personal statement right is important particularly as this knowledge is what could lead to an interview.

We were advised that good personal statements should include:

• Why nursing?
• Why the chosen field (i.e. mental health)?
• What are the challenges of the field?
• Identify personal achievements or social involvement
• Experience of care, including qualities or attributes
  • it was discussed that any experience in a customer-facing role has an element of care, so if an applicant hasn’t had work experience in a care setting this doesn’t matter
  • Think about the duty of care you have to your clients in any work setting and try to apply it.

Applying the 6Cs within personal statements

The RCN has an overarching view of what they are looking for in a nurse. The importance of the 6Cs cannot be emphasised enough.

I’ve included a link to a presentation on the 6Cs to help your students to become more aware of what they mean to staff. Where possible the 6Cs should be mentioned in the personal statement, but it can be a challenge within the word limit to reference them all.

Perhaps a way of structuring the personal statement could be with paragraphs beginning with one of the 6Cs. This might provide students who are struggling to begin their personal statements with a structure and focus. However, it is important that they are referenced.

To support your students further I’ve also included a link to an example of a personal statement for nursing applications, where the 6Cs have been included.

What career path can my students take?

A degree isn’t always the most appropriate route after KS5 and the number of candidates following the apprenticeship pathway. Increasingly and they come from all kinds of educational backgrounds and with a variety of qualifications.

The apprenticeship pathway provides a way of earning while learning and has several qualification outcomes and therefore provides something for everyone who wants to nurse.

There are four apprenticeship levels in the NHS which are available at various qualification levels:

• Intermediate apprenticeships - follow work-based learning towards level 2 – equivalent to GCSEs level/level 2 qualifications.
• Advanced apprenticeship - follow work-based learning towards level 3 – equivalent to A Levels/Level 3 qualifications.
• Higher apprenticeships - follow work-based learning towards levels 4,5,6 & 7 – equivalent to a foundation degree and above.
• Degree apprenticeships - follow work-based learning towards levels 6 & 7 – equivalent to a full bachelor’s or master’s degree.

More detailed information about apprenticeships, traineeships and cadet schemes can be found on the NHS Health Careers website.

Interestingly there are as many applicants with A Levels as Cambridge Technicals and other types of vocational qualifications applying for nursing apprenticeships below degree level.

To access this popular route, applications should be made directly through the hospital. And there is lots of information on the government website about routes into nursing.

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About the author

Sarah Ash - Subject Advisor for health and social care

Sarah was a teacher of health and social care for ten years. This is her main subject area and her degree and PGCE qualifications are in this subject. She has also taught child development along with several other subjects at KS3 and moderated on the A Level Health and Social Care for another awarding body. Sarah worked in secondary schools and a sixth form college in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex teaching KS4 and KS5 and as a teacher in a care home for young people aged 16-18 and supported them in preparing to leave care. She now works as a subject advisor in our Cambridge office.