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Types of Nursing Education

There are many different ways into nursing, but to qualify as a nurse in the UK you need to either take a degree or a diploma – you can only take the diploma course if you study in England.

A diploma usually takes three years while a degree can take three or four years. They both involve academic study and practical work experience and you join the NHS as a Registered Nurse at the same level and the same wages. This means that a diploma allows you to start working (and earning!) earlier and many senior nurses have a diploma rather than a degree.

However, if you want to continue your education while working you will need to take extra courses to earn enough credits to reach the degree level before you can move on. Also, some specific roles may require you to have a degree.

So how do I get on a nursing course?

Whilst there are no standard entry requirements for the degree or diploma courses, the normal basic requirements that HEI’s (Higher Education Institutions) request are five GCSEs (or equivalent) for the diploma course and two A-levels (or equivalent) for the degree course. However, different HEI have different entry requirements so sign up for our free nursing school information!

If you are worried that your qualifications won’t meet the basic requirements there are plenty of other ways to get on the nursing training ladder.

• Nursing cadet – In England, if you don’t have the minimum formal qualifications you can become a Nursing Cadet that allows you to get experience of working in the nursing environment while also earning an NVQ3 or the Access to Nursing qualification. This allows you to go on to take the Nursing Diploma course.

• Access to Nursing Course – This is for people who don’t have the minimum formal qualifications or who have not been in the work environment for a long period of time (e.g. mother’s returning to work after taking time out to raise their children). The course lasts a year and successful completion entitles you to take the usual nursing qualifications.

• Accelerated Diploma – If you already have a health related qualification you can take this shorter diploma course that means you don’t have to re-learn the subjects you have covered in your previous degree.

• Accredited Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) – This may not trip off the tongue but APEL allows HEI’s to take previous healthcare work experience into account if you do not have the necessary formal qualifications. This means you can apply for jobs with lower formal qualification requirements, gain some useful work experience and work your way up.