Nursing in UCD!

Hooly22

Hey

I'm not sure where to post a general post like this.

I've been pretty interested about doing Nursing in college. I've heard bad and good things about it so I'm still thinking about it!

But I'm also trying to decide about which college??

Anyone know what nursing is like in your college, and whats the college like itself?


Thanks
__________________

Riveta

Hey I'm a student nurse in UCD. Hope I can help!

Nursing in ucd is pretty sweet. I'm in first year and we've only had a couple of assignments to do so far and the exams are grand. There's great craic in the class and the labs are hilarious. The class is quite big (250 or so) but you'll get to know everyone because you're in all the same class for most of your lectures anyway!

After the first semester we're out on placement to whichever hospital you were assigned to. For general it's the mater, st. vincents or st. michaels in dun laoghire. For psyciatric it's st. john of god in stillorgan i think! Not sure about the childrens integrated course! As regards midwives i'm not too sure either.

The course is a good laugh, and ucd itself is great! It is however HUGE. I wouldn't reccomend you going if you're anyway shy! In ucd you really have to put yourself out there, and join the societys or become class rep or join a sports club. By doing that you'll make friends!

Hope you choose nursing as a course and you go to ucd! It's actually fab. You'll be glad you chose it!

stardust_dublin

never mind the course or how easy it is. you have to think of the future career youre going to have. its a very hard job. A lot of those who qualify leave the profession as they are so overworked and underpaid. the working hours are very unsociable too so just make sure you really have your heart in it!

Riveta

Hehe ya i probably should have mentioned that! Just make sure you ARE interested in it. Go do work experience in a hospital first!

flonge

Is it hard to get into nursing via FETAC

stardust_dublin

yeah...theres only very limited places. ucd only reserves 1 place for fetac as far as i know. so the competition is fairly high.. i know one girl who was hoping to get a place on any of the nursing courses but she only got offered social care in WIT so she took that instead.

woop

I often look upon nursing with a kind of envy they have a interesting broad course get plenty of placement(keeps it varied) and at the end have a solid job which they have been well trained for, having said that Id never do the job but I like the way the degree is organised if ya get my drift;)

Riveta

Ya it's nice like that.. however, 6am starts for next sememster are not exactly pleasing.

Vorsprung

Riveta wrote: »

Ya it's nice like that.. however, 6am starts for next sememster are not exactly pleasing.

Yea I was just gonna say...nursing is a tough course, please don't think that's it's not. Placements take up a lot of mental and physical strength, and on top of normal nursing hours you have to do you assignments. I'm not a nursing student, but I have a friend who went throught the course, but only lasted till the end of 2nd year. From what she told me, the attrition rate is high.

So as an earlier poster suggestion, maybe a few days work experience might be useful, even in a nursing home.

Riveta

Yup yup would definatly DEFINATLY reccomend that! You just know straight away if it's for you or not!

stardust_dublin

yeah but any assignments they are given are so easy. i know loads of people that have picked nursing electives because of their easiness! i know lots of people doing nursing too, they never even have exams. and if they do, its usually only one. piss easy course if you ask me..

DarkSeraphim

wow, stardust_dublin, that is such an opinion for somebody that isn't even doing the course.

Yeah the two nursing electives that are open for other degrees to take are easy but they are not the main core nursing subjects. The science subjects we do are quite detailed and intense.

So people doing a nursing elective are not really doing a nursing subject because if it was, then it would be complusory for us to do and it's not so its technically not a nursing subject it just falls under the title. The one main elective that most people take is health across the life span which is easy as it is general health information, like the effects of smoking, drinking, sexual health, of course that is going to be easy, its mostly general knowledge.

I have had 11 assignments and 5 exams to date and i am only in first year. And only half way through at that. Yeah i am finding it manageable/ easy so far but nursing is tough. Not just as a career but even throughout the course. I have come across so many Student nurses that have dropped out in 2nd year as they find it too hard and a lot that are struggling. (second year is mainly hospital placement)

But i guess it is all about the person, if nursing is not for you then you will find the course very hard. Some will find it easier than others but it can't be that bad as there would be nobody making it to the end of this degree and there are plenty of nursing graduates.

I personally am loving it. As said before the work load is managable. The Labs are great, I'll comment on placement soon as i am starting in 3 days lol

Best wishes to any other students doing this degree or hoping to do it. UCD is a fab place, i would recommend it, we have a relitively new enough building with great amenities.

katem

talk to nurses and if possible get work experince but dont count that as everything, i did work experience in a hospital with nurses and hated it but i still picked nursing and absoulty love it. It is demanding but the change between acadmeic work and placement makes it easier. placement is the best part and usually the time when you know whether its for you. take a look at the hospitals attached to the colleges aswell, bare in mind that yoy may not get the exact one you chose or they may change over the years depending on the college. in ucd you are assigned a hospital in first year and that will be your main hospital until you finish, you will get to visit other places on specialised placement.

pauly17

hi im doin a health care course at the min and wondering if you guys know what hospitals in dublin take on people for work experince i tried loads places they all said no sum didn get back to yet