any advice for potential nursing student UK

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(copied to this board from pre nursing forum) I am currently applying to anglia ruskin university and suffolk college both of which are my local study choices. As they both do studies in mental health diploma to become a registerd nurse.

I work as a volunteer advocate for the tendring mental health support independant advocacy service.

What i am trying to find out is if this is applicable experience as at my last interview i was told that mental health is mainly based on community work. For 2 years I struggled to find mental health care work to gain experience, this was the closest I could find to relivant experience. I am currently doing 13 hours a week on average and I am always around mental health clients. I also do 3 hours a week on an acute mental health ward as part of my advocacy job.

I had previously done care work for family illness as well as care work in a home but they said this was not relivant experience for mental health.

I check alot on remploy and ring a few of the mental health homes regulary for any potential vacances

Any advice of this would be grateful.

My other question is regarding which of the two study centres is best for studying with.

I have heard through numerous contacts that Anglia Ruskin is very bad at communicating with their student nurses with regards to those who study there but they have a good study facilities.

I have not heard of any bad things about suffolk college yet I would like some views from student nurses at both ARU and suffolk college as the websites dont help a great deal.

Id be grateful for any help as ARU formaly known as apu keep rejecting me ive tried four times in 2 years with no such luck im coming to end of my tether yet im determined to keep trying as i really want to do this.

Also i tried to gain a place on a Diploma in care at Colchester institute but was told im too old at 22 LOL so that went out the window as hoped to gain experience as was told this would give me the appropriate access to Nursing. Its hard for me to get to certain areas for jobs as im in the sticks and transport is rather poor.

HELP Please thanks for readin

Thank you for reading and I look forward to any feedback.

Louise

Always remail positive as things will eventually come yer way

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Specializes in Multiple.

Hi Louise

I'm afraid I know nothing about the colleges you are applying to as I am in the north of England. I would suggst you try to attend an open day if they have them, and talk to their current students - you will gain a better insight this way I think.

Another suggestion I have is that you look at getting some unbiased careers advice. As you are over 19 Connexions service does not apply, but you could try these

I wouldn't stress too much about prior experience as some people don't have any at all. I think you need to look at getting the basics first - training and knowing what direction you are headed in.

Hope all this helps! Do let us know how you get on!

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

the most important thing is having the required gcse's or equivalent to get in rather than prior work experiance, i worked in retail for 7 years before i became a nurse and had no prior experiance of any caring work at all apart from raising my children!

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Specializes in med/surg.

I did my return to nursing with Anglia and also work with many students from there (in fact right now on my ward we have a mental health student doing her general experience). I didn't have any problems getting hold of my tutor & the facilities are very good. I think you have to weigh up where is better logistically for you - look at the areas you'll be doing your placements in & see where is most convenient for you. I wish you luck, it's a hard old slog but I love my job (just not the paycheque!)

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Thank you all for replying. I have known people who are at APU and they never had experience yet with me i was told ythat should have experience. We all applied at the same time. I have the required gsces and have back up plan incase reject me again. Pondering what the next reason will be.

I had previously attended open days at ARU (formaly APU) i wasnt happy as they pretty much quoted the nursing book given out to potential nursing students word for word. No insight there plus there were absalutely no nursing students at the open day which i found odd. thanks anyways for the replies keep fingers crossed

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