Degree or Diploma- the difference

Hi lisa i saw your post regarding degree and diplomas.

There are several differences Degrees are more academically focused, plus when you qualify for a degree you get a higher grade as a nurse than those doing the diplomas. This can be funded by a secondment if you are in the NHS if not you may have to pay for the degree yourself via loans or funding. Also with degrees there is a better chance to progress the career ladder into specilist areas depending on the branch you want to do.

Diplomas are more practical focused basically more hands on, You end up one grade lower for pay than a degree but i have been informed it takes about a year to get a higher grade for pay whilst working in the NHS. The diplomas are paid for by the nhs and you also get a Bursery of about 400 pounds to cover travel costs a nd books needed.

Also i learnt last week through college that some branches of nursing are now asking nurses who did diplomas to do the degrees as it is apparently more cost effective and everyone will end up on the same pay as such.

This concerns adult nursing and peadiatrics more so.

If you have any other questions i will try answer feel free to leave a msge.

Hope it answers your question

sweet pea lou

Hi lisa i saw your post regarding degree and diplomas.

There are several differences Degrees are more academically focused, plus when you qualify for a degree you get a higher grade as a nurse than those doing the diplomas. This can be funded by a secondment if you are in the NHS if not you may have to pay for the degree yourself via loans or funding. Also with degrees there is a better chance to progress the career ladder into specilist areas depending on the branch you want to do.

Diplomas are more practical focused basically more hands on, You end up one grade lower for pay than a degree but i have been informed it takes about a year to get a higher grade for pay whilst working in the NHS. The diplomas are paid for by the nhs and you also get a Bursery of about 400 pounds to cover travel costs a nd books needed.

Also i learnt last week through college that some branches of nursing are now asking nurses who did diplomas to do the degrees as it is apparently more cost effective and everyone will end up on the same pay as such.

This concerns adult nursing and peadiatrics more so.

If you have any other questions i will try answer feel free to leave a msge.

Hope it answers your question

sweet pea lou

I dont know that I would really agree with this, I became a H grade specialist without either a degree or diploma. Thats not to say it isnt desirable but I think we need to keep sight of the fact that nursing is essentially a practical role. Yes our practice needs to be evidence based but there are many very academic nurses that I know who have very poor bedside skills. (It works the other way too before I get comments).

Hi mable thats very true that nursing is pratical I was only writing what i had been told by the career and guidence centre at my local college with regard to the re-training and the nature that one is more academical amd the other is more pratical. the rest of the information I was told by my local Uni at open day. I do know that they both involve alot of practical work.

Sweet pea lou

The ACTUAL difference between degree and diploma nurses is marginal in their training. The difference is actually the adition of a few more modules and a very very small dissertation for extra credits. There is no difference between assessment criteria and all nurse qualifying need to have exactly the same skills.

There is no advancement in terms of one being more anythig than the other and this is a crucial misjudgement of people entering nursing in the UK. A degree is almost certainly NOT guaranteed to get you your post second or even third as merely possessing a BSc is not a measurement of a nurses worth

Degrees are sometimes necessary for a promotion to Sister or Charge Nurse level, but before then they make absolutely no difference in terms of patient outcomes or nursing knowledge and skill.

plus when you qualify for a degree you get a higher grade as a nurse than those doing the diplomas.... Also with degrees there is a better chance to progress the career ladder into specilist areas depending on the branch you want to do.

Diplomas are more practical focused basically more hands on, You end up one grade lower for pay than a degree

Also i learnt last week through college that some branches of nursing are now asking nurses who did diplomas to do the degrees as it is apparently more cost effective and everyone will end up on the same pay as such.

This concerns adult nursing and peadiatrics more so.

What are you talking about? Have I logged onto http://www.NursingFables.com by mistake? Should I go and get a drink and when I come back we'll all be talking sense?

OG

I was only writing what i had been told by the career and guidence centre at my local college with regard to the re-training and the nature that one is more academical amd the other is more pratical. the rest of the information I was told by my local Uni at open day. I do know that they both involve alot of practical work.

Sweet pea lou

Did they dust off a copy of the "Guide To Nurse Training 1983" manual and use it as reference? Absolute rubbish.

Cheers

OG

What are you talking about? Have I logged onto www.NursingFables.com by mistake? Should I go and get a drink and when I come back we'll all be talking sense?

OG

Aw, c'mon Owain, don't frighten the poor girl off :chair: She's only telling us what she's been told.......of course some of what she's been told is nonsense, we know that don't we? :wink2:

Did you get my email Tina?

I did Kay. A reply on its way to you as we speak. You'll have to excuse me, my head is all over the place at the moment, think you know why

Hello everyone

thought this was a very interesting post!! I studied an advanced diploma which is somewhere in between degree and diploma, I personally couldnt afford to study the degree as it is not bursaried, however the stuff about higher pay etc is quite comical i qualified and work with a friend of mine who did the degree however since qualifying I have been promoted twice where as my friend whom i work with has not. I also have the advantage of topping up my degree to a speacialist degree with very few credits. Having done top level degree work in my adv dip its proving to actually be quite easy!! both courses study modules at top degree level only the degree studys more modules at level three and dose less at the beggining of the course at level 0:saint: