New nursing course offers training closer to home

Adult nursing student Amanda MIchael tending to a patient

Nursing students in Devon who may have been deterred from travelling for their course are being offered the chance to train closer to home.

The NHS in Torbay has partnered with the Open University to provide a nursing degree which can be delivered locally.

It is hoped the course will appeal to people who might not have considered nursing because travelling away to university would not have been practical.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said from September anyone with GSSE passes in English and maths, or functional skills, would be able to study for a a BSc (Hons) Nursing degree while training in the trust area.

It said local clinical placements across the acute and community settings were guaranteed as part of the course.

Nicola McMinn, the interim chief nurse at the trust, said: "We want to offer an opportunity for our local community; for people who work or live around Torbay who may not be able to go to university because of caring responsibilities or travel

"This gives people the opportunity to work locally, to study locally, which hopefully at the end of the three years means they will want to stay in Torbay and in our locality and it gives work to local people."

Adult nursing student Amanda Michael said the course allowed her to be closer to her family

Amanda Michael, a mother-of-three and a third-year Open University student who has a clinical placement at Torbay Hospital, said she valued being able to carry out her placement locally.

"My priority was my family, they come first," she said.

"There's a lot of guilt when you are studying. I feel this is definitely manageable.

"It is a better balance. I feel I can really embrace this experience but I am also there for my children."

Adult student nurse Jessica Osbourne made a career change

Jessica Osbourne said the course allowed her to make the career change she wanted.

"It's something I've always wanted to do for many many years, but I couldn't because I've got family and my husband, who is in the ambulance service works shifts as well," she said.

"I needed somewhere that I could be local. I didn't have to travel for placements, everywhere was accessible."

People can apply for the course until 19 August, and anyone who is accepted will begin next February.