Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, has urged those receiving their A-Level results tomorrow to join the thousands of their peers who have already applied to study nursing this year.
Interest in nursing careers is already high, with the number of young men in England who have applied for nursing degrees already is the highest for five years. They are among more than 17,000 young people (20 and under) living in England had applied to join a nursing degree course by June 30 – up around a sixth on 2018 – with a huge increase during the coronavirus pandemic.
‘The last six months has seen nurses and midwives play a leading role in the fight against coronavirus, cementing the high esteem they are held in by the nation, so it’s no surprise that interest in nursing degrees is already high,’ said Ms May.
‘Uncertain times lay ahead, but one thing we can be sure of is that the country and the NHS will always need nurses, and that nursing will always offer a rewarding and varied career – making it a strong choice for any young people considering their options tomorrow.’
The figures, from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, show a surge in applications for nursing degrees amongst all ages across the UK, up by 16% year-on-year to 47,320 by the end of June, with the increase attributed to the ‘leading role’ nurses have played in the country’s response to COVID-19.
‘Even if a COVID-19 vaccine is found the NHS will still need all the staff it can get to help deliver on our Long Term Plan to save more lives and improve the country’s health,’ added Ms May.
‘So whoever you are, whatever your background and wherever you want to go: your NHS needs you, so search ‘Nursing Careers’ today.’