Take Up Nursing Challenge Says Minister

More nurses are needed in Northern Ireland, especially in some specialised branches.

The Assembly Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey has launched a campaign to encourage students to apply for mental health or learning disability nursing in particular.

Mr McGimpsey said: “Since taking up office I have focused my attention on modernising mental health and learning disability services.

“It is vital that we ensure we have enough skilled nurses in the areas of mental health and learning disability working to deliver the care that individuals require.

“My hope is that this campaign will encourage people setting out on their careers, or those wanting to change careers, to consider moving into mental health or learning disability nursing.

“A career in these branches means working with people among the most vulnerable in our society. It is a real challenge, and needs individuals with commitment, but the payback is the knowledge that you can make a difference to people and their families.”

The Minister added: “I am pleased that the campaign has the co-operation of all three Universities in Northern Ireland that offer nursing courses – Queen’s University, the University of Ulster, and the Open University.”

The campaign also has the support of the Royal College of Nursing, and its Northern Ireland Director Mary Hinds said: “The RCN welcomes this campaign. We need more mental health and learning disability nurses here in Northern Ireland to meet the needs of our communities.

“Whether working with young people to help tackle problems that can lead to suicide, or supporting a person with a learning disability to engage in the day-to-day living that most of us take for granted, the range of settings in which mental health or learning disability nurses practice is matched only by the diversity of the clients with whom they work.”

Student nurses studying as full-time undergraduates in Northern Ireland receive a non-means tested bursary of £5,770 per annum and do not pay course fees. They may also be entitled to other allowances, including book and uniform allowances, travel, dependency allowances and disability allowances.

There are four branches of nursing – Learning Disability, Mental Health, Adult and Children’s. Mental health and learning disability are two of the most complex and demanding areas of the profession.

DHSSPS annually commissions 730 pre-registration nursing places. This includes 50 Mental Health and 30 Learning Disability places from Queen’s University (QUB), and 40 Mental Health places from University of Ulster (UU). Both Universities have reported low application numbers to these branches of nursing.

In addition, 18 mental health work-based places are commissioned from the Open University (OU), and an extra 18 mental health places will be funded at the OU this year.

(BMcC)