Application

Completing your UCAS form

Please be aware that we only offer adult branch nurse training. There is no opportunity to study Learning Disability, Mental Health, Child nursing or Midwifery. However, you will be exposed to these specialities whilst in practice
You may apply for deferred entry if you wish and your application will not be disadvantaged.

You should ensure that you complete in full the details of your qualifications. This is especially important if you are offering international qualifications. You must include details of the title of your qualifications including the examining board, subjects studied and results obtained. If you have not yet obtained your results it is important that your referee predicts in their reference what you are likely to achieve. Please be as clear as possible and avoid any ambiguity.

Your personal statement is very important to your application. We are looking for what you have got out of your past experiences. You should:

• explain why you want to be a nurse
• describe your previous relevant health care experience
• demonstrate your commitment to a career in Nursing
• describe your participation in previous studies and community life
• highlight your achievements
• describe your hobbies and interests

What happens to your application?

Applications will initially be checked that they meet our minimum academic requirements. We will look at the results of all your previous qualifications and the predictions of any qualifications that you are currently studying for. If these conditions are met, your application will then be sent out to members of the course team who will consider your suitability for entry to the programme.

When the team read your personal statement they are looking for:

• motivation for nursing
• evidence of commitment for caring
• work experience
• understanding the nature of nursing
• breadth and depth of interests, and linking these with ability to cope with stress
• evidence of team work, leadership skills, communication skills, acceptance of responsibility

On the basis of information provided on the application and the reference the team will identify if you are suitable to interview with potential for admission to the programme

The interview

The School of Nursing and Midwifery interviews all prospective nursing students. Our interviews are normally held between the middle of November to the middle of June.

Interviews normally take place twice per calendar month and will last all day. The structure of the day is designed to probe your motivation, personality, interest in Nursing and communication skills.

• The first part of the day will be about providing you with information on the School of Nursing and midwifery and the programme you have applied for.
• The second part of the day will be an opportunity for all interviewees to engage in a problem based learning activity. There will also be a short numeracy test at this point.
• The final part of the day will be an individual interview that lasts approximately 20 minutes and will require that you deliver a five minute presentation entitled "What is Nursing?" The interview panel normally consists of three interviewers from fields of education and practice.
The questioning at interview is based around nine criteria:
• knowledge of and interest in study in Sheffield
• motivation for Nursing
• evidence of commitment to caring
• depth of interests (achievements in specific fields)
• communication skills
• understanding the nature of Nursing
• relevant work experience.
• numeracy

The interview panel will have a copy of your UCAS application. Whilst you will not be questioned on every aspect in your personal statement you can expect the panel to ask you about a few topics or areas that you have mentioned. You can also prepare by knowing something about nursingl history, recent nursing advances, topical controversies, ethical issues and NHS politics.

Of course your appearance at interview is important. You should dress appropriately and in a professional manner.

APEL

The panel will also consider your APEL claim at the interview.

What happens after the interview?

After your interview the panel will grade you on your performance at the interview. Based upon this grading the panel will then make the final decision as to whether you are offered a place on the course, held on a reserve list or rejected.

You will normally be notified of this decision through UCAS within three weeks of the date of your interview.

If you are made an offer of a place you will receive notification of your offer directly through UCAS. All the offers that we make are also subject to the receipt of a satisfactory health questionnaire and a satisfactory enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check (or equivalent). Please read the sections on Health Requirements and Criminal Record Checks for further details. We will send you details about how to arrange your CRB check and health requirements.

Students with a disability

There are two factors to bear in mind if you have a disability, and are considering studying nursing:
1. Your personal experience with disability can give you greater insight into the lives of many of your patients, and make you better equipped to assist them as a doctor. As a consequence, we welcome applications from disabled people.
2. Nurse training covers every aspect of health care, and includes involvement in patient care during practice placements. If your disability is such as to make it impossible for you to practice, we would be unable to accept you onto the course.
As a consequence and to ensure that effective support can be provided, disabled applicants, and applicants with serious health problems should contact the admissions tutor before applying.

Overseas applicants

If you are living overseas and have never been a resident of the UK, any offer of a place will be subject to the equivalent of a CRB check, normally a satisfactory check from your local police station (sometimes referred to as a Certificate of Good Conduct).
If you have lived overseas for a period of 3 months or more since the age of 16 and are now resident in the UK you will be required to provide both a CRB check and an overseas equivalent.

Offers

All offers given to applicants will include a condition relating to a satisfactory CRB
Enhanced Disclosure and Occupational health report. If you are made an offer of a place and you firmly accept this offer, you will be sent further instructions on how to arrange a CRB check.

Deferred entry

If you receive an offer of a place for deferred entry, and firmly accept it, you will need to undergo the CRB check during your gap year. We will write to you at a later date with details of how to arrange this.