Certificate in Nursing Studies

Course details

The course is designed to give students a realistic experience of the working life of a nurse, to help students to obtain a place in nurse training and to prepare them for this subsequent training.

Work Experience:

This is a vital component of the course. Students will spend four weeks working in local hospitals, day care centres and nursing homes, giving them experience in general, care of the elderly and intellectual disability nursing. This provides students with the opportunity to decide which type of nursing suits them best.

Entry Requirements:

This course is aimed at students who have completed the Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational and mature students with an interest in nursing with suitable candidates being selected by interview.

Certification:

This course is certified by FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council). There is continuous assessment throughout the year and examinations in the main subjects are taken in May. The certificate awarded to successful students is the FETAC Certificate in Nursing Studies (Level 5, DCHSN). In addition, all students are given the opportunity to obtain Certificates in Occupational First Aid, Sign Language and Manual Handling and to repeat one or two subjects in the Leaving Certificate..

Career Progression:

Although the course does not guarantee a place in nurse training, the placement rate from the course has been extremely high. Special emphasis is placed on preparing students for assessment tests, interviews etc. A number of universities and colleges in both Ireland and England now accept the FETAC Certificate in Nursing Studies, with specified results, as an alternative entrance requirement into nurse training. O’Fiaich Institute of Further Education has had a link with Anglia Ruskin University in England for several years and a large number of our students have completed their nurse training there.

Students can also proceed to the Advanced Certificate in Supervision in Childcare in O'Fiaich Institute or to a range of third level courses in other health related areas.

Modules

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Introduction to Nursing
• Safety and Health at Work
• Communications
• Care Provision & Practice
• Human Growth & Development
• Occupational First Aid
• Complementary Medicine
• Word Processing
• Sign Language
• Work Experience