Universities have reported a spike in the number of people choosing to study nursing — split between school leavers with a desire to give back and mature students who have opted for a career change.Tess Richards is among those who have accepted offers to begin study at University of Newcastle later this month.“I’ve always wanted to do a job where I was caring for people and I think nursing is perfect for that,” Tess said.“Covid hasn’t turned me off nursing: if anything it’s shown just how important nurses are.”Mature age student Mel Rooke is preparing to start her degree at 40 after years of longing to join the medical field.“I got married and had kids and couldn’t do it but recently, being in hospital myself, I would look at the nurses and think: ‘That’s something I would really love to do’,” Mel said.“I’ve never really done a job where I’ve gone home and felt like I’ve made a difference in anyone’s life, so I’m excited to do something where my work matters.”Charles Sturt University has seen a rapid increase in people taking up its nursing degree, with 905 people accepting an offer this year, up from 717 in 2020 and 557 two years before that.Nursing School head Associate Professor Linda Deravin said the cohort was an even split of school leavers and mature age students.“There has been a significant increase in interest coinciding with Covid and that is really fantastic to see,” Prof Deravin said.“I think the exposure of nursing as a vital profession has certainly played a role.“Nurses are the backbone of the health system and we need more of them, particularly in regional and rural areas, so it’s great to see more people considering that as a career path.”Daily Telegraph – News Feed latest episodeUniversity of Newcastle has made 238 nursing offers so far in 2022, more than double the second most popular course.Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Hoffman said the university had seen soaring demand for a number of health-related degrees.“Nursing has become a very high-profile profession worldwide during the pandemic and there are many future students who want to assist and contribute to their community by becoming nurses,” Professor Hoffman said.“Nursing professionals form the largest part of the health workforce and will be needed increasingly in future years to manage complex health needs in an increasingly technological environment.”Got a news tip? Email weekendtele@news.com.auNED-5192-DT-App-Banner
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