Two thirds of nursing applicants in 2021 said that the pandemic inspired them to become nurses as UCAS, the universities admissions service, release statistics showing a 38% increase in 18-year-olds choosing to study nursing since 2019.
Overall, a record 28,816 people have chosen a nursing course as their first preference according to UCAS.
The ‘We are the NHS campaign’ and the introduction of the Learning Support Fund has promoted nursing careers in the hopes to increase the number of applicants.
A £55 million investment into practice placements has also played a role in increasing the amount of applicants interested in studying nursing.
UCAS Chief Executive Clare Marchant said: “It is incredibly heartening to see that one of the positive legacies of the work of our incredible healthcare workers during the pandemic is that more of our young people have been inspired to enter the nursing profession, particularly when they are arguably the ones who have been most impacted, both in terms of their education and way of life.
“This, coupled with a continuing strong demand from mature applicants, and a surge in interest for information on nursing associates and degree apprenticeships via UCAS’ apprenticeship platform CareerFinder has resulted in record numbers of students embarking on their individual journeys to become a nurse in England since the pandemic began.
“As we approach next week’s deadline for applications for 2022 entry (26 January), we can expect that this wave of increased demand for nursing education and training opportunities will show no signs of waning.”
The report published by UCAS and Health Education England outlined key findings around nursing including:
- A 51% increase in people beginning nursing courses more than an hour and a half away from home could address geographic ‘cold spots’
- 30% more students applied for mental health nursing compared to 2019.
- Women are still nine times more likely to apply for a nursing course than men and 57 time more likely to study children’s nursing.
Dr Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for NHS England, said: “The last couple of years, difficult as they have been, have shone a spotlight on the value of our nursing profession and the rewarding careers on offer in every corner of the NHS. We are thrilled to see tens of thousands of applications – and a record number of acceptances – to study nursing and are delighted by the contribution of the close partnership between UCAS and our ‘We are the NHS’ recruitment campaign to these results.
“As these nurses of the future will find throughout their careers, the NHS offers the opportunity to have an experience like no other and I urge everyone to search NHS careers to find out more.”
