Nursing - General Nursing - Galway & Portiuncula
The role of the general nurse is to assist with the health and well-being of persons experiencing a change in their health status or a change in life processes, considering their physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate Entry Requirements:
Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, Mathematics, a laboratory science subject (i.e., Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science), and any two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.
Additional Requirements:
All successful applicants who are offered places on the degree programme will be required to have medical screening and Garda vetting; this will include medical assessment, screening and, if necessary, vaccination prior to the first clinical placement, in accordance with the policies of University of Galway and the Saolta University Health Care Group.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
For holders of the Leaving Certificate, six subjects are required, with a minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and at least Grade O6/H7 in four other subjects.
An applicant may combine the results of the Leaving Certificate examinations obtained in different years for matriculation purposes for all programmes with the exception of Medicine (see section 1). This concession applies to matriculation only; it does not apply to the calculation of points for admission.
Acceptable Subjects
All subjects of the current Leaving Certificate examination are accepted for matriculation purposes, with the following exceptions:
Gaeilge–Bonnleibhéal (Irish, Foundation Level) will not be accepted for matriculation or points purposes.
Mathematics (Ordinary Alternative/ Foundation Level) will be accepted for matriculation purposes, but not as a substitute for the subject Mathematics in programmes for which the subject Mathematics is currently an entry requirement. Neither will a score be awarded for a grade in this subject.
Home Economics (General), which has been discontinued from 2004, is not an acceptable matriculation subject for admission to University of Galway. However, Leaving Certificate Home Economics–Scientific and Social is an acceptable matriculation subject for admission.
The combining of the following subjects is not permitted:
• Physics with Chemistry (joint) may not be presented with either Physics or Chemistry
• Only two of History, Economic History and Economics may be presented
• Music and Musicianship may not be presented with Music
• Agricultural Economics may not be presented with Economics
• Classical Studies may not be presented with Latin or Greek.
Laboratory Science Subjects:
The following subjects in the Irish Leaving Certificate are recognised laboratory science subjects:
• Agricultural Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics and Chemistry (joint)
• Physics.
For Engineering and Science programmes, Computer Science is a recognized Laboratory Science subject. For Engineering programmes, Technology, Engineering, Design and Communication Graphics or Construction Studies may be accepted in lieu of a Laboratory Science subject.
Bonus Points for Maths
A bonus of 25 points will be allocated to students who achieve grade H6 or above in Higher Level (HL) Mathematics. This means that the maximum cumulative Leaving Certificate points total will increase from 600 to 625 (existing maximum points plus bonus points).
The bonus points will only be relevant in cases where the subject HL Mathematics (including bonus points) is scored as one of the candidate’s six best subjects for points purposes. Consequently, if HL Mathematics (cumulative points score) is not among these six subjects, the bonus points will not be included in the total points score.
The maximum possible adjusted points score for applicants to Medicine will increase from 560 to 565. (For all scores over 550, each 5-point band equals one extra point.) The baseline score of 480 points will still apply but can include the bonus points if HL Mathematics (cumulative points) is among the best six subjects.
Age
Students must normally have attained the age of 17 by 15 January following entry, for example, for entry in 2024, date of birth must be on or before 15 January 2008. If a student under that age seeks to enter the University, special application must be made to the President of the University.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Note: While Link Modules are acceptable for points scoring purposes, they may not be counted as one of the six subjects to satisfy minimum entry/matriculation requirements. Students will have the opportunity to use their points allocation for the Link Modules as one of their six subjects for the purposes of calculating points.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Career Opportunities
Nurses have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings in the hospital and the community.
The Bachelor of Nursing Science degree is recognised internationally, and many nurses choose to work overseas to broaden their experience.
Further Study
Graduates have the option to study a variety of nursing programmes at postgraduate, diploma, masters and PhD levels, for example:
Master of Health Sciences (Nursing Education)
www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/nursing-midwifery-education.html
Master of Science in Nursing (Advanced Practice Nursing)
www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/advanced-practice-nursing.html
Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences across a wide variety of specialist nursing areas (Intensive Care, Accident & emergency, Oncology, Palliative Care. Acute Medicine, Public Health, Gerontology, Midwifery, Perioperative, Wound Healing and tissue repair.) www.universityofgalway.ie/medicine-nursing-and-health-sciences/nursing-midwifery/prospectivestudents/postgraduate/
Further information
Mature Access:
Each year 15 % of the allocation to the programme go to mature student applicants. For details please refer to: www.nmbi.ie/NMBI/media/NMBI/ NMBI-NMCFY-2022.pdf?ext=.pdf
Average intake: 80
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Why choose this course?
• The role of the general nurse is to assist with the health and well-being of persons experiencing a change in their health status or a change in life processes, considering their physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs.
• On graduation, students are eligible for registration on the General Nursing Division of the nurses’ register, maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).
Work Placement
Year 1 to Year 3 of the programme, the student spends between 8-14 weeks out in clinical placement integrated across each semester. Year four comprises clinical/theory instruction in Semester 1 and a 36-week internship in clinical practice, which runs from January to September. During this period, the student will be an employee of the Saolta University Health Care Group and paid a salary. Students have the opportunity to take advantage of the various areas of expertise available within the Saolta University Health Care Group mainly in University Hospital Galway, Portiuncula University Hospital and Merlin Park University Hospital.
Study Abroad
There are international and European opportunities for students available through the Erasmus Programme and other international partnerships in, for example, Barcelona, Africa, Fairfield University, USA, and Case Western University, USA.
Year One
o Health & Applied Biosciences 1
o The Nature of Nursing
o Foundations of Nursing Practice
o Manual Handling and CPR
o Research and Evidence for Practice 1
o Applied Health 1
o Communication and Interpersonal Skills
o Clinical placement
Year Two
o Health & Applied Biosciences 2
o Community Care and Specialist Client Groups
o Research and Evidence for Practice 2
o Concepts of Pain and Life-Limiting Conditions
o Applied Psychology for Nursing and Midwifery
o Sociology of Health and Healthcare
o Applied Health 2
o Clinical placement
Year Three
o The acutely ill adult
o Health Promotion
o Living well with long term conditions
o Law and ethics
o Medicines and Clinical Practice
o Clinical judgement and decision making
o CPR and Manual Handling refresher
o Clinical Placement
o Elective modules
Year Four
o Research Project
o Leading and Developing Practice
o Transition to Practice
o Salaried Clinical Practice Internship (36 weeks)
Find out more
School of Nursing and Midwifery
t. +353 91 49 3432
e. nursing.midwifery@universityofgalway.ie
w. universityofgalway.ie/gy515