Covid UK: More than 60,000 students apply for nursing courses

More than 60,000 students have applied to study nursing as the coronavirus crisis drives tens of thousands to ‘safer’ and secure careers including medicine, engineering and architecture. 

Sign ups for courses in nursing surged by almost a third (32 per cent) this year to a total of 60,130 applicants, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Applications for medicine and dentistry soared from 103,910 to 124,160, and for engineering, from 148,450 to 154,970 – while the numbers applying for courses in teaching and architecture are also up.

Thousands of students have turned their backs on subjects such as languages, history, philosophy and classics, in a hint that many are looking for ‘safer’, more concrete career paths.

It follows the economic turmoil of the last year caused by coronavirus and lockdowns, with a new think tank report finding that nearly two million having been unable to work for at least six months after losing their jobs in the pandemic or being placed on furlough. 

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that these trends could be ‘maintained for a while’, adding that a ‘Covid-linked recession’ could ‘push people towards public service jobs’.

He added that the pandemic had changed the perception of nursing which is now being seen as ‘prestigious’, following a huge dip in applications following the removal of bursaries in 2017.  

‘There is a sense that technology may eat away at other jobs, such as middle management. But caring professions are likely to continue being in demand,’ Mr Hillman told the Times. 

Mike Adams, director for England at the Royal College of Nursing, hailed the figures, which will go some way to combatting the staff shortages that afflict much of the NHS.

The number of applications to study nursing has surged by 32 per cent compared to last year as the heroics of NHS workers inspire a generation to seek careers in the health service

‘Today’s nursing staff are clearly inspiring those of the future,’ he said. ‘Their professionalism and dedication in the last 12 months has clearly encouraged even more people determined to join a diverse and fulfilling career. 

‘This is a welcome boost in applications but follows a number of years of decline since the removal of Government support for tuition fees and living costs.’ 

However Mr Adams warned that the boost is ‘still not at the scale that is needed’ and even greater efforts would be required to fill all vacant nursing jobs.

There are currently no Government caps on university nursing places.

The number of those opting for nursing straight after leaving school has increased by 27 per cent from last year to a record 16,560.

And more than 10,000 mature students aged 35 or over want to study the subject this year – a rise of 39 per cent on 2020.

Ruth May, chief nursing officer for NHS England, said there had been a ‘Nightingale effect’, which ‘speaks volumes about how people recognise our profession, particularly following our most challenging year’.

Both the number of applications from those straight out of school and the number of mature students applying to study nursing have increased by 27 per cent and 39 per cent respectively

Both the number of applications from those straight out of school and the number of mature students applying to study nursing have increased by 27 per cent and 39 per cent respectively

Clare Marchant, UCAS chief executive, said: ‘The amazing work of our NHS continues to inspire people of all ages into fulfilling and rewarding careers, helping those in most need as we emerge from the pandemic.

‘Overall, applications are buoyant as students plan their futures for life after lockdown.’

Overall, a record 42.6 per cent of all UK 18 year olds applied to university. 

And while applications from the EU have plunged, the number of students wanting to come to the UK from the rest of the world has grown dramatically.

Ucas said the number of EU applicants to study at British universities fell by 40 per cent to 26,010 over the past year, but a record 85,610 people from non-EU countries are hoping to study here – up 17 per cent in 12 months.

Other subjects that have seen a growth in popularity include dentistry, sports science, veterinary science and education.

Agriculture has also seen a rise in applications, indicating that a return to the land – and the desire to escape from the often cramped conditions of lockdowns to the countryside – may have played a part in their choice. 

It comes as a new think tank report has found that nearly two million people have been unable to work for at least six months after losing their jobs in the pandemic or being placed on furlough.

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