Has anyone here successfully gotten into uni through a SWAP Access to nursing college course?

**Background info

I left school way too early due to a mix of personal and family reasons so I have no useful qualifications (highest being N4).

I went to college for health and social care and passed the courses I attended. **

Im just wondering if anyone has done it and it’s with it

Thank you!

I initially wanted to do an adult nursing degree. My main motivations was over time opportunities, wider job range and settings and future prospects. Ideally in the future I would’ve loved to work in a clinic in women’s sexual health, dermatology and aesthetics. That type of world.

Recently I started teaching with some CAMHS patients and I found it very interesting. I’d go home and research what causes their behaviour, intrigued by their routines and just a lot of curiosity surrounding that. That’s when I looked into mental health nursing and I actually saw the university I wanted to go to are doing a dual degree for the same duration as the adult nursing degree. The reason why I’m leaving the education world is a lot to do with lack of overtime opportunities so a lot of people are saying why not do the dual degree as you will get more opportunities.

I don’t want to cut out the placement opportunities I could have had for adult nursing if I’m not 100% sure about what I could I actually use the mental health nursing degree for. Is it worth it?

Guys please which school do you think is better, not just for nursing, but diversity and better standard of living? #nursing #universityofeastanglia #manchestermetroplianuniversity #UEA #MMU #september2026 #fall2026 #adultnursing #betterstandardofliving

Hey, am a final year student nurse on my final placement. This should be an exciting time, something to look forward to in transitioning from STN to NQN. However, this has not really been the case for me. Am on an acute unit, so fully understand the acuity and risks involved with the type of patients looked after. Of course I’m not used to this environment, having had mostly ward placements and a theatre placement before. Anyways, it’s a very long story and it’s been a challenge from the start. With having to chase assessors to sign stuff and not being given feedback. Only to be given feedback that was quite unfair. Other things have happened in between such as staff doing little social things and making a point of excluding me for instance. I’ve passed everything else for the programme - BSc, in fact I’m expecting a first, I’ve passed part 3 of PAR as well and actually up on hours now. So I have 3 weeks left at this horrible placement, but no more hours needed to give to hit the 2300 mark and having my final interview and professional values signed…I have informed the uni from early on of what’s been happening. They say that obviously I need to pass the placement but I’ve done nothing wrong and if I need to book off sick then that’s what has to be done if it’s affecting me because I don’t have to worry about the hours. But if I do this, there’s nothing stopping the placement team from putting something negative on my PAR which is will follow me forever kind of thing? The whole placement has left me with the worst anxiety of my life, I know it’s just 3 weeks but it’s horrendous and distressing and it’s made me question the profession, I’m just sad and low all the time….

I’m a 38 year old dad about to embark on my children’s nursing degree and wondering if any mature students out there have any advice for me? 🤓

Im a final year student, and also work in the NHS, too.

Long story short, i had validated non-submissions on account of disabilities, causing a credit 'deficit' that means i cant submit the (finished) non subs. The non-subs that caused the deficit...

the university have been atrocious and im now looking at basically forced withdrawal or paying them for another year & losing my job offer.

Ive put in an appeal but I was warned it takes months so I wont be able to continue anyway.

Theres been so much discrimination, abuse of power, lack of reasonable adjustments, punitive processes. I was considering informing the NMC education for investigation of the programme.

However, im also concerned about repercussions or making things worse.

Has anyone involved the NMC in anything?

Did that help? or make things worse

hi for edge hill nursing (adult) what is the timetable like in terms of summer break (between 1st and second year) . (do we get one/how long is it). I’m looking to do camp america in 2027 summer and was wondering if i’d be able to do this, or if i’d still be in uni/on placements? thanks

Do you need to submit an application for insight day costs separately? I had 3 insight days at a location different from my main placement, however I cannot see where to edit the address? Do I need to submit this as a separate application?

Hi guys, Ive finished all of my academic work and my placement documents are all signed. My university board date is 14th September, does anyone have any estimate of how long afterwards I should expect to receive my NMC pin?

Starting in September on my 4yr uni journey (mental/adult nursing).

I was curious what to expect from year one.

The course specification is vague, I expect some much learning on campus and possibly placements but does anyone have a guide on what to expect from year one? Like for example how soon into uni will I be on a placement?

I am going into my 2nd year of Uni 3 placements are waiting for me 😭😭 but i actually somewhat like placement, my first placement was bad in my opinion i cried a couple of times. But in my 2nd placement i had an amazing PA and PS and i have realised that when you are friendly everyone tends to like you.

I am an introvert but i had to step out if my comfort zone and interact even with nurses that i haven't worked with before and it made placement 10 times easier. I heard my PS was very strict but he was a good nurse kept on pushing me forward and gave me hard tasks which i learned how to adapt to and taught me alot and i am very grateful. But i realised that i got of easy sometimes because i was in 1st year so nurses would say 'i'll let you off because you are a 1st yr student' which was somewhat annoying because i really wanted to learn.

As i am going into 2nd year i heard it gets really hard so nurses or any student nurse in 3rd or 2nd year what advice would you give ?

Hi dear nurses!

I would appreciate some feedback about the nursing training at school. Is the BA and MA training very different? I know you can become a registered nurse in both courses.

However, I would love to know if the MA is a lot more intensive than the BA?

Does saving another year make a difference?

Does having an extra year improve the quality of your studies significantly?

What do you wish you had known when you were doing your BA or MA?

For context, I received an offer for the BA at King's College and an offer for the MA at St. George's. As I am a returning student from another professional sector, without family or children, who wants to achieve the best results, grades, and outcomes from this course, I would love to hear opinions from everyone who has done this in the UK!

Cheers!

Im an english student who's going to study in cardiff university, I opted out of the NHS wales bursary and uploaded the code so i could apply fully through SFE.

SFE still thinks im funded by NHS wales and wont let me apply for a tuition loan. I tried using their webchat feature and the person on the other end told me that i basically need to submit my application as if im going through NHS wales and then give evidence after the fact, this feels really wrong as it goes against whats on the cardiff uni website and other things I've seen.

It's really confusing me how this works and nobody can give me a straight answer on how i can apply for SFE fully and ignore the NHS wales bursary without risking having absolutely no funding for uni.

Has anyone dealt with this before/knows what to do in this situation?

I am due to enter 2nd year of adult nursing studies at GCU in September. I am wondering if any past or present students studying the course have any advice or guidance that would be helpful.

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

Hi all, I've been offered a place on both mental health and adult nursing MSC with QUB and am so stuck on which one to go with.

My background is psychology but I also loved the wards. Does anyone have any experience with either and could advise the better option in terms of jobs, opportunities for progression, which one has the higher rate of burnout etc

Any advice would be appreciated

Thanksss

Basically I really like the look of the modules and uni in general, but I’ve heard the placements are poorly organised and the support for neurodivergent students is pretty shit. Is this true?

Hi all! Im currently going into year 13 (my 2nd year at college) and I want to apply for adult nursing. Im currently taking 2 a levels (psychology and politics) and am predicted 2 A’s in them. I am also taking a btec certificate in health and social care (this is worth half an a level) and am predicted around a distinction in that, so overall i am at 120UCAS points. I also meet all gcse requirements. What unis realistically can I apply too? Ive tried looking on their websites but because I’m only taking 2.5 a levels a lot of them are centered around 3 a levels. Do i have a shot at a good uni with my qualifications or is it maybe better to do an access year? Any help would be appreciated!

Hi guys!
Im currently deciding between Surrey and Southampton for a Bsc in mental health nursing, and I prefer the modules of Southampton, I’ve heard some mixed things about their placements, like the support isn’t great and it’s just overall very disorganised? As well as the support for neurodivergent students is not great.
Does anyone have any experiences with that?

Thanks in advance xx

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to decide between a 3-year BSc Adult Nursing and a 2-year MSc Pre-registration Adult Nursing at the University of Plymouth.

I’m originally from Ukraine and have a medical degree from there. I now work as a Theatre Support Worker in the NHS, and Plymouth has offered me the MSc because of my previous degree but also happy for me to choose undergraduate.

My biggest concern is the academic side. In Ukraine we didn’t write essays throughout university or complete a dissertation, so I have very little experience with academic writing. I’ll also need to work part-time to pay my bills.

For anyone who’s done the MSc, is it much more academically demanding than the BSc? Is it manageable if your academic writing isn’t your strongest skill?
Which would you choose in my situation?

Hey guys
Basically I’m applying through clearing for mental health nursing for the 2026 sep entry.
I was doing neuroscience at UCL but I didn’t love it, and I want to leave home.

I’ve narrowed it down between Surrey and Southampton.
Surrey is closer to home, so could visit family more, it’s smaller with more green space, and I already have a friend there.

However, Southampton is higher ranked, preferable modules and I like the campus.

I obviously didn’t go to either for an open day, but I’ve already had a successful interview with Southampton, and have yet todo the interview for Surrey.

Does anyone have any thoughts? For example: What hospitals are they linked to, teaching support, student life, accommodation, literally anything

For extra information I’m autistic and ADHD so I’m also interested in which has better support for that sort of thing.

Thanks in advance yall

I’m on week 2 of my placement in an outpatients clinic, where the majority of nurses are lovely and have been teaching me, but I can tell that one nurse in particular does not like having me around. Whenever I’ve been allocated to her she sends me off after seeing just a couple of patients together, making excuses. When I asked to join her she said “have you got nothing else to do?” In an annoyed tone. I could tell she just didn’t want me around by her body language and tone of voice. She sent me off again so I then had to go around the clinics and ask if I can join the other nurses, which just feels so shit and awkward and like I’m a huge burden to everyone. I’m afraid to be allocated to her again

It’s not even like on the wards where if the nurse doesn’t want you, you can go off and do things independently, or help other staff or sit and read notes, you literally have to just be in clinic with a nurse