Young Scots encouraged to consider a career in healthcare
A new campaign is shining a spotlight on a career in healthcare – highlighting the range of opportunities available and encouraging young people to consider it as a suitable profession.
The Careers in Healthcare ‘What did you do today?’ campaign aims to show that nursing is a stable and valued career for life.
This comes after new research underlined that nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of adults in Scotland view nursing in Scotland as a positive career choice.
Evidence from the survey, commissioned by the Scottish Government in partnership with YouGov, also revealed 69 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds view nursing positively, compared to 61 per cent of 45- to 54-year-olds.
However, the results also show that many people are not aware of the variety and prospects a career in nursing can bring.
With 30 per cent admitting they were not aware of how many different career paths there are available to nurses and just over a third (38 per cent) believing one of its greatest benefits is that every day is different.
There’s a huge variety of careers (within nursing, midwifery, the allied health professions and healthcare science) that make a real difference to people’s lives. The campaign will feature real people at the heart of the NHS and show the significant variety of opportunities within healthcare professions including nursing, midwifery, healthcare science and the allied health professions such as radiographers, dietitians and paramedics.
Fiona McQueen, Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland, said: ‘Deciding what career path to follow can be a bit daunting for young people and we want to open their eyes to the opportunities a career in healthcare can offer. Not only are these careers fascinating and varied career paths, but they are stable and well-respected.
‘A nursing, midwifery, allied health profession or healthcare science degree is highly valued, both here in Scotland and all over the world.
‘It’s wonderful to see young people having a positive view of a career in nursing.
‘It’s one of the most rewarding jobs out there and more people studying nursing-related degrees go on to find a job after their course than any other degree. For any young person out there, deliberating what to do next and looking for a life-changing career, I would highly recommend that they find out more about the opportunities that exist in healthcare and if they like what they discover, then apply for relevant courses at university.’