COVID GIVES NURSING INTAKE HEALTHY BOOSTER
THE pandemic has put our medical system under incredible pressure but it seems it has also inspired a new generation of nurses to join the frontline.
Universities have reported a spike in the number of people choosing to study nursing – split between school leavers with a desire to give back and mature students who have opted for a career change.
Tess Richards is among those who will begin studying at University of Newcastle this month.
“I’ve always wanted to do a job where I was caring for people and I think nursing is perfect for that,” Tess said. “Covid hasn’t turned me off nursing, if anything it’s shown just how important nurses are.”
Charles Sturt University has seen a rapid increase in people taking up its nursing degree, with 905 people accepting an offer this year, up from 717 in 2020 and 557 two years before that.
Nursing School head Associate Professor Linda Deravin said the cohort was an even split of school leavers and mature age students.
“There has been a significant increase in interest coinciding with Covid and that is really fantastic to see,” Prof
Deravin said. “I think the exposure of nursing as a vital profession has certainly played a role. Nurses are the backbone of the health system and we need more of them, particularly in regional and rural areas.”
University of Newcastle has made 238 nursing offers so far in 2022, more than double the second most popular course.
Deputy Vice-chancellor Professor Mark Hoffman said the university had seen soaring demand for healthrelated degrees.
“Nursing has become a very high-profile profession worldwide during the pandemic,” Prof Hoffman said.