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All students must have the full Hepatitis B vaccine prior to work experience. Please discuss this with your GP as the first part of the vaccine may be due before commencing the course in September.
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Nursing Studies 2021
“Where There is a Will There is a Way”
Work Placement is always one of the highlights of the year for the nursing studies students, but unfortunately due to Covid 19 restrictions that was not possible this year. This was where we used our strong networks built up over the years and reached out to one of our usual placement facilitators Curragh Lawns Nursing Home.
The nursing homeowner and management team immediately stepped in and offered to facilitate four practical lectures from the nursing home. These were devised to allow the students to see the theory that they had learned in class come alive in practice. This was the next best thing to being able to be there in person. Valerie (DON) and Saritha (ADON) delivered four very well planned and executed lectures which brought all the learning alive.
Danielle one of our class representatives organized a virtual whip around and went out and presented Saritha and the staff with a hamper to be used for the residents' activities. (see the photo and class photos)
We want to thank Valerie, Saritha and everyone in Curragh Lawns for their continued support for our course, the students may not have got out on placement this year, but they certainly got an insight into the day-to-day life of a health care facility.
Georgina Finnegan
Nursing Studies Coordinator
The nursing homeowner and management team immediately stepped in and offered to facilitate four practical lectures from the nursing home. These were devised to allow the students to see the theory that they had learned in class come alive in practice. This was the next best thing to being able to be there in person. Valerie (DON) and Saritha (ADON) delivered four very well planned and executed lectures which brought all the learning alive.
Danielle one of our class representatives organized a virtual whip around and went out and presented Saritha and the staff with a hamper to be used for the residents' activities. (see the photo and class photos)
We want to thank Valerie, Saritha and everyone in Curragh Lawns for their continued support for our course, the students may not have got out on placement this year, but they certainly got an insight into the day-to-day life of a health care facility.
Georgina Finnegan
Nursing Studies Coordinator
Luke’s Story
I completed my Leaving Cert in 2020, I was unsure what career path to follow so I applied for Pre-Nursing in St. Conleth’s Community College. While I was apprehensive, it was the best decision I have ever made. I found the course challenging but highly rewarding. I feel that over the year I have gained confidence, learned to trust my own ability and decision making. The tutors went above and beyond to ensure I have achieved my distinctions and reach my full potential. I have made some tremendous friends throughout the year.
During these uncertain times, we were always there to support, help, and guide each other. My tutors always motivated me to get out of my comfort zone and to challenge myself regularly, I was voted in as Class Representative, although it was incredibly challenging, it was extremely rewarding as I learned to trust myself and gained a lot of confidence by the end of the year. I was given many opportunities to develop new skills and expand on existing skills. During the year I was asked to address Leaving Certificate students on an online call with sixth years to talk about my experience in Conleth’s, while I was a bit nervous to do it, it was a highly enjoyable experience.
I applied through UCAS, which is the UK equivalent to the CAO. This gave me the opportunity to gain experience in writing personal statements and research many colleges as the application process is completely different than CAO. I gained communication skills throughout the year which really benefited me in the interviews for Universities, each interview was different as some were group interviews where I was interviewed with other students and some were individual, the interviews were held through Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions which was strange at first as I wasn’t used to it, but It was still highly rewarding as I was offered three conditional offers for Mental Health and General Nursing.
On our first day we were told the importance of the ethical way to wear the uniform and of the six C’s in nursing, and this is something I will carry on throughout my educational and nursing carer, as I want to progress onto College for Mental Health Nursing. I would highly recommended St. Conleth’s for anyone contemplating applying for a PLC course as it was the most rewarding year I’ve had in education to date, and I look forward to my future study in an area I now know I love, and I want to make my lifelong career.
I completed my Leaving Cert in 2020, I was unsure what career path to follow so I applied for Pre-Nursing in St. Conleth’s Community College. While I was apprehensive, it was the best decision I have ever made. I found the course challenging but highly rewarding. I feel that over the year I have gained confidence, learned to trust my own ability and decision making. The tutors went above and beyond to ensure I have achieved my distinctions and reach my full potential. I have made some tremendous friends throughout the year.
During these uncertain times, we were always there to support, help, and guide each other. My tutors always motivated me to get out of my comfort zone and to challenge myself regularly, I was voted in as Class Representative, although it was incredibly challenging, it was extremely rewarding as I learned to trust myself and gained a lot of confidence by the end of the year. I was given many opportunities to develop new skills and expand on existing skills. During the year I was asked to address Leaving Certificate students on an online call with sixth years to talk about my experience in Conleth’s, while I was a bit nervous to do it, it was a highly enjoyable experience.
I applied through UCAS, which is the UK equivalent to the CAO. This gave me the opportunity to gain experience in writing personal statements and research many colleges as the application process is completely different than CAO. I gained communication skills throughout the year which really benefited me in the interviews for Universities, each interview was different as some were group interviews where I was interviewed with other students and some were individual, the interviews were held through Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions which was strange at first as I wasn’t used to it, but It was still highly rewarding as I was offered three conditional offers for Mental Health and General Nursing.
On our first day we were told the importance of the ethical way to wear the uniform and of the six C’s in nursing, and this is something I will carry on throughout my educational and nursing carer, as I want to progress onto College for Mental Health Nursing. I would highly recommended St. Conleth’s for anyone contemplating applying for a PLC course as it was the most rewarding year I’ve had in education to date, and I look forward to my future study in an area I now know I love, and I want to make my lifelong career.
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Reading List - 2020/2021
For all those who have accepted a place on the Pre Nursing course in St. Conleth's Community College, a reading list is available at the following :
Promotional Video - Nursing Studies
Please click play on this 4 minute video, for a quick run through on the Nursing Studies at St. Conleth's Community College. Thanks to Megan Grufferty from Nursing Studies who put this video together.
Nursing Studies Students 2019/2020
REFLECTION OF NURSING STUDIES STUDENTS 2019/2020
THE CLASS OF 2020
The academic year of 2019/2020 was a very interesting and busy year for all of us who attended the Pre-Nursing studies course that is run by the St.Conleths Community college in Newbridge. We all honestly didn’t really know what to expect going into this course, but I believe that everyone who attended that class wanted to work as a healthcare professional and knew this is where to begin the journey towards that goal.
Everyone who attended that course were caring, kind and just downright awesome people. Every day it was a joy to come into to class and work alongside these people as it was a crazy and busy year full of assignments, skills demonstrations and work placement, but everyone helped each other throughout the year to make sure everyone got where they needed to be.
The tutors where great in providing us with information and thought us the skills we needed to continue in our nursing career. We had several guest speakers in from different aspects and disciplines of nursing's such as members from the Child Adolescents Mental Health Service, a Cardiac Nurse and the members of the Platinum Club House. We even had visiting universities from the UK such as Southampton and Dundee who talked to us about the courses they offered in nursing and talked about the student life over there for Irish students. They told us of the many past St. Conleths students who were now studying with them or had studied with them and were now working as qualified staff nurses throughout Europe and some in USA and Australia.
Throughout the year we applied for colleges in the UK and Ireland through CAO and UCAS with the help and guidance of the tutors in St.Conleths Community college. They gave us the push and the drive to get over for interviews in the UK which for a lot of us was a huge undertaking and a daunting task but a great life experience none the less, but at the end of all that the reward came when we started to receive our conditional offers from the UK. A lot of us are now awaiting our results in order to start the next step of our journey and to turn our conditional offers in the UK into firm offers of a nursing career.
Unfortunately, our year was cut short from the COVID-19 pandemic as we were planning on doing a Disability awareness day and to have our graduation where we could celebrate our hard work (Which will happen in time). But with the help of the tutors we were able to complete our course by doing our assignments and exams remotely. For Anyone thinking of becoming a healthcare professional or thinking about college next year I highly recommend that you start with this course at St. Conleths as it will prepare you for your road ahead.
Thank you and I hope to see you all when I visit the class during a break from my college course.
Stephen…………… One of the Class Reps for 2019/2020
THE CLASS OF 2020
The academic year of 2019/2020 was a very interesting and busy year for all of us who attended the Pre-Nursing studies course that is run by the St.Conleths Community college in Newbridge. We all honestly didn’t really know what to expect going into this course, but I believe that everyone who attended that class wanted to work as a healthcare professional and knew this is where to begin the journey towards that goal.
Everyone who attended that course were caring, kind and just downright awesome people. Every day it was a joy to come into to class and work alongside these people as it was a crazy and busy year full of assignments, skills demonstrations and work placement, but everyone helped each other throughout the year to make sure everyone got where they needed to be.
The tutors where great in providing us with information and thought us the skills we needed to continue in our nursing career. We had several guest speakers in from different aspects and disciplines of nursing's such as members from the Child Adolescents Mental Health Service, a Cardiac Nurse and the members of the Platinum Club House. We even had visiting universities from the UK such as Southampton and Dundee who talked to us about the courses they offered in nursing and talked about the student life over there for Irish students. They told us of the many past St. Conleths students who were now studying with them or had studied with them and were now working as qualified staff nurses throughout Europe and some in USA and Australia.
Throughout the year we applied for colleges in the UK and Ireland through CAO and UCAS with the help and guidance of the tutors in St.Conleths Community college. They gave us the push and the drive to get over for interviews in the UK which for a lot of us was a huge undertaking and a daunting task but a great life experience none the less, but at the end of all that the reward came when we started to receive our conditional offers from the UK. A lot of us are now awaiting our results in order to start the next step of our journey and to turn our conditional offers in the UK into firm offers of a nursing career.
Unfortunately, our year was cut short from the COVID-19 pandemic as we were planning on doing a Disability awareness day and to have our graduation where we could celebrate our hard work (Which will happen in time). But with the help of the tutors we were able to complete our course by doing our assignments and exams remotely. For Anyone thinking of becoming a healthcare professional or thinking about college next year I highly recommend that you start with this course at St. Conleths as it will prepare you for your road ahead.
Thank you and I hope to see you all when I visit the class during a break from my college course.
Stephen…………… One of the Class Reps for 2019/2020
Stephen from Nursing Studies and Mathew from Social Care receiveing a certificate from Evelyn O Rourke IWA Athy Branch for their participation in the IWA annual Angel Day Fund raising event
Tommy’s Story from a confused Science drop out to a Cardiac Care Nurse
Hi, I am Tommy a cardiac nurse in Southampton.
I was asked to write a little bit about my journey in nursing. Get yourself a cup of tea because this one may take a while.
I wanted to be a nurse when I was 17 but life got in the way. One or two people may have even laughed and said nursing isn’t a job for men. I had aimed to go to Scotland and had my whole life mapped out. If you learn one thing, life never follows a linier path.
The dreaded leaving cert came, and I ended up doing a Science degree, I loved the people, the labs and the craic. But something just didn’t feel right. At the halfway point, two years into a degree I dropped out. It was hard to do, give up on something you though you wanted to do. I spent some time looking into what I wanted to do, I was working in a hotel and one day a family came in kids, mam and granny. The mam was finding it difficult and I could tell the older lady had mild signs of dementia, so I went over, chatted and helped to orientate the lady. It was at this point I knew without doubt what I wanted to do.
I phoned St. Conleth’s about their Pre-nursing course. I knew through the grapevine it was one of the best pre-nursing courses in the country. I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew was books and labs and now I had this new form of learning. A new type of learning that was focused around people and their lives. The educators of St. Conleth’s give their all and you know they have your best interests at heart. They want you to do well and succeed. The school crest is an acorn and it is so perfectly befitting. I gained a voice in St. Conleths and in nursing that’s what you need. In nursing you become your patients advocate.
I had decided if I got a place at third level having completed my QQI levrl 5 that I was going abroad, that was the best option for me. It was what I needed. We had classes on interview preparation that got me offers in London and Southampton I decided on Southampton. St. Conleths have very strong Links with them.
I am not a fan of listing my achievements as that’s just not me. If this helps get more people into nursing then I am all for it!
I got on a plane to Southampton in September 16th 2016. I didn’t have a clue what to expect. I knew about 15 people either going over to study or living in Southampton. It was heart-breaking leaving your family and friends behind. For the first year I just settled in dealt with the homesickness. I was quite in some ways. Then my second year came, and I found myself questioning gender equalities and that found a new voice. Maybe I was more confident, or maybe it was those little comments to 17-year-old me. I stood up and had policies changed and got involved with the University and a team of people who felt the same, we changed the student uniform to a striped one, the girls wore it but the men had white ones, people thought we were anything but nurses. This uniform change is aimed to go across England and eventually the UK. Once that happened, I became one of the voices and faces of nursing in Southampton university. I became a course rep and helped to voice the opinions of student nurses when they felt they couldn’t. At this point I said yes to a photoshoot for the university website. Little did I know it was going to be on the prospectuses, the walls of open days and eventually my face hanging from a lamp post.
I then got nabbed into talking at Open days. This was when things changed yet again. I never liked public speaking, it was never really my thing. I got up and spoke about how nursing how we are allowed into the lives of people that the rest of the public would never see. The moment we hear a babies first breath or the privilege to be with a person and their family in their last breath. I spoke about my first placement and the impact bring a person back to life has on you. None of this was staged as I spoke from the heart. People cried at how beautiful the profession is and so many wanted to become nurses. After this I was asked to go back to Ireland with Southampton University and interview students in Dublin. I had come full circle.
Things didn’t stop there, I got involved with trade unions and The NMC (Nursing Midwifery Council) by chance they asked me if I wanted to take part in a case study so you can read that on https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/shaping-the-future/case-studies/tommy-tierney-cassells/
Now I am a qualified nurse starting my career in the middle of the pandemic that is COVID 19. The moment you realise what you want and put your mind to it is half the battle. All you need is a little bit of motivation and support to start you off. That is what I got in Newbridge!
If I had to review St Conleths it would be 10/10. I would not be a nurse if it wasn’t for those amazing people.
To date they have secured Nursing places for over fifteen people in a university that is graded Third in the UK and Fifth in the World!! Not to mention many other universities both in Ireland and in the UK. Now that’s no mean fete!!
Hi, I am Tommy a cardiac nurse in Southampton.
I was asked to write a little bit about my journey in nursing. Get yourself a cup of tea because this one may take a while.
I wanted to be a nurse when I was 17 but life got in the way. One or two people may have even laughed and said nursing isn’t a job for men. I had aimed to go to Scotland and had my whole life mapped out. If you learn one thing, life never follows a linier path.
The dreaded leaving cert came, and I ended up doing a Science degree, I loved the people, the labs and the craic. But something just didn’t feel right. At the halfway point, two years into a degree I dropped out. It was hard to do, give up on something you though you wanted to do. I spent some time looking into what I wanted to do, I was working in a hotel and one day a family came in kids, mam and granny. The mam was finding it difficult and I could tell the older lady had mild signs of dementia, so I went over, chatted and helped to orientate the lady. It was at this point I knew without doubt what I wanted to do.
I phoned St. Conleth’s about their Pre-nursing course. I knew through the grapevine it was one of the best pre-nursing courses in the country. I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew was books and labs and now I had this new form of learning. A new type of learning that was focused around people and their lives. The educators of St. Conleth’s give their all and you know they have your best interests at heart. They want you to do well and succeed. The school crest is an acorn and it is so perfectly befitting. I gained a voice in St. Conleths and in nursing that’s what you need. In nursing you become your patients advocate.
I had decided if I got a place at third level having completed my QQI levrl 5 that I was going abroad, that was the best option for me. It was what I needed. We had classes on interview preparation that got me offers in London and Southampton I decided on Southampton. St. Conleths have very strong Links with them.
I am not a fan of listing my achievements as that’s just not me. If this helps get more people into nursing then I am all for it!
I got on a plane to Southampton in September 16th 2016. I didn’t have a clue what to expect. I knew about 15 people either going over to study or living in Southampton. It was heart-breaking leaving your family and friends behind. For the first year I just settled in dealt with the homesickness. I was quite in some ways. Then my second year came, and I found myself questioning gender equalities and that found a new voice. Maybe I was more confident, or maybe it was those little comments to 17-year-old me. I stood up and had policies changed and got involved with the University and a team of people who felt the same, we changed the student uniform to a striped one, the girls wore it but the men had white ones, people thought we were anything but nurses. This uniform change is aimed to go across England and eventually the UK. Once that happened, I became one of the voices and faces of nursing in Southampton university. I became a course rep and helped to voice the opinions of student nurses when they felt they couldn’t. At this point I said yes to a photoshoot for the university website. Little did I know it was going to be on the prospectuses, the walls of open days and eventually my face hanging from a lamp post.
I then got nabbed into talking at Open days. This was when things changed yet again. I never liked public speaking, it was never really my thing. I got up and spoke about how nursing how we are allowed into the lives of people that the rest of the public would never see. The moment we hear a babies first breath or the privilege to be with a person and their family in their last breath. I spoke about my first placement and the impact bring a person back to life has on you. None of this was staged as I spoke from the heart. People cried at how beautiful the profession is and so many wanted to become nurses. After this I was asked to go back to Ireland with Southampton University and interview students in Dublin. I had come full circle.
Things didn’t stop there, I got involved with trade unions and The NMC (Nursing Midwifery Council) by chance they asked me if I wanted to take part in a case study so you can read that on https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/shaping-the-future/case-studies/tommy-tierney-cassells/
Now I am a qualified nurse starting my career in the middle of the pandemic that is COVID 19. The moment you realise what you want and put your mind to it is half the battle. All you need is a little bit of motivation and support to start you off. That is what I got in Newbridge!
If I had to review St Conleths it would be 10/10. I would not be a nurse if it wasn’t for those amazing people.
To date they have secured Nursing places for over fifteen people in a university that is graded Third in the UK and Fifth in the World!! Not to mention many other universities both in Ireland and in the UK. Now that’s no mean fete!!
Nursing is an amazing journey. It is what you make it. Get involved, join in and support each other. If you want to see more of my journey get onto my Instagram to see what its been like https://www.instagram.com/tommytierneycassells/. If you have any questions about the course or want to know more about nursing, get in contact.
Nursing studies students 2018/2019
reflections of Nursing Studies students - 2016/2017
If you’re thinking about nursing I would 100% recommend this course! It is valuable year and I have honestly enjoyed my time at St. Conleth’s. Looking back now the year flew by and although the assignments were tough, it was so worth it. This level 5 pre-nursing course opens so many doors and gives you the opportunity to put theory into practice whilst on work experience placement. After the completion of this course you are qualified as a healthcare assistant and have the option to progress onto nursing, both in Ireland and the UK. My class and I went on a trip to trinity to discover more about what they have to offer. Throughout the year my tutors were very helpful in giving back feedback and advice. If you are even considering nursing, or didn’t get the points in the leaving cert I would definitely say apply for this course! Ella Tighe
Our overall experience of the pre-nursing course was extremely positive; throughout the year we gained new friendships and bonded closely as a group. We gained many new skills and enhanced our qualities giving us an insight to the career of a nurse. The one year course is very beneficial for those whom are considering the nursing profession. This course has many links into different colleges both abroad and in Ireland. We feel that over the duration of the course we were constantly encouraged and guided to succeed to reach the best of our individual abilities. We really enjoyed our wonderful experience in St. Conleths Community College and would definitely recommend it.
Jessica Caffrey, Roisin Howe.
Our experience in the pre nursing course at St Conleths was a very positive one. We got a look into what the career of nursing would encounter. We gained much knowledge that would be very useful for both our future college studies as well as our future career in nursing. We made many new friends as well as gained some amazing experiences both in the classroom as well as out on work placement. From doing this course we feel that we are extremely prepared for what lies ahead when we go on to study in college. We really enjoyed this course; it was hard work at times but incredibly rewarding at the same time. We highly recommend this course.
Elly, Ashleigh and Laura
Our year at St Conleths really prepared us for the world of nursing. It gave us a great foundation to build on. It gave us a lot of basic knowledge and we learned great skills that we will take with us through our journey of nursing. The modules were very relevant and interesting and they set us up greatly for our first year of nursing. This year has helped us to mature and become more confident as people which will benefit us for our future career. It was a very enjoyable year spent with amazing people with the same hopes and dreams as you.
Jade Gilman, Glenda Brady, Aoife Mc Grattan
Nursing Studies 2016/2017
Our overall experience of the pre-nursing course was extremely positive; throughout the year we gained new friendships and bonded closely as a group. We gained many new skills and enhanced our qualities giving us an insight to the career of a nurse. The one year course is very beneficial for those whom are considering the nursing profession. This course has many links into different colleges both abroad and in Ireland. We feel that over the duration of the course we were constantly encouraged and guided to succeed to reach the best of our individual abilities. We really enjoyed our wonderful experience in St. Conleths Community College and would definitely recommend it.
Jessica Caffrey, Roisin Howe.
Our experience in the pre nursing course at St Conleths was a very positive one. We got a look into what the career of nursing would encounter. We gained much knowledge that would be very useful for both our future college studies as well as our future career in nursing. We made many new friends as well as gained some amazing experiences both in the classroom as well as out on work placement. From doing this course we feel that we are extremely prepared for what lies ahead when we go on to study in college. We really enjoyed this course; it was hard work at times but incredibly rewarding at the same time. We highly recommend this course.
Elly, Ashleigh and Laura
Our year at St Conleths really prepared us for the world of nursing. It gave us a great foundation to build on. It gave us a lot of basic knowledge and we learned great skills that we will take with us through our journey of nursing. The modules were very relevant and interesting and they set us up greatly for our first year of nursing. This year has helped us to mature and become more confident as people which will benefit us for our future career. It was a very enjoyable year spent with amazing people with the same hopes and dreams as you.
Jade Gilman, Glenda Brady, Aoife Mc Grattan
Nursing Studies 2016/2017
Disability Awareness Day - Student Diary
On the 4th of April, St. Conleth’s Community College in Newbridge celebrated disability awareness day, in conjunction with the Irish Wheelchair Association Athy branch. The Social Care Level 5, Nursing Level 5 and Childcare Level 6 students took on a disability for the day, to hopefully bring awareness to themselves and the citizens of Newbridge. Prior to the day, there were posters put up around the town and two students went on Kfm radio station to notify people of the disability awareness day. We each were given a disability and a task to complete, to gain an insight as to what it is like to live with a disability. The disabilities included people in wheelchairs, visually impaired, people on crutches and living with a speech impairment. With each disability, we were given a task to complete to see if we encountered any challenges. These tasks included attempting to take a bus, to use a bathroom in a retail outlet, and to buy a coffee, all of which are tasks we find easy on a daily basis. During this experiment, it was evident that some areas of Newbridge did not cater to those disabilities, to wheelchair users in particular. We found that many places were not wheelchair accessible, such as no ramps or lifts to places. Surprisingly, it was not the lack of wheelchair facilities that was most challenging to overcome, but people’s negative attitude towards those with disabilities, particularly the younger generation. Although it was only for one day, it was a great revelation as to what living with these disabilities is like, and made us more grateful for what we are capable of. We would like to thank the members of the Irish Wheelchair Association who assisted us on the day and to the members of the public who facilitated us, we hope we achieved our goal, which was to raise awareness.
Aoife McNamara Social Care Student.
Aoife McNamara Social Care Student.
PLc nursing students travel to BUCKs university
PLC students from the Pre-Nursing group headed over to interview at Bucks New University in Uxbridge for interviews with the hope of enrolling for Nursing courses for the academic year 2017/2018.
"Our new students looking very smart in their uniforms as they prepare for the exciting year ahead"
Reading Lists for PreNursing available at the following link