New courses will take two years off qualifying as a midwife or children’s nurse

STUDYING to become a midwife or children’s nurse will take up to two years less from next year on foot of the Government’s decision to introduce new nursing courses.

Two new “direct entry” undergraduate courses will allow Leaving Certificate students qualify as midwives or children’s nurses after four and four-and-a-half years respectively.

This is a change from the current qualification route which requires students to complete a four-year-long primary degree in general nursing before then specialising for up to two years in either midwifery or paediatric nursing.