UNISON Ulearn Northern Ireland

UNISON is running interview preparation session for members applying for a place on the Open University Pre-Reg Nursing Diploma course. There are a limited number of places and decisions will be made on the basis of interview. The following Trusts have places on the adult and mental health nursing programmes - Mater, Royal, United, Ulster, Belfast City, North & West Belfast and Sperrin Lakeland.

This is a workbased course which enables participants to gain a professional nursing qualification without having to give up your job. There are limited places available and they will be allocated using a range of criteria and an interview. These places will be open to any health care staff member in a Trust who meets the criteria but are targeted at those currently working in roles which give nursing and social care such as Nursing Auxiliaries and Health Care Assistants.

All prospective candidates must have GCSE/OLevel English and Maths (A-C grade) or equivalent. Equivalent courses include Essential Skills Literacy & Numeracy Level 2 but the Open University accept a range of equivalent qualifications which can be found here. Each individual Trust also requests additional criteria, details of which on each branch page on this site. An Open University Roadshow will be held in each Trust where you will be given information on the programme and have a chance to ask questions.

UNISON is continuing to lobby for an increase in the number OU pre-reg nursing places as this offers a genuinely accessible opportunity for members working as nursing auxiliaries, care assistants and health care assistants to access training to become a registered nurse.

There is considerable interest in this programme and decisions on allocation of places will be made on the basis of interview. UNISON is aware that many of our members may not have attended an interview in a long time and we aremrunning interview preparation sessions for UNISON members. Details below. Any member can come along to any session.

Timetable for Recruitment
Interview dates may vary than those given if more than one day of interviewing is required

Sperrin Lakeland Trust (Adult places)
Information Session – Tuesday 29th August
9.30am - 12.30pm in the Recreation Hall in the Erne
9.30am - 12.30pm in the Aisling Centre, Darling St., Enniskillen
2 - 5pm in the Seminar Room, Post Grad Centre, Tyrone County
2 - 5pm in the Green Room in the Tyrone & Fermanagh Hospital
Criteria available here
Deadline for Applications – 18th September
UNISON Interview Preparation Sessions - Fri 8th Sept
9.30 - 10am & 11.30 - 12.30am in Nurses Sitting Room in the Erne
2 - 3pm & 4 - 5pm in the Boardroom, in the T&F, Omagh
Interview – 9th October (note change of date)

Mater Hospital Trust (Mental Health and Adult places)
Information Session – Wednesday 30th August
10am - 3pm in the Atrium with a rolling presentation
Criteria available here
Deadline for Applications – 15th September
UNISON Interview Preparation Sessions - Friday 22nd Sept 10.30 - 11.30am & 5 - 6pm in the Boardroom
Interview – 4th October

United Hospitals Trust (Adult places)
Information Session – Thursday 31st August
10am - 12pm Classroom 5, Fern House, Antrim Area Hospital
2pm - 3pm Quiet Room, Ward 2, Whiteabbey Hospital
Criteria available here
Deadline for Applications – 19th September
UNISON Interview Preparation Sessions - Monday 25th Sept
10.30 - 11.30am & 12.30 - 1.30pm in Classroom 4, Fern House, Antrim Hospital
3 - 4pm in Ward 6, Whiteabbey Hospital
Interview – 6th October

Belfast City Hospital (Adult places)
Information Session – Tuesday 5th September
10am - 12pm in the Ennis Room
2 - 4pm in the Ennis Room
Criteria available here
Deadline for Applications – 22nd September
UNISON Interview Preparation Sessions Monday 2nd Oct
10.30 - 11.30am in the Larkin Room, Post Grad Centre
5 - 6pm in the Lecture Theatre, Post Grad Centre Interview – 11th & 13th October

Ulster Community Hospital Trust (Adult places)
Information Session – Wednesday 6th September
2 - 5pm in Kelly House. Drop in with rolling presentation
Criteria available here
Deadline for Applications – 22nd September
UNISON Interview Preparation Sessions - Wed 4th Oct
10.30 - 11.30am & 5 - 6pm in the Boardroom, Ulster Hospital
Interview – 12th October

North & West Belfast Trust (Mental health and Adult places)
Information Session – Monday 11th September
10am - 3pm in Health Education Room, Shankill Health Centre. Drop in with rolling presentation.
Criteria available here
Deadline for Applications – 25th September
UNISON Interview Preparation Sessions - Mon 9th Oct
10.30 - 11.30am & 5 - 6pm in Health Ed Room, Shankill Health Centre
Interview – 17th October

Royal Hospitals Group (Adult Places)
Information Session – Friday 1st September
2 - 4pm in the Samuel Irwin Lecture Theatre
Criteria available here
Deadline for Applications – 27th September
UNISON Interview Preparation Sessions - Mon 16th October
10.30 - 11.30am - Seminar room 3, 3rd Floor, Bostock
5 - 6pm - Personnel & Training Room, 3rd Floor, Bostock
Interviews – Week beginning 23rd Oct

Additional places on the OU Pre-reg mental health nursing programme will be available towards the end of 2007 and will be open to other Trusts.