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Surge in Google searches about how to become a nurse

Search engine data suggest growing interest in nursing as a career since start of pandemic
Google search window showing search ‘how to become a nurse UK’

Search engine data suggest growing interest in nursing as a career since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Google search window showing search ‘how to become a nurse UK’

Google searches about nurse training in the UK have gone up by more than a fifth during the COVID-19 pandemic, research suggests.

The 21% increase is higher than for any other profession, according to analysis by e-learning provider DeltaNet International.

In January 2021, there were 72,805 searches for ‘how to become a nurse’, ‘how to train as a nurse’ and ‘retrain as a nurse’, increasing from 60,170 one year earlier.

Financial support for students and pay rise for nursing staff

RCN director of nursing, policy and public affairs Jude Diggins said the interest in nursing must be turned into applications.

‘This starts by providing full tuition funding and living cost support to make sure no students are forced to leave because of financial pressures,’ she said.

‘This needs to be matched by acting to keep the nursing staff that have provided such inspiration by giving them the pay rise that properly reflects their skills,’ she said.

Rise in undergraduate nursing applications

The research findings appear to echo data published by Universities and Colleges Admission Services, which shows there were 60,130 applications for nursing courses in the UK by 29 January 2021, up from 45,430 in 2020 and the highest since numbers for nursing courses began to be collated in 2007.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for a response.


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