Further Education and Training Route
It is also possible to apply through the CAO for a nursing or midwifery programme through the Further Eeducation and Training (FET) entry route rather than on the basis of your leaving certificate points. Some colleges or universities offering pre-registration honours degree programmes in nursing and midwifery keep a certain number of places for FET applications.
To be eligible you must complete a specific National Framework of Qualification (NFQ) Level 5 course:
These are:
| Course title |
Course code |
| Nursing Studies |
(5M4349) |
| Healthcare Support |
(5M4339) |
| Community Health Services |
(5M4468) |
| Health Service Skills |
(5M3782) |
To find further education colleges that provide these courses you can search the Qualifax database.
Applicants must achieve at least five distinctions in modules including:
| Course title |
Course code |
| Anatomy and Physiology |
(5N0749/D20001) |
| Nursing Theory |
(5N4325) |
| Human Growth and Development or |
(5N1279) |
| Biology |
(5N2746) |
Please be aware that while you may meet the eligibility requirements outlined here, there is no guarantee that you will be offered a place on a programme. Due to the number of places available, a random selection system is operated by the CAO. Please visit the CAO website for more information about this access route.