Transitioning to a positive and sustained post-school destination

Created by The University of Stirling School of Nursing, the aim of the Pre-nursing Scholarship (PNS) was to provide health care experience for pupils in secondary education from remote and rural areas of the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. The impact of this scholarship was then assessed to find out if it had an impact on school pupils who were considering a career in nursing.

Initial evaluation of the two-year PNS pilot found that immediately after participation in the PNS there was an increase in the percentage of pupils who indicated that they ‘definitely’ wanted to pursue a nursing career. Most pupils also strongly agreed that the PNS had put them in a ‘better position’ to decide whether nursing was right for them.

Going forward, it is important to understand whether and how the PNS aided school pupils’ decision-making and transition into post-school destinations, and their perceptions of whether involvement in the PNS prepared them for entry to education or employment, as a student nurse or in another discipline or career. Understanding this long-term effect will aid the future development of the PNS and its adaptation by other Schools of Nursing.

For more: see the information on the right-hand side.