University denies rejecting applications for nursing courses

The University this afternoon denied that the intake of students for nursing courses would be lower than last year's, saying that 165 applicants had been accepted.

Reacting to a statement by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN), (see http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100726/local/nurses-union-puzzled-by-university-course-refusals ) the University also denied having rejected some applications for the nursing or other courses. All applications made until closing time had been accepted and were being considered, the University said.

The University said that until the closing date on Friday, it received applications 5,791 applications for courses where the intake is restricted.

Applications for the other courses are still being received.

The following applications were received for the nursing courses:

B.Sc. (Hons) Nursing - first preference applications: 75

B.Sc. (Hons) Nursing - second preference applications: 49

Prep. Prog. Dip. Nursing - first preference applications: 136

Prep. Prog. Dip. Nursing - second second preference: 45

Total first preference applications: 211

The University said applications would be accepted as follows:

100 students - B.Sc. (Hons) Nursing

42 students - Diploma in Health Science (Nursing)

Preparatory Programmes - 23 students who do not hold the necessary qualifications and were rejected when they applied last year. These applicants, who are Nursing Aides, have undergone an academic proficiency test . They are being accepted as mature students.

Should there be fewer than 100 qualified applicants for the Bachelor course, the remaining places would be added to the 42 posts for the diploma course.

The University said it was accepting the highest number of students possible. No more applicants could be accepted for the nursing courses because 165 was the maximum number which could be handled at hospital for practical sessions.

In the academic year 2010/11 there will be a total of 342 students in nursing courses.

The MUMN had said that it could not understand how the university had "refused" a number of prospective nursing students when the country still needed more nurses.

The union said it had received calls from young people and their relatives complaining that the university had refused their application to join the course. It said that when contacted, the university had told the applicants that since the available 140 seats on the course had been reached, further online applications could not be accepted.