Healthcare Support (Pre Nursing) – QQI Major Award

Both courses lead to the same qualification: the QQI Level 5 Major Award in Healthcare Support (5M4339). The difference is the module set.

The Pre-Nursing route has eight fixed mandatory modules chosen to meet the entry requirements for nursing degree programmes, including Anatomy and Physiology (5N0749), Human Growth and Development (5N1279) and Nursing Theory and Practice (5N4325).

The General route has six mandatory modules plus two electives chosen from eleven options, which suits learners aiming for healthcare assistant employment rather than university progression. Both cost the same and run over 13 months.

All eight modules are mandatory and there are no elective choices.

They are Care Skills (5N2770), Care Support (5N0758), Personal Effectiveness (5N1390), Safety and Health at Work (5N1794), Work Experience (5N1356), Anatomy and Physiology (5N0749), Human Growth and Development (5N1279) and Nursing Theory and Practice (5N4325).

Together they total 120 credits at NFQ Level 5.

The module set is fixed because these specific components are what nursing degree programmes require from QQI applicants.

A pass is not enough. Higher education institutions require a full QQI Level 5 major award with distinctions, which means 80% or above, in at least five components.

Most specify which modules those distinctions must include, commonly Anatomy and Physiology (5N0749), Human Growth and Development (5N1279) and Nursing Theory and Practice (5N4325).

Requirements vary between institutions and are reviewed each year, so check the CAO website and the prospectus of each university you intend to apply to before you enrol.

For nursing and midwifery programmes, yes in most cases. Several universities will only score a QQI application for nursing where the full major award, with all required components and results, is presented in a single sitting.

This is stricter than the rule for most other courses, where components can be accumulated over time. It is the main reason to avoid module exemptions if nursing is your goal.

Confirm the exact position with each institution, as policies differ.

If you are aiming for a healthcare assistant role, exemptions can save you time and money, and The Open College will confirm which of your certified modules can be carried forward.

If you are aiming for a nursing degree, think carefully first. Carrying modules forward can mean your award is not treated as a single sitting, and any grade you already hold carries over as it stands, so a previous pass or merit cannot be upgraded to the distinction you may need.

Email info@theopencollege.com with your QQI statement of results and tell us nursing is your goal, so we can advise on both points.

No. Each university reserves only a small quota of nursing places for QQI applicants, often fewer than fifteen per programme.

Because applications usually exceed that quota, the CAO operates a random selection process among eligible applicants rather than ranking them.

Meeting the distinction requirement makes you eligible to be considered; it does not secure a place. Many learners apply through this route alongside other options.

Nursing applications to the CAO close on 1st February each year, earlier than the general deadline. Work backwards from that date. You need your full award certified in time, and after you submit your final assessments, provisional results take approximately four to six weeks, followed by a QQI certification period.

If you intend to apply for nursing entry in a given year, speak to the college before enrolling so we can confirm whether the timeline works for your intake.

Yes. The award is the QQI Level 5 Major Award in Healthcare Support (5M4339), the same qualification employers require for healthcare assistant roles across the HSE, private nursing homes, home care providers and disability services in Ireland.

Employers recruit against the award, not the module set behind it.

Many learners take this route to keep both options open: healthcare employment now, and a nursing degree application if the grades come through.

The mandatory Work Experience module (5N1356) requires a minimum of 150 supervised hours in a professional healthcare setting. The Open College recommends 200 hours where feasible.

Learners source their own placement, and the Work Experience module is issued at the start of the programme so the hours can be spread across the full 13 months once all required documentation is returned.

Student work placement insurance is included in the course fee at no extra cost, and The Open College can issue insurance letters for placement providers on request.

Learners have 13 months (56 weeks) from enrolment to complete all eight modules.

Enrolment is open year round and study begins soon after you enrol.

Extensions can be requested during or near the end of the programme.

If you are applying for nursing entry, note that an extension may push your certification past the CAO deadline for that year’s intake.

No. Enrolment requires learners to be based in Ireland and to hold an Irish or UK PPS number.

Enrolments without both are not accepted. This is because the award requires 150 hours of supervised work placement in an Irish healthcare setting and because Garda vetting is required for all healthcare placements. Learners who have lived outside Ireland for six months or more will also need international vetting.

Garda Vetting is required for any course with a work placement involving children or vulnerable adults and is required for all healthcare placements.

The college will assist you with the Garda Vetting process after you enrol.

You will receive further information after you enrol and in the Enrolment pack email. Processing typically takes 2 to 4 weeks after applications are submitted.

Yes. Four of the eight modules include a written online examination: Safety and Health at Work (5N1794), Anatomy and Physiology (5N0749), Human Growth and Development (5N1279) and Nursing Theory and Practice (5N4325).

The remaining modules are assessed by assignment, learner record, project, collection of work and skills demonstration.