This is the first year nursing has come under the umbrella of the CAO. While this may seem like a small alteration, it is a big change for a profession which has been undergoing a radical transformation over the last three years. For the first time people will be entering nursing (with one exception) strictly on academic performance.
Being the first year, we do not know what the points for the various nursing courses will be. This year some fringe benefits are on offer - free uniforms, textbooks, meals and if you have to do your placement in a hospital away from your "base", an allowance.
A quota of places is also being kept for mature students. Traditionally, the use of the points system for nursing was frowned upon and those entering the profession were expected to do so because of a vocation to bring comfort to the sick and dying.
The Nursing Careers Centre (which is an arm of An Bord Altranais) used an assessment test and more crucially an interview to gauge if candidates had such a vocation.
But this has been abandoned because An Bord Altranais - which regulates the profession - felt the interviews were too subjective.
The switch to a points-based system, however, has not been welcomed by everyone and there is confusion and unhappiness in some areas.
The plight of one group of students has been brought to the attention of this column. Several hundred school-leavers enrolled last year on pre-nursing courses at Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) colleges, believing the interview would be retained, with points this year.
But last June the Nursing Careers Centre decided to drop the interview, except for those hoping to go to the Protestant Adelaide School of Nursing in Dublin.
The decision to drop the interview has caused anger in the PLC sector which says there should be a two-year lead-in time before such changes are introduced.
The colleges say because of the decision to drop the interview, many students will now have to do nursing in the UK or become nurses' aides, which is traditionally a lower-paid job.
This is because many of them may not have enough points and were hoping the interview would pull them up to the required level.
The guidance counsellor at one of the PLC colleges involved (Ballyfermot College of Further Education), Ms Julie Murphy, said second-level students were informed in their final year that entry to nurse training in 2001 would be on "points obtained in the Leaving Certificate and at an interview". She said students made their choices on the basis of this information.
A letter from her college to the Nursing Careers Centre states: "They chose to embark on a pre-nursing course at PLC level, rather than on a repeat Leaving Certificate course, in the belief that their experience both on the course and at their work experience would be advantageous to them at the expected interview and would give them the additional points necessary to get a place on a nurse training course."
However, in a reply before Christmas, Mr Eugene Donoghue, the chief executive of An Bord Altranais, stated: "I note that the group of students doing PLC-level courses referred to in your letter will not have the opportunity to increase points because of the discontinuation of interviews. The significance of the disadvantage is hard to quantify. I acknowledge that the expectation was legitimate when they entered the course."
Ms Christine Hughes, careers officer with the Nursing Careers Centre, told The Irish Times she was not sure if an interview would be available at this stage for PLC students. She said a two-year lead-in was not observed by the centre.
In his letter, Mr O'Donoghue says: "I regret very much that the changes are perceived as impacting negatively on the students concerned. I do hope many of them are successful in the competition as arranged for this year."
That remains to be seen. The PLC colleges are putting continuing pressure on the centre and An Bord Altranais to change the policy, but time is ticking away.
However, the CAO system represents a clean break for nursing and this year there is a financial reason to consider it. If you gain entry, there is a non-means-tested grant of £3,325 from the Department of Health which will be phased out subsequently.
This year, apart from the two main CAO lists, there are three other lists, all for nursing. They are for general, psychiatric and mental handicap nursing, each one containing 10 choices.
The courses run for three years, after which you will receive a diploma in nursing and registration with An Bord Altranais which will allow you to practise as a nurse.
The Nursing Careers Centre says there are about 1,000 places available in general nursing divided between about 20 hospitals. If you are interested in this route, there are different codes for school-leavers and for mature students, so be careful.
All hospitals, with the exception of the Adelaide School of Nursing, will solely use points to allocate places. The Adelaide school says it "provides a focus for Protestant participation in the health services" and its two courses (TR910 and TR911) will involve a separate application form and interview. This will be used to identify candidates who share the hospital's values.
Those who want to do psychiatric nursing have 12 institutions to choose from, where over 250 places are available. Those who favour mental handicap nursing can pick from eight institutions with almost 200 places. An Bord Altranais has several special requirements for entry to the courses. Candidates must be at least 17 years old on June 1st, 2001, have at least two C3s in higher-level papers and at least four D3s at ordinary level. Also needed is a pass in maths in higher or ordinary level (not foundation level) and one science subject at any level.
However, the colleges who award the diplomas also have their own requirements. What they require depends on what hospital they are linked to.
For example, for Trinity College you need a grade C3 in at least three higher-level papers. If you are a mature student (over 23 on January 1st 2001), there are two routes into nursing. You can present your educational qualifications and hope they are sufficient to get on one of the courses.
Alternatively, you may wish to be considered for a place on the basis of your mature years. If so, you must take an assessment test (a test of numerical and verbal reasoning, and decision-making).
The Nursing Careers Centre says previous nursing experience is not required and when you take the test at one college, you should be covered for other institutions. If the assessment is successful, you will attend an interview and if that is successful, a place will be offered.