Sponsorship for public health service employees to train as a nurse or midwife
Sponsorship is available for support staff in the Irish public health service who want to become nurses or midwives.
To be eligible for this scheme, you must be directly involved in delivering care to patients or clients in a nursing/midwifery context. For example, healthcare assistants and multi-task attendants are eligible for this scheme.
If successful, your basic salary is paid for the duration of your nursing or midwifery degree programme. You will be expected to return to your substantive post outside of the academic semesters for the duration of the programme.
Who can apply?
To apply for this sponsorship scheme you must:
- have at least 2 years relevant service in the Irish public health service on the 1st January of the year when you apply
- have a satisfactory service record
- be over 23 years of age on the 1st day of January of the year in which you apply for sponsorship
You must also successfully pass a written assessment test administered by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) as part of the application process.
The sponsorship scheme is not open to public health service employees who:
- are currently undertaking a pre-registration nursing/midwifery degree
- have withdrawn from a pre-registration nursing/degree education programme within the 5 year period before the sponsorship application
- have deferred acceptance of a place on a pre-registration nursing or midwifery education programme from a previous year
- are not directly involved in the delivery of care to patients or clients
How to apply
Apply for a place on a programme
Apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO) as a mature applicant for a place on the pre-registration nursing or midwifery degree programme, at one of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) involved in the delivery of the programme.
Being offered a place by the CAO does not guarantee an offer of sponsorship.
Related Topic
Sponsorship Application Form (PDF, size 1,410 KB, 20 pages)
Sponsorship Information Leaflet (PDF, size 236 KB, 2 pages)
Sponsorship Flyer (PDF, size 186 KB, 1 page)
HR Circular 40/2020 Sponsorship for Public Health Service Employees (PDF, size 474.7 KB, 9 pages)
Pass the online assessment test
Register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) for the online assessment test
The assessment test is expected to take place in March/April but dates are subject to change. Please check the NMBI website for details about the test and confirmation of test date: https://www.nmbi.ie/Careers-in-Nursing-Midwifery/How-to-apply/Mature-Applicants
Related topic
Apply for sponsorship
Apply for sponsorship using this form: Sponsorship Application Form (PDF, size 1,410 KB, 20 pages)
Your Director of Nursing/Midwifery signs and submits your application form by email to PHSEScheme@hse.ie.
The closing date for 2026 applications is 5pm on Friday 12th June.
Submit your assessment test results
Email your NMBI assessment test results to PHSEScheme@hse.ie as soon as you receive them.
Awarding of sponsorship
Mature code applicants for nursing /midwifery sponsorship are ranked based on their NMBI assessment test result.
Sponsorships are awarded following Round A offers from the CAO in early July. All documentation must be received prior to this date.
After you complete the programme
You must register as a nurse or midwife with NMBI immediately after you complete the 4 year degree programme.
You are required to commit to work as a registered nurse or registered midwife in the Irish public health services for a period of 5 years after you complete the programme.
Contact
NMPDU HSE Dublin and South East Region
Phone: 087 441 6232