In a report from Ucas and Health Education England, nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) nursing applicants in 2021 said that they had been inspired by the pandemic to apply for a career in nursing, while about one in 10 said this was the most important factor in their decision.

It found that one in four applicants in 2021 said current healthcare workers were the most influential factor in their decision to apply.

Last year, leading nurses said that the professionalism shown by their colleagues during the coronavirus pandemic could be behind a leap in the number of students, with Ucas figures published in August showing that the number of students accepted onto nursing courses throughout the UK had increased by eight per cent since 2020 to 26,730.

Staff shortages still ahead

The Royal College of Nursing said at the time that the increase was “encouraging”, but warned of significant staff shortages ahead.

Patricia Marquis, the group’s director for England, said last year that “record numbers of acceptances does not equate to record numbers of nurses entering the workforce, as many of these students won’t qualify until 2024 and beyond”.

“There are already significant staff shortages in nursing and it is clear acceptance numbers are not keeping pace with vacancies,” she added.

Thursday’s report found that 99 per cent of 2021 nursing applicants surveyed said they were confident they had made the right decision in their course of study.

Ruth May, the chief nursing officer for NHS England, said: “The last couple of years, difficult as they have been, have shone a spotlight on the value of our nursing profession and the rewarding careers on offer in every corner of the NHS.

“We are thrilled to see tens of thousands of applications – and a record number of acceptances – to study nursing and are delighted by the contribution of the close partnership between Ucas and our ‘We are the NHS’ recruitment campaign to these results.”