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Health officials hope a new Jersey nursing degree course will encourage more people to enter the profession.

Jersey's health department is working with the University of Chester to offer the degree course.

A programme teaching some of the theory behind nursing is already offered but this is the first degree course.

It is designed for aspiring nurses and health officials say students would not be paid but their course fees would be covered by the States.

Initially, fifteen students will be on the programme and Julie Mesney, head of nurse education in Jersey, said it should be expanded into mental health nursing in 2014.