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As a nurse, you’ll be offering healthcare, advice and support to patients. There are many different specialities you can choose to go into as a nurse, so whether you’re interested in working in mental health, working with the elderly or the very young, there’s a career in nursing for you.
What does a nurse do?
Exactly what you’re doing depends on the type of nursing you go into and the setting you work in. However, common tasks performed by nurses include:
- Cleaning and dressing wounds
- Giving injections and medications
- Monitoring patient progress and noting down readings
- Offering advice on a range of medical conditions and treatment
- Performing routine health check ups
- Supplying IV drips and blood transfusions
- Supporting patients and relatives
- Taking readings – for example, weight, blood pressure or temperature
- Using specialist healthcare equipment
What’s it like to work as a nurse?
Working as a nurse is challenging, and you’ll have to be prepared for long shifts and unsociable hours, depending on the setting you work in. If you’re working as a nurse at a GP surgery, then you may have shorter shifts, and work more sociable hours. Nurses working in other settings such as a hospital or a care home may have to work a mix of day and night shifts.
However, as well as being challenging, it’s a highly rewarding career which offers a lot of job security. Your work will benefit patients and their families on a daily basis, and you’ll have the pride of knowing that your work has helped someone to recover from an illness or you’ve assisted in their rehabilitation after an injury or made someone more comfortable.
In nursing, no two days are the same as you’ll be seeing different patients and addressing different concerns each day. Your job will be incredibly varied, and you’ll have the chance to practice a huge range of the skills you learnt during your training.
What skills do you need to be a nurse?
As well as all the healthcare training and subject-specific skills you’ll need, there are a lot of transferable skills you’ll need, such as:
- Ability to work under pressure
- Attention to detail
- Communication skills
- Flexibility
- Organisation
Some of the subject specific skills you’ll need are:
- Knowledge and understanding medical equipment and technology
- Knowledge of latest medical breakthroughs and discovery
- Understanding of different conditions and their treatments
- Ability to administer medication such as injections
You’ll also need to follow the NHS’ 6Cs – care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment in your day-to-day work.
How much does a nurse earn?
Working for the NHS, your salary will be decided by the NHS Agenda for Change scale. Nurses are usually on Band 5, where a newly qualified practitioner will earn £28,407 a year, rising with experience. If you’re working in a high-cost area such as London, then you’ll receive a bit of extra pay to accommodate the higher cost of living.
How to become a nurse
Study a nursing degree
In order to become a registered nurse, you’ll have to study an accredited degree. Degrees are accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Typically, undergraduate degrees in nursing take three years to complete, and you’ll need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including maths and English language. You’ll also need a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent Level 3 qualifications. The grades you’ll need in these depend on the university you’re applying to. Some unis may want you to have studied a relevant subject such as biology as part of your Level 3 qualifications. After graduating from your accredited degree, you’ll have to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Once your application is approved, you’ll be a registered nurse and able to apply for your first job!
Get a nursing degree apprenticeship
If studying a traditional degree isn’t for you, then you could look into studying a nursing degree apprenticeship. As with nursing degrees, your apprenticeship must be accredited. To study a degree apprenticeship, you’ll need to be working for an employer willing to let you study on day-release and fund your studies. As you’ll be working alongside your studies, you’ll be earning a salary, and you won’t even have to worry about your tuition fees as your employer will cover these. A nursing degree apprenticeship usually takes four years to study, and you’ll find opportunities advertised online. After completing your accredited course, you’ll be able to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Once you’re registered, you can start applying to nursing roles.
Learn more about nursing degree apprenticeships.
Find nursing degree apprenticeships.
Study a postgraduate qualification
If you’ve already applied to study a different course at undergraduate level, or if you’re not certain about nursing and want to keep your options open, then we’ve got good news. You can achieve registered nurse status by completing a postgraduate degree even if you’ve studied something different at undergraduate. Some courses will ask that your undergraduate degree is in a field related to nursing, for example social sciences, science, or healthcare. You may also need to obtain some work experience in a related role such as healthcare assistant to get onto a postgraduate nursing course.
Postgraduate nursing courses usually take two years to complete. At the end of this qualification, you’ll be able to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council provided your degree was accredited. One you’re registered, you can start applying for nursing roles.
