How to Become a Nurse in the UK

How to become a Nurse. Our guide on becoming a Nurse in the UK.

Job Description

Nurses are persons who are responsible for the care of sick patients and aftercare of surgery patients. They give medicines and advice to patients, monitor them, and give assistance to colleagues when required.  Nurses are generally expected to be confident, Level -headed and willing to work at short notice and long hours, and capable of remaining calm in stressful situations. The hours depend on the department you are employed within. Being a Nurse is a good job for many people, but the key traits to have are a sociable personality, strong teamwork skills, and ability to work under direction, a good sense of humour, calm under pressure and caring.

Entry Requirements

Many Nurses start their career by attending university. In this setting, you learn textbook skills, and apply them on placements in local hospitals. You then attain a degree. You can choose to build upon this by majoring in a specific field such as disabilities, paediatrics, geriatrics, mental health or midwifery. There is a separate Midwifery degree program for persons wishing to become a midwife only. As these are all degree courses the entry requirements vary depending on establishment, but the usual entry requirements are 5 GCSE’s grades A-C including Maths, English and Science.

Responsibilities and Duties

Standard duties vary dependent on the environment in which you are employed. A GP’s nurse may find themselves in charge of minor procedures such as wart removal or suturing small wounds, or running of check-up clinics for asthma and diabetes. A ward nurse may find themselves charged with the care of sick or injured patients, and their job would be to ensure that the patient is kept well and monitored through their time in the hospital. A midwifes main responsibility is the safe journey through pregnancy and a safe birth. Mental Health nurses are in charge of ensuring patients with mental illness are properly cared for.

Working Hours

These may vary depending on the duties and job you are doing. Some wards work on 12 hour rotations; others are routine wards and may require standard set working hours such as 9-5. This is common in GP Nursing, where you are only expected to work during practice hours. Midwifery and ward nursing is usually 24 hours, and therefore you can expect to be called upon during any required time.

Skills and Training Development

Nurses can expect to progress through their careers with improving skills and knowledge as well as time served. You may find yourself qualified as a ward nurse, and deicide to change dedication to another style of nursing. Furthering your education in the fields of Mental Health, Paediatrics, Geriatrics, Learning Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, Rehabilitation or Midwifery could offer you career progression. Promotion to higher ranks such as Sister or Matron of the ward is usually gained through time service.

Average Salary

The average salary for a Trainee Nurse is £16,000 PA.
The average salary for a qualified Nurse is £21,000 PA.
The average salary for a Matron Nurse is £30,000 PA.

photo by: nurse dove