Want to be a nurse?
Tuesday 29 September 2009
Fancy a career in nursing? Here’s all the information you need.
What is a nurse?
Nurses form the largest group of staff in the NHS, and are a vital part of the health care system.
A nurse’s role is to care for the patient. This involves:-
- Working with and assisting doctors in basic tasks and emergency surgery.
- Making sure that the patient is medically cared for and fully informed.
- Assessing, planning and administering medicine.
Who needs nurses?
Nurses can be found in all sorts of departments, including accident and emergency and children’s, maternity, X-ray and burns units.
They don’t just work in hospitals either. Nurses also work for GPs, in schools, in the army and in prisons.
A day in the life…
Nursing is a physically and emotionally demanding job. It can also be very satisfying. However, some nurses are required to work very long shifts. Night shifts are likely too.
On a normal day, typical tasks can consist of:-
- monitoring temperatures
- taking blood pressure
- taking pulses
- giving shots
- general monitoring
Although these are regular daily tasks, everyday is different. The outcome of the tasks can change depending on the health of the patient.
Nurses must always be ready for an emergency. They’re required to work quickly but efficiently at any point in the day or night.
Types of nurses
There are many different types of nurses. Each one works in different environments and institutions.
- Hospital nurses provide bedside care on admitted patients, and can work in more than one department in the hospital.
- Adult nurses care for younger and older adults with different health conditions. They also provide personal help like counselling.
- Mental health nurses work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists and others professionals to help care for people with mental illness.
- Children's nurses work with young people and their families to help them cope with illnesses.
- Practice nurses work with GPs, dieticians and pharmacists.
What skills do I need to become a nurse?
Nurses work as part of a team so you’ll need to have good team work and communication skills.
Nursing can be an emotionally charged job. To stay on top of things you’ll need to have the ability to stay calm under pressure.
You’ll also need to be very observant. Nurses regularly monitor the progress of their patients and should be able to spot even the slightest changes.
If you’re pretty squeamish at the sight of blood then nursing probably isn’t for you.
What kind of training can I do?
To become a nurse you’ll need to have a degree or diploma in nursing.
Both these forms of training are three years long and comprise of 50 per cent practice and 50 per cent theory. The first 12 months is spent on a foundation programme that introduces you to the basics of nursing.
This is then followed by two years of practice in one of four nursing departments - adult, mental health, learning disabilities and children’s nursing. For more info visit UCAS.
Following the training the next step will be to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
What are the entry requirements?
There are different entry requirements for each educational institute. Generally however, the entry requirements for a diploma are five GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above in English language, literature and one science subject.
The requirements for a degree are usually five GCSEs plus two A levels or equivalent.
Help with training
Luckily there's help at hand if you want to become a nurse.
Some students may be eligible for financial help from the NHS. This however, depends on the course you decide to do and whether you meet the criteria. If you qualify then you may get your tuition fee paid for in full. Find out more.
