Nurses in the UK are highly skilled healthcare professionals who strive to excel in their chosen field.
It can be a challenging profession. For example, nowadays, nurses are having to deal with a growing elderly population. Moreover, besides the emergence of new medical conditions, traditional health problems are re-emerging despite the benefit of vaccines and antibiotics.
Nevertheless, the majority of patients are deeply appreciative of their nurse’s ability to provide compassionate care, share in their joy and sadness, and offer personal support.
As of 2022, there are around 700,000 registered nurses in the UK, and almost half of them work for the National Health Service.
Many nurses prefer working in public healthcare because they get an NHS pay rise each year until they reach the limit of the top band.
As a nurse, you will be expected to perform the following duties:
As a new nurse, you can expect to work alongside your fellow healthcare professionals, including doctors and other specialists. You will also be expected to liaise with a patient’s family and carers.
The working environment and conditions often vary between hospitals and other medical facilities. Sometimes, you may find yourself working in a patient’s home.
You will have the option of working full-time or part-time for the NHS or within the private health sector. You may also need to factor in a considerable amount of travel time during your working day.
A typical day for different types of nurses
This is a diverse role where you will be expected to deal with:
As a district nurse, your caseload will include taking care of patients with long-term conditions who are having difficulty travelling to their GP’s surgery. Your duties can range from administering insulin to managing chronic wounds.
You may also be expected to provide end-of-life care to those who choose to die in their own home.
If you are working as a school nurse, you will devote much of your working time to vaccination programmes and health promotions.
As a hospital nurse, you will be expected to work a variety of shifts. You will begin by taking care of patients after the shift handover. One of your duties will involve spending some time with the patients on your ward and making notes about their condition and circumstances.
Besides administering drugs, during the morning shift you will be asked to take care of your patients’ personal needs relating to their:
You may also be required to accompany doctors on their rounds and then review their assessments.
In fact, a hospital nurse has a myriad of responsibilities, including:
Nurses on the surgical ward will often be caring for patients recovering from surgery.
Hospitals generally follow a pattern of either 3 shifts or 2 shifts per day.
The role and duties of a mental health nurse can be extremely varied, and every day can bring unexpected surprises and challenges.
Some mental health units offer specialist care for:
Mental health facilities also adopt less formal protocols and the nurses are less likely to wear uniforms. The idea here is to promote more flexibility when completing urgent tasks.
Community mental health nurses conduct the majority of their work in patients’ homes. They also need to handle their caseload, manage therapy sessions and run clinics.
There may be instances when a mental health nurse has to visit a patient in their home in order to avert a mental health crisis or a trip to the hospital.
A learning disability nurse will work with differently-abled people, primarily in the community. This means running clinics and handling caseloads.
However, general hospitals and mental health facilities may also require your specialist services. Here, you will be asked to advise staff on how they should care for their differently-abled clients.
The academic qualifications for a nurse are a minimum of five GCSEs, which must include maths and English, plus two A-levels (grade C and above).
People can also pursue a nursing career if they have a BTEC/NVQ in Health and Social Care (level 3), access to the Health and Social Care course, or they are classed as a mature student.
Nurses should also be able to demonstrate the following soft skills:
A proficient nurse will also have the ability to ask difficult and sensitive questions to ensure their patients will obtain the best treatment possible.
In the UK, nurses have various career options within the healthcare industry. They can work for the NHS or within the private health sector, and either full-time or part-time. There is also a strong demand from hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities. Nurses will never stop learning as they focus on specialisation and every day offers an opportunity for new experiences and challenges.
