A Breakdown of the Role: Nurse.

Nursing is a crucial supporting role within the healthcare sector. No matter which health-related service you look at, whether it be aesthetics, mental health, A&E or paediatric care, nurses will be there by the side of the people receiving treatment, to make sure their every need is met.  

For this reason, nursing is one of the most diverse and customisable health professions you can pursue. There are more than 70 types of nursing specialities you can work within, so it is possible to cater your nursing career around your interests.  

This is why so many people switch to becoming a Nurse later in life when they realise their current career is failing to provide them with any sort of fulfilment or sense of reward. By becoming a Nurse, you will make a difference in the lives of others every day and help them overcome the health-related challenges they face.  

If you’re considering becoming a Nurse, you likely have a lot of questions about the profession. To help, we’ve broken down the role, so you can find the answers you need and make sure this career is the one for you before making your move.  

What Does a Nurse Do? 

With such a vast array of areas to work in, it’s easy to see why people often ask the question ‘What does a Nurse do?’. This is because, for the most part, your duties depend on which kind of Nurse you decide to become.  

 

 

Explore the variations in certain nursing roles below: 

What Does a Mental Health Nurse Do? 

Mental health nurses can work with patients, caregivers, and the extended patient support network in various settings. These could be ‘in-patient’ settings like a hospital or psychiatric unit where you would support patient recovery or the ongoing condition management of those who require constant care.  

Alternatively, mental health nurses can support individuals living with mental health conditions out in the community. Providing education and guidance that helps them better manage their condition and reduce its overall impact on their lives. 

What Is a Paediatric Nurse? 

Paediatric nurses work with children who can have anything from a minor illness to a serious, life-limiting condition. Your focus would be just as much on supporting the family as it would be caring for your young patient. 

What Is a District Nurse? 

As a District Nurse, your role would be split between providing care and education. This is because you are tasked with visiting patients at home or in residential facilities to provide care to them and support to their families, which often requires education to both parties on how to cover some of the duties in the patient’s care plan.  

What Is an Auxiliary Nurse? 

Auxiliary nurses are also known as healthcare assistants, and they play a supporting role to nurses, doctors, and other licensed healthcare professionals. This is a great way to get a feel for the nursing role ahead of getting qualified. Your main focus is making sure patients are comfortable, but depending on where you work this could encompass anything from helping them wash and use the toilet to feeding, taking their temperature or monitoring their weight.  

What Is a Scrub Nurse? 

A Scrub Nurse works within the surgical setting. Once they’ve performed the surgical scrub, they set up the operating room and make sure all the tools required for the procedure are sterile and ready for use. During the procedure, scrub nurses will hand these tools to the doctor and perform any other supporting duties required. 

What Is a Nurse Practitioner? 

A Nurse Practitioner has completed advanced medical education so they can take on senior duties comparable to doctors. They generally manage common illnesses and long-term conditions. They can complete assessments, diagnose, advise, and write prescriptions, they can also make referrals to hospitals. They cannot, however, see certain patients like those under 5 and expectant mothers.  

The above are just a few of the many ways you can work as a Nurse. While the different nursing roles vary in some aspects, every Nurse is united in their aim to provide person-centred care which puts the needs of the individual above all else. 

 

 

What Makes a Good Nurse? 

Besides the necessary qualifications, there are certain traits that are essential to becoming an effective Nurse. As these traits directly correlate to best working practices, healthcare employers will be on the lookout to make sure you demonstrate the following: 

• Effective communication skills – in order to listen to patients and clarify treatment plans 
• Emotional resilience – to remain composed and professional when dealing with patients under difficult circumstances 
• Independent working – for community working and other solo tasks 
• Good observation – to monitor patient conditions effectively 
• Ability to juggle tasks – so you can deal with multiple patients at one time  
• Teamworking skills – for effective collaboration in larger healthcare teams  
• Speed and efficiency – to keep up without making mistakes in a fast-paced environment 
• Organisation - to keep on top of your workload, be dependable and on time  
• Be empathetic, sensitive, and respectful – to provide patient-centred care and support patients experiencing any issues 

How Much Does a Nurse Earn? 

Before you make the move into a nursing career, one of the key factors you will want to clarify is the wage that you will be paid. Like many careers, the Nurse pay scale goes up with experience. Though, when working in the National Health Service (NHS), this will be in line with their banding system.  

An NHS Nurse starting salary provides newly qualified nurses with £25,655 per year, which is equivalent to their entry Band 5 salary. 

The NHS Nurse salary goes up from here with experience, in Band 5 you can earn up to £31,534 with time. As you develop as a Nurse, you can apply for new Nurse roles within a higher banding to further increase your wage. In some cases, this requires further training or qualifications.  

Most experienced nurses work in Band 6 or 7, with salaries ranging from £32,306 to £45,839 per year. If you want to earn one of the highest wages, you could pursue the role of a Nurse Consultant. These Nurse professionals typically sit in Band 8a, earning between £47,126 to 53,219. 

The average Nurse salary, UK learners will be pleased to hear, currently comes in at £33,384 per year. Private nursing employment opportunities also offer a range of salaries, you can tend to find these newly qualified Nurse jobs in private hospitals, nursing homes and in the patients' own homes. 

How Many Hours Does a Nurse Work Per Week? 

As a full-time NHS Nurse, you can expect to work 37.5 hours per week, which doesn’t include meal breaks. In most cases, this is in 12-hour shifts from 7am to 7pm, or 7pm to 7am.  

 

 

Can a Nurse Become a Doctor? 

Yes, they can! Many nurses find that once they have worked in the profession of a Nurse for some time, they want to take the next step and train to become a Doctor. This is entirely possible, a Nurse, like any other aspiring Doctor, would need to complete a set training course. This includes 5,500 hours of training and a minimum of five years to become a Doctor.  

However, there is potential for this to become a quicker process in the future, as nurses existing healthcare knowledge and skills will ideally be taken into account.  

How to Become a Nurse 

To become a Nurse in the UK, you need to complete a nursing degree that is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). If you are wondering how long does it take to become a Nurse, UK learners will have to take into account the current qualifications they hold.  

A nursing degree will last a minimum of three years, four if you decide to do a year in industry in a sandwich degree. If you already hold the qualifications required to meet the entry requirements of a nursing degree, this is all the time it will take you to qualify. If you don’t, you will need to complete these qualifications first, which will add more time to the process.  

What Courses Do I Need to Be a Nurse? 

If you fall into the latter category, you will no doubt be wondering ‘What courses do you need for nursing?’. Nursing degree requirements can vary between institutions as each sets its own. Certain qualifications may also be desirable over others depending on the type of nursing degree you are interested in.  

What GCSEs Do You need to be a Nurse? 

Most universities will want to see 5 GCSEs, including Maths and English and often a Science at grade C/4 or above. If you don’t have English and Maths, many accept Functional Skills Level 2 qualifications in their place. 

What A Levels Do You Need to Be a Nurse?  

Most universities will expect to see at least 2 A Levels in one of the following subjects:  

• Biology 
• Chemistry 
• Physics 
• Applied Science 
• Health and Social Care 
• Psychology 
• Sociology 
• Physical Education 

It’s worth noting that some universities may specify qualifications in Biology or Chemistry. 

 

 

Alternatives to A Levels for Nursing Degrees 

If you don’t have A Levels, there is a quicker way of ticking the Level 3 qualification box than going back to college to study multiple subjects. Access to Higher Education Diplomas are a widely accepted alternative to A Levels, where you can gain the equivalent of three individual A Levels in one course.  

With an online Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing), you will gain the ideal foundation of knowledge and study skills for degree-level learning. 

How Long is a Nursing Course? 

The online Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing) course provides a flexible way to study, and the ability to achieve your Level 3 qualification quickly. As all the nursing course materials are online, you can work through them at your pace, which gives learners the chance to blitz through them if they have the time.  

While you have a full year to complete the online Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing), as long as you submit your assessments in line with your Individual Learning Plan, you can complete the modules when you’re ready. 

This is how most of the distance learning students with Stonebridge Associated Colleges finish their nursing course in 9-12 months. So, you could well be on the way to university within a year! 

Can I Train to be a Nurse at 50? 

Absolutely! There are no upper age limits on Access to Higher Education Diplomas or approved nursing degrees. This has been a facilitating factor in so many people deciding to go back into study in order to become a nurse in later life.  

Now, there are a host of graduate nurses of all ages, it’s also refreshing to see the number of male nurses is increasing over time too.  

What Does Nursing Course Involve? 

When you study an online Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing) with Stonebridge Associated Colleges, you cover a host of role essential topics including: 

• Health and Wellbeing  
• Cell Biology  
• The History of the National Health Service 
• Human Nutrition and The Digestive System  
• The Roles and Responsibilities of the Registered Nurse 
• Introduction to Psychology   
• The Human Endocrine and Nervous System 
• Social Factors in Health and Social Care 

You will also cover modules on: 

• Understanding Dementia 
• The Human Muscular and Skeletal System 
• Classification and Use of Social Drugs and Medicines 
• Mental Health and Illness 
• Human Immunity 
• Understanding Poverty 
• Health Promotion 
• Human Disease and Prevention    
• Equality and Diversity within Healthcare   

Through these online modules, you will gain the ideal introduction to nursing studies that will see you hit the ground running in your degree.  

How Many Types of Nursing Courses are There? 

There are various nursing degrees and additional nursing courses you can study which can help align you to certain roles within the nursing sector. Each nursing degree must follow a similar NMC approved syllabus, but their focus can differ between four key areas: 

• Adult nursing 
• Children’s nursing 
• Mental health nursing 
• Learning disability nursing 

Some universities allow you to choose a combined nursing degree, adult nursing with mental health nursing, for instance. These can take four years to complete but can provide a more rounded knowledge of various areas of nursing.  

If you were wondering how to become a Mental Health Nurse, your best bet would be taking a mental health nursing degree or a combined one that covers this area in some depth.  

 

 

Where to Do Nursing Courses?  

Online nursing courses have provided newfound flexibility in nursing education and have enabled many more learners to fulfil their ambition of moving into this career.  

If you are looking to meet the entry requirements for an approved nursing degree, studying an online Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing) can be a hassle-free way of getting the qualification you need.  

You can simply enrol online and complete the course at your pace. So, if you are studying around your current job or while you look after children, there’s no pressure. You can log on and learn when it suits and work towards your professional goal on your terms.  

Enrol Today! 

Stonebridge Associated Colleges is a leading UK distance learning provider, helping thousands of learners achieve their academic and career goals each year.  

Find out more now by speaking to one of our Course Executives on 0121 392 8288, or by contacting us online.