UK Nurse Training: Become a Local Hero
This article describes nursing in the UK and how to get qualified via the NHS. Once you are qualified, the World is your oyster for any UK Nurse. Use your training to visit countries, volunteer, do research or even start your own company. Did you know nursing is the UK’s most employable type of degree, with 94% of students getting a job within six months of finishing their course? So if you want a guaranteed job, this is the place to be.
Then, when you have your degree, read my book ‘The Ambitious Nurse‘ for more exciting opportunities.
Nursing Degree
Most people study for a degree in nursing, which includes both book learning and lots of practical hands on experience with patients in hospital and community settings.
The first thing to decide is which field of nursing you want to study. Use the links below to find out what the training entails and much more. There are a lot of changes from when I qualified!
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- Adult nursing (bit.ly/3sk5wRQ)
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- Children’s nursing (bit.ly/3MQj2pL)
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- Learning disability nursing (bit.ly/3VMyGGB)
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- Mental health nursing (bit.ly/3sjpvjy)
Some courses allow you to study in two of the fields. These are known as ‘dual field’ degrees. Once you have completed your nurse training and become qualified, you’ll be able to work as a nurse anywhere in the UK and even internationally. It is easy relatively easy to get a work visa anywhere in the world if you are a trained nurse. And UK Nurses are in high demand.
Buy yourself a Career Notebook from the £1 shop and make notes about each speciality and your preference. Consider what your goal will be. Do you need to do more research? List actions to move this dream along. And don’t stop planning once you have your qualification – the entire world opens up to you once you get that badge of honour.
How to Apply and access UK Nurse Training
Entry requirements for nursing degree courses vary because each university sets its own standard. You are likely to need at least two (usually three) A-levels or equivalent qualifications at level 3, plus supporting GCSEs, including English, maths and a science (usually biology or human biology). Contact universities directly (contact details are in the links below) to find out whether qualifications equivalent to A-levels or GCSEs are acceptable.
If you haven’t got the qualification now, some universities offer courses with an extra year, called a foundation course (a one-year programme that prepares students for undergraduate study); a great opportunity if you are choosing to nurse later on in life.
Where to study nursing
Find all the universities offering nursing courses by using the NHS Course Finder (bit.ly/3DjGjgo)
If you already have a degree in a relevant subject, you may get recognition for this (a process called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning – APEL), letting you do a nursing course in two years (rather than three). You can find courses using the same link.
Financial support while at university
At least £5,000 will be available to help eligible undergraduate and postgraduate student nurses fund their studies. Best of all, it won’t need to be repaid. Find out more about with these annual payments (bit.ly/3LamNYm) and the other financial support (bit.ly/3FbYWDD) available.
How to apply
Applications for full-time nursing courses are made through UCAS (bit.ly/3Ldxkll). For part-time courses, contact individual universities to find out their application process.
Online degrees
Since 2021, some universities offer adult nursing courses where the theoretical content is mainly delivered online, making it easier to fit studies around home life. You can search for the courses, sometimes called ‘blended’ courses on our course finder (bit.ly/3ZR3G9x)
Other ways to become a nurse
Registered nurse degree apprenticeships (RNDA)
A registered nurse degree apprenticeship (RNDA) offers a flexible route to becoming a nurse that doesn’t require full-time study at a university.
You will need to secure a position as an RNDA and your employer will release you to study at university part time. You will train in a range of practice placements, for example hospitals, GP practices, people’s homes and mental health facilities.
Most RNDAs take four years, but possibly less if APEL (accreditation of prior experience and learning) recognises your previous learning and experience. For example, if you have a relevant level 5 qualification, the length of your apprenticeship could be reduced to two years rather than four.
You’ll need level 3 and maths and English qualification/s to start an RNDA. If you have a level 5 qualification as a nursing associate (bit.ly/3F9vVZs) or assistant practitioner (bit.ly/3kX7HKZ), your apprenticeship might be called a ‘top up’ RNDA or ‘conversion’ to a registered nurse course.
Vacancies for RNDA are advertised on the NHS Jobs website (bit.ly/3J0pDMJ) and the Government Find an apprenticeship website (bit.ly/3T9vxQf)
Nursing associate
The role of nursing associate sits alongside existing nursing care support workers and fully qualified registered nurses in both health and social care.
It opens up a career in nursing for all and the opportunity to train to become a registered nurse. Trainee roles are often available in a variety of health and care settings. This means nursing associates have wider opportunities and more flexibility to move between different areas of nursing, such as community base or primary care and hospitals.
A nursing associate is not a registered nurse, but with further training, it’s possible to ‘top up’ your training to become a highly sought after UK Nurse.
Moving On
I wrote this blog as a preliminary to my book on the life of an Ambitious Nurse (available now on Amazon) which gives examples of how you can use your UK nurse training as a launching pad to start your own business in any health-related field. The book assumes you are a trained nurse, so go grab a copy for more exciting opportunities once qualified.
If you decide to bite the bullet and decide to train as a nurse, remember to keep the book on your bookshelf for when you get there.
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