UK Nurse Training: Become a Local Hero
This article describes nursing in the UK and how to get qualified via the NHS. Once 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 qualifying? 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 book learning and hands on experience with patients in hospital and community settings.
The first thing to decide is the field of nursing. 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 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 in the UK and internationally. It is easy to get a work visa. 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. Don’t stop planning once qualified – the entire world opens up to you once you get that badge.
How to Apply and access UK Nurse Training
Entry requirements for nursing degree courses vary because each university has its own standard. You are likely to need at least two (usually three) A-levels or equivalent qualifications at level 3. Also 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 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.) This allow you to do a nursing course in two years (rather than three). 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 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 their application process.
Online degrees
Since 2021, some universities offer adult nursing courses where the theory content is 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 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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