Nursing
Nursing
Job Description
Nurses work as part of a team of professional and medical staff that includes doctors, social workers and therapists. Much of nurses time is spent with patients, monitoring them, planning and delivering care, and advising them on their health. Shift work is common in nursing, as is a busy workload.
Typical duties include:
Assessing patients and gaining their trust.
Planning and delivering patients care.
Monitoring patients progress.
Taking samples, pulses, temperatures and blood pressures.
Monitoring and administering medication.
Writing records.
Supervising junior staff.
Organizing workloads.
Providing emotional support to patients and relatives.
Tutoring student nurses.
Advising patients and relatives on health-related issues.
You are likely to work shifts of up to 12 hours. However, in the NHS, if you work unsocial hours (weekends, weekdays 8.00 pm to 6.00 am, and public holidays) you will be paid extra for these.
Qualifications and training required
The main route into qualifying as a nurse is to take a nursing degree in one of the four nursing specialisms: adult nursing, childrens nursing, learning disability nursing or mental health nursing. Some degree courses cover two of these fields, and are known as dual field degrees.
Most nursing degree courses are three years long, with the exception of dual field degrees and nursing degrees in Scotland. Nursing degree courses provide a mix of formal teaching and practical experience gained via placements.
Applicants who have completed a nursing associate apprenticeship will be able to finish a nursing degree apprenticeship in a shorter period of time than other candidates, as the nursing associate apprenticeship will count towards it.
All nurses working in the UK must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and revalidate their registration every three years. To do this, you need to complete at least 35 hours of continuing professional development and 450 hours registered practice over three years.
Key Skills Required
● Excellent people skills, including the ability to listen.
● The ability to use initiative and solve problems.
● Attention to detail.
● The ability to deal with emotionally charged and pressured situations.
● Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
● IT skills and the ability to keep patient record up to date.