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Registered nurses and nurse practitioners typically work within the same healthcare environments - hospitals, outpatient care centres, physician’s office. But there are significant differences in the scope of job duties and the overall compensation for each. Both types of nurses provide and coordinate patient care. But those extra years of nursing school allows practitioners to take the scope of their work even further. Mostly related to actually diagnosing patients and treating...

The National Health Service is facing a nurse staffing crisis of staggering proportions. With the increasing demand on the health service and the rate nurses are leaving the profession, there will be a 190,000 shortfall by 2027. For anyone considering a career in nursing, this presents an opportunity. However, while 95% of all registered nurses gain employment within the first 6 months of graduating, a career is by no means a given. Not least because to be a nurse takes a quality beyond a...

As support for mental health issues and enduring disorders increases, there are a growing number of ways for you to become a mental health professional. And to make sure you’re prepared to support mental health effectively, there’s an equally growing number of courses to equip you with the necessary skills. Becoming a mental health professional positions you to make a real difference to the mental wellbeing of others. The support you give provides a strong sense of fulfilment that...

Healthcare nursing and dental nursing are both great options for a nursing career. But if both careers appeal to you, it can be hard to know which to pursue. Both roles have different focuses and duties, ample job and progression opportunities. But the best choice for you will depend on many factors. Both types of nurse help patients maintain their health. They aid in the treatment of disease, injuries and infections, and provide patients with preventative care. Dental nurses...

As a nurse, you’ve committed years to learn the practices and procedures required to deliver healthcare safely and effectively to patients. Studying a degree approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council makes sure your education is in line with the current needs of the healthcare sector. But your learning journey doesn’t stop once you gain your registration. Nurses, like any other regulated professionals, must complete a certain amount of continuing professional development (CPD)...

No matter which avenue of nursing you’re looking to pursue, every would-be nurse must complete certain academic steps to become a registered nurse. There is growing variation in how you can achieve certain elements. But, currently, completing an approved degree in nursing is a required step to qualify. While there is great demand for nurses in the UK, getting a place in nursing school isn’t easy. Besides being extremely competitive, the entry requirements are high to ensure the next...

Nurses who work within care, residential or nursing homes are highly skilled professionals. They have in-depth knowledge of the many long-term conditions associated with ageing. And they’re adept at managing multiple complex morbidities and frailty. But if you don’t have experience in these environments, you’ll likely be unsure of what’s involved in the role of a nurse in a nursing home. Nurses working in these environments provide custodial care to adults with medical conditions...

Many people think patients with life-threatening or serious conditions are cared for by the same team of health professionals. Assuming that roles in acute care nursing are the same as critical care nursing for instance. While there are lots of similarities, these two areas of nursing have distinct differences. Both roles require nurses to look after patients under intense conditions. Patient conditions can deteriorate rapidly in either environment and both types of nurses must be poised...

Effective communication in any capacity is important, but in nursing, poor communication can be detrimental to patient health. It can also be costly for the healthcare industry, with poor communication costing the NHS over ÂŁ1billion per year. Which makes overcoming communication challenges in nursing a very high priority. From repeat visits to clinics giving out incorrect medications or patients taking the wrong dose, the repercussions can be severe. Nurses who communicate effectively...

Intensive care is an environment that is often thought of as scary, fraught, full of distress and sorrow. While tragedy can no doubt strike, the nurses and wider healthcare team in these units are some of the most efficient in the business. Their quick thinking, slick processes and constant patient care brings patients back from the brink and save lives every day.  Intensive care units (ICUs) specifically focus on treating people with critical care needs. They may have suffered a...

If a high intensity, energetic role that positions you to make a real difference in the lives of others appeals to you, you’d likely thrive as an acute care nurse. And depending on where your interests and abilities lie, this could be either as a theatre or critical care nurse. Caring for individuals with needs greater than the average patient requires a certain demeanour and skills. So, if you’re thinking of either role, you’ll need to make sure you tick these boxes. As a critical...

Working in the ICU is a highly charged environment dealing with both emergencies and planned major surgeries. Whatever the case, it requires healthcare staff to be on top of their game. If you can handle the pace, you’ll be a part of a crucial team that saves lives daily. But before you become an ICU nurse, it’s wise to make sure it’s right for you ahead of time. Any nursing environment has its challenges. People generally come into your unit when they are facing difficulties with...

Both teachers and nurses play major roles in our society. As a teacher, you would be helping to shape the minds of our children. Whereas, as a nurse, you would be providing care for patients and support for family members. In either role, you are affecting the lives of everyone you meet, every day. As well as both of these roles being very rewarding careers, there also happens to be a high demand for both. Within education, the government have struggled to meet their recruitment...

Every nurse will face trying, stressful and emotionally draining times in their work. Witnessing the many difficult situations where people can face challenges with their health isn’t easy. But nursing in the intensive care unit means you’re dealing with some of the most vulnerable patients in the healthcare system. And as such, there are certain skills you need for ICU nursing. Patients in the ICU need constant and close supervision as their condition could easily take a turn for the...

Currently, the entire nursing workforce in the UK is facing a staffing shortage. Though there’s been a slight increase in new nurses over the last couple of years, the need isn’t yet being met. And around 20% of the vacant nursing positions within the NHS are in mental health nursing. Evidencing that professional mental health nurses are indeed in demand. If you’re considering this career path, there are many reasons it may appeal to you over other areas of nursing. You’ll help...