One of the main people choose a career in nursing is knowing they’re making a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. Nursing is highly charged, and you will face fresh challenges every day. Regardless of the role you are in, you will always be helping someone in some way.
As a nurse, you will be able to specialise in different areas of medicine. This includes intensive care and accident and emergency to community nursing and mental health. They work closely with various medical professionals including doctors, healthcare assistants (HCA’s) to provide effective care to a patient.
If you are looking for a stable, in-demand career that offers considerable opportunities for specialising and varied work environments, then nursing is one of the most interesting and fulfilling career choices today. Nursing offers people consistent chances for continuing education and the ability to participate directly in patient care. Allowing patients to become healthier whilst you gain job satisfaction.
A nurse may educate patients on the management aspects of a health condition. Alternatively, nurses may provide treatment and support on chronic diseases or a temporary condition. A nurse will carry out procedures at the request of a doctor or a senior nurse practitioner. Nursing is a very interesting role that combines caring with medical knowledge.
If you’re a new nurse or someone considering a career in nursing, with so many questions about the career, you’re probably wondering what you can expect from a nursing career. Find out more below.
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What would your day look like as a nurse?
As a nurse, your days will be full of variety. You could be providing reassurance to patients who are receiving treatment. You may be tending to an anxious, unwell child who finds themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.
As a nurse, you will carry out many duties, so medical and routine, other holistic and entirely centred around making patients feel safe, cared for and heard.
Within nursing, there is a diverse range of areas to work in. Your daily duties would depend largely on the kind of nurse you are and where you work. Commonly, the nursing field is broken down into four fields. These fields are Adult nursing, Child nursing, Special Educational Needs nursing and Mental Health nursing. However, after your degree in one of the four fields, you can complete additional training to help you work in the department that you feel is your calling.
Daily Duties in Different Areas of Nursing
As an adult nurse, your day would involve providing care and support to patients suffering from a wide range of conditions. This could be anything from minor injuries to acute and long-term illnesses. You would be using care plans to support recovery, whilst carrying out procedures and evaluating the requirements of the patient, rather than the illness or condition.
Child nursing involves working with children of all ages, backgrounds, and medical issues. From minor illnesses to serious, life-threatening conditions, you will provide unwavering care while providing a source of support and positivity. Being a child nurse will also mean taking care of family members too. Especially a parent or caregiver who is staying in hospital with their child. Or having to manage the family’s expectations with regards to a child’s prognosis.
Mental health nurses work with patients, their carers, and their wider support network, in various settings and as and as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Some mental health nurses work within ‘in-patient’ settings, such as mental health wards within hospitals or psychiatric units, supporting the recovery of those who need a period of constant care.
Special Education Needs (SEN) nurses work in a multi-disciplinary team, supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals to maintain their health, wellbeing, and independence. They work with a range of individuals with various needs, from children to older people.
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Benefits of a Nursing Career
Nursing attracts people from all walks of life, and irrespective of the role they play, they are connected by a desire to help. However, commitment to helping others isn’t nursing’s only reward. Working in the nursing field can be a satisfying experience in so many other ways.
Opportunity to Specialise in a field close to your interests
There is a broad range of career specialities, that will allow you to broaden your experience, skills, and knowledge. In turn, this will better equip you to deal with complex or rapidly deteriorating situations.
Since the nursing field is so broad, it allows you to focus on an area that you are interested in. Most trainee nurses are drawn to an area of medicine that interests them, or that they have some sort of previous experience with. With nursing, it may be an area that you have suffered with, or someone close to you has suffered with. Wherever your interest lies, you can find a role to suit.
Type of Work
Nursing is a sociable field to work in. You will encounter people from all stages in life. You’d be working with a multi-disciplinary team of other healthcare professionals, which enables you to be constantly learning and broaden your interest.
You would be required to constantly think on your feet, and efficiently respond in emergencies. Some of the patients you deal with may deteriorate quickly. Although difficult, this will develop your critical thinking abilities, as well as provide a huge sense of fulfilment when the situation is rectified.
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Study Nursing
To become a nurse, you would need a nursing degree, from the above four categories, most commonly competed at university.
If you are considering a career in nursing and university, you’d need to meet university entry requirements. As each university sets its own entry requirements, it would be best to check with your desired place of study first.
Most commonly, however, they will ask for GCSE English and Maths, graded between 4-9 (grades A-C), and often, a Science too. As well as two or three relevant A Levels, or equivalent.
An Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing) is a perfect option to meet entry requirements. What’s more, it can be studied entirely online. Allowing you to qualify without having to sacrifice your already established schedule.
With the opportunity to work from the comfort of your own home, you can work around your current commitments. Whether that be childcare, work or otherwise. Giving you the flexibility to participate in your studies whenever suits you.
learndirect is the UK’s online learning provider. Offering a wide range of online courses, including GCSE’s, A Levels and Access to Higher Education Diplomas.
Take the jump into your new career by enrolling on our Access to HE Diploma (Nursing). Find out more by clicking below.
