How To Become A Nurse
As a nurse it is possible to work in, among others, clinics, hospitals, GP surgeries, nursing and residential homes, occupational health services, voluntary organisations that run hospices or residential care and the pharmaceutical industry. Once you have completed your pre-registration course, there are a multitude of module options available.Nurses also work in the prison service, university education, on leisure cruise ships or for the armed forces.
They help individuals and their families to live more comfortable lives by providing care, advice and counselling.
Nursing education
Before working on the national health service, you will need to complete a pre-registration course as mentioned above. There are many pre-registration courses available throughout the UK, and at present there is no set minimum entry qualification across the board.
The course is fifty per cent theory and fifty per cent practical. The first year is a Common Foundation Programme, which will introduce you to the basic principles of nursing. You will then specialise in either adult, children"s, mental health or learning disability nursing. Full time diploma courses last three years. Degree courses last three or four years.
You will need to be resident in the UK for at least three years to be eligible to apply for a place on a diploma or degree course.
Choose your Specialty
It is possible to choose to only work with a certain type of patient, and in a certain type of environment. You actually have the choice about which specific place you would be most comfortable working in. If you prefer to work in a clerical environment, you may choose to work in a clinic or in a nursing home. If the fast-paced situation is what you are looking for, perhaps you would like to work in a hospital emergency room or assisting in surgery. Some of the other nurse jobs you may pursue are: resident nursing, nursing for the armed forces, nursing education, or in the pharmaceutical industry.
Lets look at some of the most preferred nursing jobs:
Learning disability nursing
About two to three percent of the population has some sort of learning disability. Nurses who qualify in this branch of nursing help those with learning disabilities to live independent and fulfilling lives. This may involve working with people in supported accommodation - typically three to four people with learning disabilities live together in flats or houses, with 24 hour support. Some nurses work with individuals who require more intensive support - for instance, in hospitals or in specialist secure units for offenders with severe learning disabilities. Others specialise in areas such as epilepsy management or working with people with sensory impairment so that you can choose the direction and area of healthcare that you"d like to work in.
Mental health nursing
Mental health nurses work with GPs, psychiatrists, social workers and others to co-ordinate the care of people suffering from mental illness. The vast majority of people with mental health problems live in the community. Nurses plan and deliver care for people living in their own home, in small residential units or specialist hospital services. Some are based in health centres. It is possible to develop expertise in areas such as rehabilitation, child and adolescent mental health, substance misuse and working with offenders.
There are opportunities to specialise in public health, women"s health and to run specialist services, such as teenage pregnancy clinics.
Children"s nursing
Those qualified in the children"s branch of nursing work with 0 to 18 year olds in a variety of settings, from specialist baby care units to adolescent services. Children react to illness in a very different way to adults, which is why they need to be cared for and supported by specially trained nurses who understand their particular needs. Children"s nurses also support, advise and educate parents and other close relatives. Once qualified, it is possible to specialise in hospital and community settings in areas such as burns and plastics, intensive care, child protection and cancer care.
Nursing for adults
The number of opportunities for those qualifying in the adult branch of nursing is very wide. It is possible to work in hospitals or the community - in peoples homes, attached to a health centre or in nursing homes. You will care for, support and educate people of all ages. Once you have qualified, many nurses take extra courses to specialise in areas such as cancer care or women"s health or accident and emergency also preferred choices are critical care, practice nursing, health visiting or school nursing.