Becoming a Nurse in the UK

The NHS is one of Britain’s most treasured assets, and is also one of the world’s biggest employers. It’s no surprise then, that nursing is a very popular vocation indeed in the UK, and there can be quite a lot of competition for jobs. If you’re dead set on healthcare as a career however, then you’ll want to know just how you can effectively pursue a role in the industry. Read on to find out more.

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Mental Attributes

Having the right mind set is one of the biggest assets that you can have in this industry, because it’s something that your patients, employers and potential employers will all see. While having good experience is vital, nurses have to have the right personality, and this will take you a very long way indeed. You need to be ready to listen and be empathetic; caring for people is about so much more than just ‘fixing’ their ailments. If you’ve got the right mind set, then you’ll be far more likely to succeed in training, and convince that first interviewer to give you a job.

Finding a Specialism

If you focus your efforts on a particular specialism, it will help you greatly when it comes to job hunting later on, because you’ll be more qualified in a specific role. This NHS personality quiz is a great way of finding out what this might be, if you haven’t already started on your career path. The main areas of nursing are generally adults, children, learning disabilities, and mental health. You should have a look in your local area to see which areas offer the best job opportunities if you’re having trouble deciding which avenue to take. For obvious reasons, children’s nursing tends to be the most popular and therefore the most difficult to get into. Never try more than one avenue at once.

Skills and Training

Clearly, you can’t become a nurse with social skills alone. You’ll need considerable training in the medical arts too, and there are a variety of different ways of doing this, but ultimately you will need to hold a pre-registered degree in nursing, which means a lot of study. You can do this full time in order to become a nurse quickly, or you can do it part-time, and perhaps be an assistant practitioner at the same time. If you’ve got other relevant experience or qualifications, they may also count towards your degree.

Ken
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