Key Resources

For information about the different roles in nursing, education and training, and case studies, see the Health Careers website.

• Prospects job profiles:
  • adult nurse
  • children's nurse
  • learning disability nurse
  • mental health nurse
• The Royal College of Nursing is a membership organisation supporting nurses, with news, advice and information, including careers support.
• The Nursing and Midwifery Council is the regulatory body for nurses and midwives; their website includes information about training and what to do once you are qualified.

Training

• NHS Health Careers - Studying nursing
• If you already have a degree in a relevant subject you may be able to do the course in two years rather than three.  Degree and diploma course applications are made through UCAS.
• Nursing degree apprenticeships were introduced in 2016 and are advertised on NHS Jobs.

Further reading

• Nursing books in the University library at Y0.73
• Nursing journals available via the University Library
• How to become an A&E nurse in the UK blog

The skills and personal qualities needed include:

• strong communication skills, including the ability to explain, persuade, encourage and reassure
• people skills - being able to develop a rapport with people from a wide range of backgrounds
• a sensitive and caring approach
• patience
• teamwork
• decision making and prioritising
• resilience
• ability to work under pressure and cope with change
• organisational skills.

NHS Health Careers - Roles in nursing lists the specific skills required in different roles.

You might like to take the NHS test to see what health careers would suit you.

Think about the groups of people you might be working with once qualified, and try to get relevant work experience.

• working, work shadowing or volunteering in a hospital, care home or hospice. The York Teaching Hospital website has information on volunteering 
• volunteering as part of the Career Enhancement Volunteering Pathway at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
• working or volunteering with children, the elderly, people with physical or mental health conditions - see our volunteering programmes, or volunteer via Do-It
• support worker or care worker roles can provide good experience
• First aid experience can be gained through St John Ambulance or the Red Cross.

As well as work in the NHS, you will find opportunities with private sector healthcare providers, voluntary organisations, local authorities, education and industry.

• NHS Jobs
• NHS Trust websites eg York and Scarborough Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• independent healthcare providers eg Bupa, Nuffield Health
• some nurses work freelance via a recruitment agency, such as MCG Healthcare

For help with CVs, applications and interviews, see the Applying and interviewing pages.

• Look for work experience - relevant work experience and voluntary work is very important. It allows you to develop your skills, check that you are comfortable working in health/care settings and demonstrates motivation and commitment to your chosen profession
• Volunteering offers the opportunity to gain experience in a range of settings and with different client groups.
• YUSU Volunteering also offers a range of projects including KEEN, Minds in Motion and Tea & Coffee Club.

Read about York graduates working in nursing. Some went straight into nursing; others had work experience in other areas, or degrees from different backgrounds, before doing a nursing degree.

• Staff nurse
• Staff nurse in A&E
• Staff nurse hoping to work overseas
• Critical care staff nurse with experience of caring for Covid patients in intensive care
• Intensive care nurse
• Children's hospice nurse
• Clinical Lead, IAPT -trained in mental health nursing following administrative roles in the NHS

Find the full list of graduate profiles on York Profiles & Mentors.

Listen:

What do you actually do? podcast Calling the Midwife.