NHS Nursing the UK
Nursing is a very rewarding and varied career and one that you can take part in in a number of different settings. Nurses form the largest staffing area within the NHS and their skills and support are vital, whether working in the Accident and Emergency Department of a hospital or within the community in patients homes.
Some nurses begin their careers working in supporting roles such as that of a Care Assistant and then go on to complete either a degree or diploma which then gives them their Nurse registration, whilst others may choose to go straight onto university to train as a Nurse after school. The NHS will help to train Nurses in either their degree or diploma and will normally pay tuition fees as well as the candidate being eligible for a bursary which may be means tested. Once you are qualified and working within the NHS there are many job benefits (aside from a rewarding and worthwhile career) such as flexible working and the support to continue training throughout your career if you wish.
Nurses need to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council before they can work for the NHS and there are many different fields of nursing to work in including:-
Adult nursing
Mental health nursing
Paediatric nursing
Learning disability nursing
District nursing
Health visitors
Prison nursing
Practice nurses
School nurses
Mental health nursing is something that is very in demand and this is not surprising given that one in three people will suffer from some form of mental health problem during their lifetime. Mental health nurses work with psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists and various other members of the team to help care for these people.
Alternatively, a district nurse will visit patients of all ages on a community basis, and often this will be within their own homes. A lot of patients will be elderly and may have just had a hospital admission and need help at home, or may have a terminal or ongoing illness and need support within the home. This kind of nursing is vital, not only to give patients the care they need to remain in the best health, but in this type of field, often means that they can stay at home rather than needing to be admitted to hospital.