What is a nurse?
A nurse is a profession within the healthcare sector who’s focused on taking care of the patients, communicating with doctors, administering medicine and checking vital signs. They help manage physical needs, prevent illness and treat health conditions.
How to become a Nurse?
You can get into this career through:
- University course – The main route into qualifying as a nurse is to take a nursing degree in one of the four nursing specialisms: adult nursing, children’s nursing, learning disability nursing or mental health nursing.
- Apprenticeship – You may be able to do a degree apprenticeship in nursing if you work in a healthcare setting like a hospital. The apprenticeship takes around 4 years and is a mix of academic study and on-the-job training.
Nurse duties
There are many roles and responsibilities of a nurse, including:
- Check a patient’s vital signs
- Conduct physical exams
- Listen to patients and analyze their physical and emotional needs
- Stay current with advances in health care options, medications, and treatment plans
- Ensure patients are comfortable, well-fed and hydrated
- Writing records
- Tutoring student nurses
Nurse skills
To be an effective nurse, you’ll need certain skills and competencies. The following are often cited in job vacancies
- Sensitivity and understanding
- Ability to work well with others
- Knowledge of psychology
- Ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- Patience
- Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- Good health and fitness
- Observational skills
- Ability to use initiative
- Excellent teamwork and people skills
- Verbal and written communication skills
How to find a Sales Assistant job
These jobs are advertised online, in local newspapers and at your local jobcentre. To find all the nurse jobs near you, you need to:
- Search for nurse jobs on popular job websites such as; Indeed, Total Jobs and CV Library
- Use the DWP’s Find A Job Service
- Check local newspapers and local Facebook groups, especially groups dedicated to local jobs
Nurse Job Titles
When you search for a nurse online, be aware that the jobs might be advertised using a different job title. Popular job titles for nurse jobs include;
- Registered Nurse
- Nursing Assistant
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Home Health Aide
- Nurse Practitioner
- Licensed Vocational Nurse
- Home Care Nurse
- Staff Nurse
What does a nurse do?
The job of a nurse varies depending on the job role and the company you’re working for. Check the duties and responsibilities of nurse job advertisements to find jobs that best suit your skills and experience.
The day-to-day tasks of a nurse include;
- Give drugs and injections
- Take temperatures, blood pressures and pulse rates
- Help doctors with physical examinations
- Clean and dress wounds
- Work with doctors and other healthcare professionals to decide what care to give
- Administer medications and other personalized interventions
- Perform physical exams and health histories before making critical decisions