Connect: Do you want to become a nurse.

Being a registered nurse is a diverse and rewarding career in which you can really make a difference to people’s lives. Nurses act as a leader, carer and clinician, taking responsibility for the care they provide their patients.

Being a leader

Experienced nurses find fulfilling careers in positions of responsibility, often running nurse-led clinics, or taking leadership roles up to executive level. It is possible to develop career pathways in clinical, research, education and management roles.

24 hours in nursing can be busy and diverse — nurses don’t just work in hospitals. There are opportunities to work in GP surgeries, clinics, nursing and residential homes, occupational health services, voluntary organisations, the pharmaceutical industry, or in the military.

What qualifications you’ll need

To work as a nurse, you’ll need a degree in nursing and you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). You won’t pay university fees, as your education is funded by the NHS. You’ll also need to choose which of the four nursing specialisms you’d like to study — adult, children, mental health, or learning disability. Nursing requires a high level of technical competence and clinical decision-making skills, and you’ll spend half of your nursing degree on supervised placements in local hospital and community settings.