Being a nurse is one of the most rewarding and diverse jobs out there. Not only do you get to make a huge difference to the lives of patients and people in need, but there’s also lots of variety, meaning it’s a career that can take you down many different paths – such as mental or sexual health, or working exclusively with children and young people. You may work in a hospital, out in the community or even the classroom – the possibilities with nursing are endless.
Take a look at this film by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to find out what modern nursing is really like.
The first thing you need to do, is to have a full understanding of what nursing involves. The average salary of a UK Registered General Nurse is between £25,654 - £31,533, and you’ll typically work 37-42 hours per week, which could include evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
You can get into nursing through doing a university course or an apprenticeship. If you go down the university route, you’ll need to do a degree in adult nursing that is approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). A full-time nursing degree usually takes three years. You may be able to complete a nursing degree apprenticeship if you work in a healthcare setting, e.g. a hospital. An apprenticeship like this takes about four years and is a mix of both academic study and on-the-job training. However, to do this, you’ll need to be supported by your employer. Find out more here.
First-things-first, you will need to be able to prove you have a nursing degree or diploma, one year of nursing experience and a registered nurse licence.
The next step will be ensuring your English language skills are at the right level. You’ll need to take an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or an Occupational English Test (OET). To find out which s the best option for you, read our blog.
You will also need to complete an online self-assessment to confirm you’re eligible to apply for NMC registration, which involves a Computer Based Test (CBT).
If you have questions about any of the above, please get in touch with the Migrate team who will be able to help, or alternatively you can take a look through our blogs, which are filled with lots of useful information.
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