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Nurse

Alternative titles for this job include Adult nurse

Nurses care for adults who are sick, injured or have physical disabilities. They work in hospitals, clinics, hospices and patients' homes.

Average salary (a year)

£32,000 Starter

to

£48,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 42

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

Meet Adele

Adele is a specialist nurse in infection prevention and control.

1 minute 1 second watch

View transcript

So I'm Adele. I work for infection prevention and control. And I'm a specialist nurse in there and we are in Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Doctors would ask you a lot of questions about your patients, and the patients would ask you a lot of things as well. So you're just that person that they can depend on when it comes to information.

So I think that nurses need to be a really good advocate for patients - your patients’ confidant as well. So they always tell you what they want: what they want, what they need, and how they feel.

The best advice that I could give is that you would need to be really prepared, need to prepare yourself. If this is something that you really want to do, I know that you'd be able to do it if you put your heart into it.

I know that if you've got this mindset already, you just need to make sure that you follow it through and through and just don't stop. Just keep on going. Yeah.

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • a conversion course from another branch of nursing

University

You can do a degree in adult nursing approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

You might be able to get extra student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

You may be able to join the second year of a nursing degree if you already have a degree in:

  • a health-related subject
  • psychology
  • life sciences
  • social work

Full-time courses usually take 3 years.

Armed forces

You can also train to be a nurse in the armed forces. You can find more information at:

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 2 or 3 A levels, including a science, or a level 3 diploma or access to higher education in health, science or nursing

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a Registered Nurse Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship if you work in a healthcare setting, like a hospital.

This takes around 4 years and is a mix of academic study and on-the-job training.

You'll need the support of your employer to do a degree apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could work as an assistant practitioner or nursing associate and study for a shortened nursing degree to qualify as a registered adult nurse.

Volunteering

You'll find it helpful to get some relevant experience before you apply for nurse training.

You could:

Other Routes

If you're already a registered nurse, for example in mental health nursing, you may be able to complete a conversion course to become an adult nurse. Courses normally take between 1 and 2 years.

More Information

Registration

Career tips

You'll be expected to show how you would use NHS values in your work, when applying for a course or apprenticeship.

Further information

You can find advice about how to become a nurse from the Nursing & Midwifery Council and Health Careers.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • a desire to help people
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • knowledge of patient psychology
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a nurse, you could:

  • assess patient needs to see if they require immediate attention
  • draw up treatment care plans
  • check patients' temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate
  • administer certain medicines, treat wounds and set up drips
  • monitor patient progress and update medical records
  • build trusting relationships with patients
  • work closely with doctors and the wider healthcare team
  • advise patients and their families on how to give ongoing care at home

Working environment

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, at a hospice, at an adult care home, at a client's home or in a prison.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could:

  • become a clinical team leader, ward manager, or move into a management role like matron or director of nursing
  • specialise in an area like intensive care, infection control or operating theatre work
  • train to become a midwife, health visitor, district nurse or practice nurse
  • become an advanced nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or nurse consultant, if you have a postgraduate qualification
  • move into teaching and research

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a nurse right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Access to HE - Nursing

  • Provider: Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC)
  • Start date: 09 September 2026
  • Location: Harrow

Access to HE Diploma (Nursing)

  • Provider: BOCK CONSULTANCY & PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED
  • Start date: Flexible
  • Location: Not known
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Search further careers

Related careers

Skills assessment

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Speak to an adviser

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