Things to know before becoming a nurse in the UK
Apart the educational ones, becoming a nurse implies having or acquiring specific communication skills in order to support patients and their families.Becoming a nurse implies having or acquiring specific communication skills that will enable you to communicate well with doctors, a wide range of patients (adults and children), patients’ families and friends, but also difficult people. Some of the most important skills are the ability to:
- Speak slowly
- Speak clearly
- Avoid using slang
- Remember your audience (e.g., use the word ‘medicine’ rather than ‘drug’ when talking to patients
- Listen
- Reflect
- Use body-language
- Know your communication roadblocks
- Consider learning a foreign language
- Keep in mind other methods of communication
Now let’s move on to educational skills and the degrees required for this role:
- Degree-level nursing apprenticeship
- Associate nursing degree
According to GOV.UK, where you can find government services and information, in the UK new or existing NHS or social care staff can train through the new degree-level apprenticeship route, as well as having the option of the traditional university route.
The first solution will allow you to become a graduate registered nurse. You will learn at Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) approved education providers, and achieve the same standards as other student nurses.
Nursing associates, instead, will be trained and able to perform more complex and significant tasks than a healthcare assistant but will not have the same full scope of practice as a graduate registered nurse.
Nursing associates can carry out some of the tasks currently performed by graduate registered nurses, but they will not be a substitute for them. The introduction of nursing associates should free up registered nurses’ time so they can concentrate on more complex tasks.
A nursing degree apprentice will work and study towards a level 6 nursing degree and the nursing associate towards a level 5 qualification.
Becoming a nurse can be a fulfilling job, where compassion and empathy play an important role in assisting others and supporting patients and families. Find your career path with Jobrapido.
