How To Become A Nurse

How to become a nurse

Being a nurse is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, and one of the few that allows you to make a real difference to people's lives day in and day out. While it subsequently comes out top in job satisfaction, with those in the profession typically getting much more job satisfaction out of their jobs than your average office worker, it can also be incredibly difficult mentally, emotionally and physically, and not everyone is up for the challenge.

Qualifications and training aside, it takes a special kind of person to thrive in the nursing world, with a caring and resilient personality being not simply desirable but an absolute necessity.

What does nursing involve?

Before considering becoming a nurse or looking into a career in nursing, it is important to understand just what the role actually involves. Many people think nurses are confined to hospital wards and do the same things on a daily basis, but this is not necessarily the case – the nursing profession can be incredibly diverse and multifaceted. Registered nurses work in hospitals, community and primary care, social care, education, research, the armed forces and many other settings, often as part of multidisciplinary teams.

In the UK, nurses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and must meet its education and registration standards before they can practise.

Qualifying as a nurse opens you up to a wealth of opportunity, as nurses are needed not just in hospitals but also in clinics, residential homes, education, schools, on cruise ships, aeroplanes, the pharmaceutical industry and even in the military; not to mention there are multiple divisions, many of which are specialist, within the nursing sector itself. Whatever the area or role, being a nurse will always involve caring, listening, nurturing, communicating and teamwork, with patience and compassion being essential on a daily basis. You may even want to gain some knowledge of different religions to administer the right care for some patients.

In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the skills and qualifications required to get into the industry, focusing in particular on undergrad studies, postgraduate courses in nursing and how they can enhance not only your chance of becoming a nurse and landing a job in the first place, but also your performance and suitability to the nursing profession itself, thus ensuring you are able to go from strength to strength, and enjoy and sustain a long, stable career in the medical field.

Find your PERFECT POSTGRAD PROGRAM

What undergraduate qualifications are needed for nursing?

How to become a nurse To become a nurse, you have to undergo training, and to do this attending university is a requirement. In the UK this usually means completing an NMC‑approved pre‑registration nursing degree in one of the four fields of practice:

Adult
Children
Mental Health
Learning Disabilities.

Enrolling onto an undergraduate degree program is just the beginning, and you will need a certain number of GCSEs and A Levels to be accepted. Different universities have different entry requirements, with the more prestigious amongst them being more rigorous and demanding. Current guidance from universities typically asks for at least five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above (including English, Maths and often a science) plus Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels, T Levels or an Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject. Some universities may be more flexible and also accept alternative qualifications, such as a BTEC, though this will vary from place to place.

You will need to complete an undergraduate bachelors degree in any area of nursing, normally a three-year full‑time BSc (Hons) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or a four-year honours degree in Scotland, combining around 50% university‑based theory and 50% supervised clinical practice to meet NMC requirements.

If you are looking to specialise in a particular area, it is advisable that you apply for a course that focuses on that division, for example Adult, Child, Mental Health or Learning Disabilities. Graduates of other disciplines can often access accelerated two-year MSc pre‑registration nursing programs, which also lead to NMC registration as a nurse.

What are the postgraduate nursing options?

Though a three- or four-year undergraduate degree may sound like a lifetime, the reality is that it is nothing in the grand scheme of things, the course will fly by and be over before you know it! The training you get in those few years will prove invaluable, beneficial and necessary throughout your career, however you will also come to realise that it is also relatively basic when considered alongside the kind of work and challenges you are faced with on a day-to-day basis. Most undergrad degrees offer quite general training, so if you are looking to specialise in a particular area, you may want to consider one of the postgraduate courses that focus on this. Quite simply, you can never be too prepared for a job in the medical profession, and the more training you undergo the better you will be and the more you will excel.

It is important to remember that nursing is an increasingly competitive profession, and though nurses will always be in high demand, there will almost certainly be more applicants than jobs, and it is more important than ever to make yourself stand out and set yourself apart from other applicants.

Alongside work experience, something we will look into later on, obtaining a postgraduate degree is one of the best ways in which you can do this, and though not a formal requirement for your average nursing job, they are becoming more and more desirable by employers and will drastically boost your chances. Postgraduate study is also a common route into advanced clinical roles, management, education and research.

How to become a nurse

Postgraduate nursing courses available

There are many different postgraduate courses in nursing available, and what kind you study and where you will go to study your postgraduate course, will depend largely on the grade you obtained at undergrad level and which division you wish to specialise in. You will want to look at Nursing, Midwifery or Health Sciences departments at different universities and consider which is best for you. Well‑known UK providers of postgraduate nursing education include King’s College London, University of Manchester; and University of Southampton, among many others. You can also search for specific areas via the NHS Careers and Health Careers websites.

King’s College London’s Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care offers a variety of highly reputable taught postgraduate courses and research programs that will enhance your skills, build on your experience and drastically increase your chances of landing a job in nursing and enjoying career progression in the future.

Course examples at King’s College London include:

MSc in Nursing or MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice, focusing on leadership, clinical decision‑making and evidence‑based care.
MSc in Clinical Nursing and specialist pathways in areas such as critical care, oncology or community nursing, depending on the university.
Postgraduate diplomas and certificates in areas such as public health, palliative care and specialist community public health nursing.

Meanwhile, City St George’s, University of London offers an MSc Adult Nursing (Pre‑registration), a course which gives students the chance to combine theoretical study with clinical experience and is accordingly assessed through both practice and written coursework. The MSc Adult Nursing course typically runs over two years full time and leads to eligibility to register with the NMC as a Registered Nurse (Adult). Around 50% of the course is spent in clinical placements, making it the perfect opportunity to get ample experience under your belt whilst also furthering your studies and gaining an award.

Kingston University offers a flexible Healthcare Practice MSc/PgDip/PgCert and an Advanced Clinical Practice MSc/PgDip, which allow registered nurses to develop specialist and advanced skills alongside their clinical roles. As with most courses of this kind, the teaching is typically split between theory and practice or work‑based learning, with the chance to specialise in an area of your choice. Modules include subjects such as clinical assessment, applying evidence to practice, leadership and specialist clinical skills, depending on the pathway chosen.

Student case study #1

Nursing student case study Matthew Adlem, a former postgraduate nursing student at Kingston University, is now working as a practising mental health nurse thanks to the skills, knowledge, connections and support network he obtained during his time at the university, his lecturers' help and the placement he was sent on. In fact, Adlem was offered two jobs before he even finished his exams. Stories like this illustrate how postgraduate study plus strong practice placements can improve employability in a competitive job market.

Student case study #2

Nursing student case study Paulina, a postgrad nursing student at King’s College London is specialising in Clinical Nursing, a course she says has been "very challenging and stimulating" and has "enhanced my critical thinking skills and improved my learning strategies." On completing her studies, she is planning to return to her home country of Ghana and go straight into the nursing profession with her new found skills and expertise. International graduates who train in the UK and return home often find that a UK nursing masters degree is highly regarded and can support progression into senior clinical, leadership or education roles.

Do you need work experience to become a nurse?

Nursing is one of those jobs where work experience is absolutely necessary, and you will most likely have already undergone some to help you decide whether or not the job is really for you before committing to an undergraduate degree. Training also involves work experience and placements, though it is advisable to get experience outside of your studies, for example over the summer holidays – this will show potential employers how serious you are while also giving you the opportunity to expand your skills, build contacts, gain advice from professionals on how to become a nurse and also put your training into practice. Typical roles for gaining experience include healthcare support worker or nursing assistant posts in hospitals and community settings, as well as volunteering in health and social care.

Applying for jobs in nursing

Once you have completed necessary training, obtained a degree and feel you have adequate work experience, it is time to start thinking about applying for a full-time job and get your career in nursing started. Work on building a solid CV, and don't be afraid to ask for help from your place of study or a career advisor. Search onlinefor jobs, and take time and care with each application.

Newly qualified nurses in the NHS in England typically start on Band 5 of the Agenda for Change pay scale, with opportunities to progress to higher bands through experience, specialist qualifications and postgraduate study. If you trained outside the UK, you will also need to complete the NMC registration process for overseas nurses, which includes meeting English language requirements and passing the Test of Competence (Computer-Based Test (CBT) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)).