Nurse - Adult
Care for adults who are sick, injured or disabled and offer vital support – you'll make a difference when it matters most.
Also known as: registered nurse (adult)
About the job
What it's like
Are you a caring, compassionate person who loves helping others? If so, you may be interested in a career as a nurse!
As a nurse, you'll care for adults who're sick, injured or disabled. You'll support them and their families throughout their illness, especially at times when they're anxious or upset.
You'll work with doctors to give patients practical medical care. Nurses respond sensitively to each person's needs so they feel safe and looked after. It's your job to help any person without judgement and respect patient confidentiality.
There are also opportunities for you to specialise in an area you're particularly interested in! For example, you could work in accident and emergency, cardiac rehabilitation, outpatients or neonatal nursing. You could even do operating theatre work.
Your tasks might include:
listening to patients and try to understand their worries
checking temperatures
measuring blood pressure and breathing rates, occasionally carrying out procedures like blood transfusions
helping doctors to examine patients
giving people medication and injections
cleaning and dressing wounds
Nurses aren't just found in hospitals. Many nurses work in the community at a GP's surgery, health centre or clinic. Most jobs are in the National Health Service (NHS) but you could also work at private hospitals, nursing homes, schools, colleges, the prison service or in the Armed Forces.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
NHS – learn about nursing careers
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) – get details of the standards for nursing training
Royal College of Nursing – find advice on becoming a nurse
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
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Life sciences -
Healthcare
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- developing a plan
- social conscience
- empathising
- researching
- verbal communication
- listening
- supporting
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Care
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Chemistry
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Childcare and Development
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Human Biology
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Skills for Work: Health and Social Care
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services and Healthcare
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You'll need a degree to work as a nurse in Scotland.
University
Nurses must have a degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject, such as Nursing.
Use the My World of Work course search to find nursing degrees.
College
Are you already working in healthcare? Or perhaps you don't have the qualifications you need to get in to a Nursing degree?
You can do a HNC in Healthcare Practice. This is a stepping stone towards a Nursing degree.
Apprenticeships
Want to build some relevant skills or gain more qualifications before going to university? You might want to consider a Modern Apprenticeship in Healthcare Support.
Getting work experience in a relevant role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become an adult nurse. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
Once you've qualified as a nurse, you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
All nurses must be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
You'll need to complete a medical examination to make sure you're physically fit.
You'll need to provide evidence that you do not have, and have been immunised against, Hepatitis B.
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