Nurse - Child
Look after sick, injured or disabled children and teenagers. Help them with practical care, and comfort them and their families when they are distressed.
Also known as: registered nurse (children), nurse (children's)
About the job
A day in the life – Children's nurse
What it's like
You would look after sick, injured or disabled children and teenagers. You’d help them with practical and medical care. You’d comfort them and their families when they are distressed.
You’d care for children and young people up to the age of 18 with a wide range of conditions. You’d need to gain the trust of the children and parents and reassure them in stressful and upsetting circumstances.
Because children are not always able to fully explain how they are feeling, you would use your skills and knowledge to interpret their behaviour and recognise when their health has deteriorated.
You would:
Work with doctors to assess the needs of ill, injured or disabled children
Decide what level of nursing care is required
Help parents and carers cope with having an ill child in hospital
Teach parents or carers how to care for their child at home
You would also provide practical nursing care. For example, you would:
Check temperatures
Measure blood pressure and breathing rates
Help doctors with physical examinations
Give drugs and injections
Clean and dress wounds
Give blood transfusions and drips (intravenous drips)
You’d use hi-tech medical equipment. You’d work closely with other professionals including healthcare assistants, doctors, social workers and hospital play specialists.
With experience, you could go on to specialise in an area such as burns and plastics, child protection, cancer care, neonatal nursing or intensive care.
Most jobs are in the National Health Service (NHS) however there are also roles in the private sector.
You can see more about this role in the National Health Service on the Children’s nurse page on the NHS Scotland Careers website. See the Learning and development section for information about career structure, progression and rates of pay.
Hours
You would normally work 37.5 hours a week, which can include evenings, weekends, night shifts and bank holidays. Many hospitals offer flexible hours or part-time work. Extra hours may also be available.
Environment
You could work in a special children's hospital or hospice, on a children's ward in a general hospital or, after further training, in paediatric intensive care. You could also work in the community, at a GP practice or at a child health clinic.
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Related industries
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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.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- effective communication
- midwifery
- nursing
- nursing care
- clinical nursing
- pediatrics
- medication administration
- wound dressing
- dementia
- care planning
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:
Biology
Care
Chemistry
Childcare and Development
Human Biology
Skills for Work: Early Education and Childcare
Skills for Work: Health and Social Care
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.
Entry is competitive.
You need a degree in child nursing (SCQF level 9/10).
Dundee, Glasgow Caledonian and Edinburgh Napier Universities offer degree courses in child nursing.
To enter a nursing degree (SCQF level 9/10) requires National 4/5 qualifications and a minimum of three Highers at C or equivalent qualifications such as a relevant HNC/HND or Scottish Vocational Qualification in Healthcare Support (SVQ Level 2/3).
It is possible to enter a shortened graduate nursing programme with a relevant degree in another subject.
An Access to Nursing course may also give entry but check with the establishment that they accept this prior to applying.
Qualifications that show understanding of health, wellbeing and care such as:
Health and Social Care (SCQF level 6)
SQA Wellbeing Award (SCQF level 3-5)
Once qualified you will need to:
Register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland
Complete a medical examination to ensure you are physically fit
You will need to provide evidence that you do not have, and have been immunised against, Hepatitis B.
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