Food Hygiene
Health & Safety
Safeguarding
First Aid
Business Skills
Personal Development
We often visit the hospital when our friends and families require medical attention. The first thing we see there is a adult nursing, they are directly involved in finding out your health condition and administering treatment. They care for patients suffering from a variety of conditions, ranging from minor injuries and ailments to acute and long-term illnesses and diseases. If you are interested in nursing, the first thing you need to decide is what field of nursing you want to study. There are four fields of nursing, which are:
- Adult nursing
- Children’s nursing
- Mental health nursing
- Learning disability nursing
- Learning disability nursing
The main focus for adult nurses is people who are 18 years or older, although one must be able to provide safe essential care to people of all ages. They help adult patients to recover by using care plans, carrying out care procedures and assessments, and evaluating and focusing on the needs of the patient rather than the illness or condition. Being an adult nurse means lots of exciting challenges and being able to keep a cool head and use your initiative.
Table of Contents
Why become an adult nurse?
There are lots of reasons to choose adult nursing as your future career. Firstly, becoming an adult nurse is to become someone who improves and saves the lives of others using their skills and hard work. From day one you will have the chance to make a difference in a patient’s life, who you have never met before. Also, it covers all fields of healthcare and you get to see mature patients of different ages and backgrounds, which often feels very exciting.
If you’re looking for a career where you can put your desire to help others to excellent use, to have a diverse career and more opportunity in the work field, becoming an adult nurse is an excellent career choice for you. Besides, people often say that ‘you need a doctor to diagnose you, but a nurse to save your life’.
Career overview of an adult nurse
As careers go, adult nursing is a dynamic one. This jobs are not only treating patients and giving support to their families. There are a lot of responsibilities such as taking care of paperwork, helping doctors diagnose patients and providing advice and follow-up care and also a lot of opportunities in career, lucrative job sectors and salary. The job description of an adult nurse is given below.
With whom does an adult nurse usually work?
Adult nurses are the main point of contact for adult patients and their families, and play a vital role in teams of professional and medical staff. They often work as a member of a team with other professionals such as doctors or healthcare assistants. Once qualified, an adult nurse will work in either a hospital setting or a community setting, for instance, a care home or patient’s home; which is becoming more common.
How many hours does an adult nurse work?
Adult nurses usually work a standard 37.5 hours per week. Shift work is carried out in hospitals, which includes regular unsocial hours (nights, early starts, evenings, weekends, and bank holidays). There’s an increasing scope for 9 am to 5 pm working in other locations, not only in the community and specialist units and clinics but also in the industry and commerce sectors.
What to Expect as an Adult Nurse?
When you work as an adult nurse, sometimes you will be facing some difficulties and receive a lot of opportunities to improve your career. Below, there is some information on what to expect while working as an adult nurse:
- Flexible working hours, according to your choice of shift.
- The work condition and environment often change when you work either in a hospital, or award, or a patient’s home. Sometimes you have to look after many different patients on a ward, or one or two patients in intensive care or on a high dependency unit.
- There are high chances of career breaks and retraining opportunities in short times, for instance, working overseas.
- You can work as a freelance consultant, which is possible through agencies as a private nurse or, for senior nurses.
- It can be physically and emotionally demanding, but also incredibly satisfying when a patient’s health condition improves.
Responsibilities of an adult nurse
As careers go, adult nursing is a dynamic one. A typical day at work could be challenging, yet it can be an exciting affair. Depending on your role and area of nursing, your tasks would also be varied. As an adult nurse, you’ll need to:
- assisting doctors with examinations and deciding what care to give
- respond quickly to emergencies
- write patient care plans
- implement plans for tasks such as preparing patients for operations, treating wounds, and monitoring pulse, blood pressure, and temperature
- observe and record the condition of patients
- mentor student and junior nurses
- supplying drips and blood transfusions
- using specialist equipment
- monitoring and recording patient progress
- gain the trust and confidence of each patient
- supporting patients and their relatives
How much does an adult nurse make?
The average registered nurse salary in the United Kingdom is £34,163 per year or £17.52 per hour. The good news is that 94% of nursing students find a job within six months of completing their degree (only 1% remain unemployed after six months).
NHS pay their staff when they work in an unsocial hour. Though in private sectors payments for the unsocial hour are not guaranteed, so you have to contact your employer before joining. The NHS nurses are entitled to a pension scheme, sickness, and maternity benefits. Salaries in London are much higher than in other areas of the UK. You’ll be paid on the NHS Agenda for Change (AFC) pay system.
The Salary scale in NHS (National Health Services) for an adult nurse are-
- Freshly graduated and fully qualified nurse: £24,214 to £30,112 (Band 5 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay rates).
- An experienced nurse such as nurse team leader: £30,401 to £37,267 (Band 6).
- At more senior levels such as nurse advanced, modern matron, and nurse consultant: £37,570 to £72,597 (Bands 7 to 8c).
Who are the employers of adult nurses?
There are a lot of opportunities for adult nurses to work in various exciting fields, although most of them work in hospital settings. Hospitals, GP practices, in the community (attached to a health centre or general practice), in residential homes and hospices, where an adult nurse works. However, the location doesn’t matter when it comes to using their skills to meet their patients’ needs.
When you are fully qualified and have enough experience, you can also work as a nurse trainer or deliver health education, instead of carrying out hands-on clinical work. Options include:
- Residential nursing homes
- Overseas aid and development
- Prisons
- Air ambulance services
- Community and school health education units
- Emergency helplines
- General practices
- Nursing agencies
- Occupational health
- Private healthcare organisations
- Schools and universities
- Specialist units and hospices
- The armed forces
- Voluntary organisation
- Health promotion
- Holiday companies
- Leisure cruise ships
- Research, teaching, and education
Enrolment Requirements to study in Adult Nursing
Grades and requirements vary between institutions. Always confirm the entry requirements for the particular university and course details before applying.
Certificates and Background Check
To study nursing in the UK, you’ll usually need at least two A-Levels in either biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, or psychology. You’ll also need five GCSEs in grades C and above, including in English, math’s, and science. You will also have to:
- Demonstrate evidence of literacy and numeracy
- Complete a health questionnaire and identify any special needs related to a disability
- You’ll need to complete a DBS disclosure check (for criminal records) to ensure public protection and safety.
- Allow the university to check whether you have a police record. You will not automatically get rejected if you have a criminal conviction or caution. The university will take into account the circumstances and will treat any information in the strictest of confidence.
Tips for applying
Universities are on the lookout for students who could make excellent nurses in the future. Your course will likely include practical experience working with members of the public. When applying for a course, try to demonstrate relevant qualities, such as communication and people skills. Work experience will be very useful for your application. This could be through volunteering or working with, for example:
- NHS trust
- Private clinic
- Charities, such as St John Ambulance
- Care homes
- Daycare centres
- Youth organizations, such as scouts and guides.
Fees and Fund
For undergraduate degrees in an England institution, a UK citizen should expect to pay up to £9,250 per year. Whereas an international student’s tuition started at around £10,000 and went up to £38,000 or more for an undergraduate degree. The yearly living expenses (such as rent, food, clothes, etc.) in the United Kingdom is about £13,000.
From September 2020, if one student is eligible and meets up the NHS requirements you can receive at least £5,000 financial support per year. You are also able to access funding for tuition and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company. For more information on funding arrangements, visit The NHS Business Services Authority website.
Introduction to Adult Nursing
The course features exclusive modules on the importance of effective communication in nursing.
Introduction to Adult Nursing
The course features exclusive modules on the importance of effective communication in nursing.
What Qualification Required to Work as an Adult Nurse?
Most people qualify by studying a degree in (adult) nursing. To work as a nurse in the UK, you’ll need a 3-year undergraduate degree (full-time/ part-time). The undergraduate adult nursing courses are- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). In all of these fields, you’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of people every day. In all of these fields, you’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of people every day.
Many employers now prefer that nurses have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) over an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ASN) or RN. Nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) develop a wide range of knowledge and clinical experience required to succeed in today’s advanced health care system.
Nursing degrees aren’t all about having your nose in a book. Half of the program is based on clinical practice, giving you a direct experience of working with patients and families. You could be based within a variety of settings including hospitals, the community, patients’ homes, and independent organizations. The other half is time spent on your academic learning.After graduating from the university, you must be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).
A short documentary Adult Nursing for you –
Required skills to become an adult nurse
The adult nurses’ health care environment is busy, fast-changing, and demanding and so you need:
1. Communication Skills
You will have to deal with a variety of people from different backgrounds while working. So, Nurses with excellent interpersonal skills and communication abilities are highly required.
Related:
1. Communication Skills: The Pathfinder of Your Career
2. Just 9 Ways to Overcome the Barriers to Effective Communication
2. Emotionally Strong
If you are good at problem-solving and emotionally strong is always helpful when dealing with patients.
3. Good Initiative
Often you have to deal with unexpected situations and will need to be able to act on your own to make quick decisions.
4. Organisational Skills
It is useful to have good skills when it comes to the organization because an adult nurse could be working with several patients at the same time.
5. Commitment
An adult nurse has to be fully committed to their patient’s health condition and should be continued learning throughout your career.
Career prospects in Adult Nursing
Nursing begins with a period of preceptorship, to support newly qualified nurses to develop their practice further. Generally, preceptorship is 4 – 6 months long. It covers fundamental competencies inpatient care as well as broad skills in leadership, management, teaching and communication. After completing this trial time, you can begin to progress through different roles, including:
Hands-on nursing responsibility tends to lessen when you become more senior. There are several branches of adult nursing, and you can also take a further training course to specialise in your area of interest. Popular specialisms include:
- Accident and emergency
- Intensive care
- Private practice
- Occupational health
- Cancer
- Sexual health
Introduction to Adult Nursing
Learn the essential skills to carry out all the duties with expertise from the exclusive Introduction to Adult Nursing course.
Introduction to Adult Nursing
Learn the essential skills to carry out all the duties with expertise from the exclusive Introduction to Adult Nursing course.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, you got the information you need to know about adult nursing. Now, it’s time to think about the careers from your end. If you are already in this profession, sharpen your skills to boost your career. From my point of view, to sharpen your skill, you can enrol a self-paced course named Adult Nursing, Health & Social Care Training.
Learn More
