Nursing and midwifery
Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/work-volunteering-careers/options/sectors/nursing/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/work-volunteering-careers/options/career-ideas/podcast/
Nurses specialise in one of the four main branches of nursing - Adult, Child, Mental Health, Learning Disability.
As careers progress there is more opportunity to specialise. Training courses usually take a minimum of three years, although some routes may take previous learning into account.
Midwives provide care and support for women, their partners and families, before, during and after childbirth. The normal entry route is via a three year degree course, or a shorter route for current registered (Adult) nurses.
Find out about nursing and midwifery
For information about the different roles in nursing, education and training, and case studies, see the Health Careers website.
- Prospects job profiles:
- adult nurse
- children's nurse
- learning disability nurse
- mental health nurse
- midwife
- The Royal College of Nursing is a membership organisation supporting nurses, with news, advice and information, including careers support
- The Royal College of Midwives is the professional organisation and trade union for midwifery
- The Nursing and Midwifery Council is the regulatory body for nurses and midwives; their website includes information about training and what to do once you are qualified
- Student Midwifery Hub provides information and advice on preparing for midwifery jobs
Training
- NHS Health Careers - How to become a nurse
- If you already have a degree in a relevant subject you may be able to do the course in two years rather than three. Degree and diploma course applications are made through UCAS.
- Nursing apprenticeships offer a paid route into nursing and are advertised on NHS Jobs.
Use of AI in nursing
AI can be used to automate repetitive tasks in nursing and improve diagnostic accuracy. AI-powered tools such as chatbot assistants and wearable monitoring systems can help with patient care, providing early warnings for patient deterioration, and improving efficiency and patient outcomes. This calls for digital literacy, data interpretation skills, and an understanding of the ethics around the use of AI. The Royal College of Nursing recognises that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming health care, making it vital for nursing education to adapt to ensure future nurses are equipped for an increasingly technology-driven workplace.
RCN advice on using AI in career research and applications
Further reading
- Nursing and midwifery books and journals in the University library: Health Sciences subject guide
What skills do I need?
The skills and personal qualities needed include:
- strong communication skills, including the ability to explain, persuade, encourage and reassure
- people skills - being able to develop a rapport with people from a wide range of backgrounds
- a sensitive and caring approach
- patience
- teamwork
- decision making and prioritising
- resilience
- ability to work under pressure and cope with change
- organisational skills.
NHS Health Careers - Types of nursing lists the specific skills required in different roles.
You might like to take the NHS test to see what health careers would suit you.
For more information about professional skills and how to develop them, see the York Strengths Professional Skills page.
Work experience
Think about the groups of people you might be working with once qualified, and try to get relevant work experience.
- working, work shadowing or volunteering in a hospital, care home or hospice. The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals website has information on volunteering
- volunteering as part of the Career Enhancement Volunteering Pathway at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- working or volunteering with children, the elderly, people with physical or mental health conditions - see our volunteering programmes, or volunteer via Do-It
- support worker or care worker roles can provide good experience
- First aid experience can be gained through St John Ambulance or the Red Cross.
Find jobs
As well as work in the NHS, you will find opportunities with private sector healthcare providers, voluntary organisations, local authorities, education and industry.
- NHS Jobs
- NHS Trust websites eg York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- independent healthcare providers eg Bupa, Nuffield Health
- some nurses work freelance via a recruitment agency, such as HealthiiPeople
- Royal College of Nursing careers resources for registered nurses
For help with CVs, applications and interviews, see the Applying for jobs pages.
Practice interviews on Shortlist.Me
- Skills / competency / strengths based interviews you can use to practise; NHS management interviews, workplace simulations with different employers
- Register for the interviews or activities using your York email address.
What can I do at York?
- Look for work experience - relevant work experience and voluntary work is very important. It allows you to develop your skills, check that you are comfortable working in health/care settings and demonstrates motivation and commitment to your chosen profession
- Volunteering offers the opportunity to gain experience in a range of settings and with different client groups.
- York SU Volunteering also offers a range of projects including Minds in Motion, Open Minds, York Marrow and Tea & Coffee Club.
More resources: people to follow, podcast
Connect with York graduates
Join York for Life to connect with our global network of alumni. Start building your own network - find people from your course, look at different careers, ask questions and request a mentor.
Use LinkedIn to make connections, follow organisations of interest, and find out what York graduates are doing. Find out more about using LinkedIn and networking.
Podcast
What do you actually do? podcast Calling the Midwife.