Nurse
Career information and advice on being a Nurse

Nursing involves assisting ill, injured or weak people towards health and helping to relieve patients of pain and discomfort. Nursing includes curative, preventative, promotive and rehabilitative health care for families, communities and individuals. Nurses participate in activities such as supplying health guidance and counselling to patients, as well as the diagnosis, planning and execution of nursing strategies.

The service of nursing has numerous disciplines and you could opt to specialise as an Adult Nurse, Paediatric Nurse, Dental Nurse, District Nurse, Learning Disability Nurse, Midwife, Occupational Health Nurse, Practice Nurse, School Nurse or Community Nursery Nurse.

Your Functions May include

Depending on the specialism you opt for, your work would be undertaken in four main environments, each with corresponding functions.

In a hospital environment your duties could include:

• checking temperatures, measuring blood pressure and respiration rates
• administering drugs and injections
• cleaning and dressing wounds
• administering blood transfusions and drips
• using hi-tech medical equipment
• working with Doctors to assess the needs of ill, injured or disabled children
• working to minimise stress and other effects connected with being ill and staying in hospital
• giving advice on issues such as healthy eating

Within a practice environment your duties could include:

• tidying and preparing the surgery
• sterilising instruments
• maintaining sterile conditions within the surgery
• following health and safety guidelines
• carrying out stock control
• setting up and running clinics for conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart conditions and skin disorders
• offering advice on family planning and contraception
• taking blood and urine samples and other specimens and swabs
• performing routine procedures such as ear syringing, applying and removing dressings and treating wounds
• offering specialist information and advice on issues such as blood pressure, weight control and stopping smoking

Within the community environment your duties could include:

• providing emotional support and practical advice to patients and their families
• teaching basic caring skills
• raising awareness of issues that can have a negative effect on student health (such as smoking and drug abuse)
• promoting healthy living, including safe-sex education
• administering immunisations and vaccinations
• carrying out developmental screening
• contributing to social education and citizenship classes
• making home visits and monitoring any concerns
• advising on home safety, accident prevention and safe play
• providing advice and support on breastfeeding
• passing on to Health Visitors or Community Matrons any concerns like signs of abuse or neglect

Within a business environment your duties could include:

• carrying out pre-employment medicals
• assessing and treating employees who are injured or become ill at work
• providing counselling, support, health education and advice
• advising management on health and safety issues
• giving sickness absence advice
• carrying out risk assessments
• training employees in first aid
• maintaining and analysing employee health records and statistics
• developing and managing emergency procedures
• You may also carry out vaccinations and phlebotomy (taking blood samples for testing)