Adult nurse

Adult nurses are expert members of a medical team. They plan and deliver vital treatment for a wide range of patients with different needs and conditions.

An introduction to adult nursing

When you’re a nurse, no two days are the same. You’ll work with different people every day, improving the lives of patients and advancing medical innovation and care. As a trained healthcare professional, you’ll lead teams and take on senior positions of responsibility. That’s why nurses are one of the most important parts of our health services. 

Adult nurses form the largest part of the NHS’s workforce. As an adult nurse you’ll plan and deliver treatment as a vital part of a multi-disciplinary team, working with doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, healthcare assistants, and others. 

Of all nursing roles, adult nurses work with the widest variety of patients. They can be any adult age, from any background, and with anything from short to long-term health problems. So to be an adult nurse, you need to be very adaptable and resilient, and good at communicating with all sorts of people and solving problems.

Working as an adult nurse is challenging but satisfying. It’s a vital role where you’ll make a real difference to people’s lives.

There’s a shortage of nurses in the UK, so an adult nursing degree will offer you fantastic employment options. And new annual payments of £5,000 up to £8,000 for all undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students will be available from September 2020.

Nicola, cardiac specialist nurse

'The best part of my job is meeting new people on a daily basis and being able to help them.'

About the job

Kayleigh, community staff nurse

'I love getting to know my patients as it helps me understand how best I can support them.'

Is it for you?

Key facts

Different routes into nursing

Other fields of nursing

Children's nurse

Children’s nurses work as part of a supportive and inspiring team to provide young patients and their families with the vital care and compassion they need.

Mental health nurse

Mental health nurses build trusting relationships with their patients and provide vital support to people experiencing mental health problems, so they can lead happy and healthy lives.

Learning disability nurse

Learning disability nurses support people with learning disabilities, developing important relationships with their patients and helping them to lead fulfilling lives.

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