As mentioned in the “Introduction to Nursing and Nursing Agency”, those interested in nursing develop their nursing occupations through education, experience and qualification, and identifying nurse occupation areas of interest. When nurses register with Nursing Agencies, they often do so through occupational classification that identifies their branch of nursing, such as adult or child nursing.
After completing the foundational nursing programme, those progressing in nursing can choose a branch of nursing to pursue. Once qualified, unregistered (such as healthcare assistants) or registered (such as staff nurses), have opportunities to develop nurse occupations in hospitals, clinics, GP practices or surgeries, residential or nursing homes, hospices, pharmaceutical firms, occupational health, universities or colleges, prisons, army, military, navy, and in non-for-profit organisations.
The main branches of nurse occupation includes:
l Adult Nursing
l Children’s Nursing
l Learning Disability Nursing
l Mental Health Nursing
l Midwifery
Adult Nursing
The option to pursue an occupation in adult nursing starts after completion of the common foundation programme as an introduction to nursing. Adult nursing involves treatment and prevention of illness for adults from the age of 18 onwards, not those under the age of 18. In adult nursing, there is broad scope to work in a variety of environments, such as hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, GP surgeries and so on. Once qualified in adult nursing, there is opportunity for further specialisation, such as women’s or men’s health, cancer care or critical care.
Children’s nursing
Children’s nursing is also a branch of nursing that can be selected after completion of the common foundation programme. Child nursing involves care of children and those under the age of 18. Nursing occupational opportunities are available in baby care units, and adolescent care services, and children wards at hospitals, among some. As children are still developing, child nursing is quite different to the needs of adult nursing. There are also avenues for specialisation in children’s nursing, such as for those with specific disabilities or child cancer care.
Learning disability nursing
Another branch of nursing is in care for those of any age with learning disability. As needs may vary, different levels of care are unique to each individual with a learning disability who may also have associated health conditions. The aim of learning disability nursing is to help people with learning disabilities live life as independent and fulfilling as possible, encouraging empowerment and development. Learning disability nursing occupations may be as part of a team within supported living environments where a number of people with learning disabilities live together. Often such support requires 24 hour care in shifts. Some nurses choose to specialise further in managing conditions such as sensory disability, autism, Aspergers syndrome or epilepsy.
Mental health nursing
Nurses who specialise in mental health may work with anyone in the community. People suffer mental illness, such as Schizophrenia, Depression, Bi-Polar, and so on for varying reasons that may be biological or emotional roots. Mental health nursing may be in different environments, such as hospitals with mental health units, GP surgeries, psychiatrist practices, social care or health centres / clinics. There is also scope to specialise in mental health practice, such as managed care, rehabilitation, addiction, child mental health or in prisons.
Midwifery
Nurses that branch into midwifery work with women who are pregnant in the community. A midwife may be based in a health centre, at a hospital or a clinic. Some midwives may also choose to specialise further, such as in women’s health, teenage pregnancies or public health.
Nurse Work Environment
Irrespective of or depending on the branch of nursing selected as nurse occupation, such as adult or child nursing, the work environment may be quite similar or differ dramatically. Sometimes nursing professionals work cross-departmentally or with teams in varying settings.
Nurses who register with Nursing Agencies often also register their interests of environments that they prefer to work in or undoubtedly do not want to work in. Some nurses choose not to work in prisons with offenders, while others may prefer to work with people who have learning disabilities in specialist support environments. Nurse work environments may include:
l Hospitals
l Medical Clinics
l Health Centres
l Mental Health Units
l GP Surgeries
l Psychiatrist Practices
l Pediatric Practices
l Supported Living Accommodation
l Residential Homes
l Universities / Colleges / Schools
l Prisons
l Army / Military / Navy
Hospitals, Medical Clinics, and Health Units
Counties across the UK have hospitals run by the NHS Trusts used for patient treatment, therapy, diagnosis, surgery, emergency care and recovery. There are different departments in hospitals based on their operating function or a particular medical condition, for example radiography or cancer unit. Some hospitals are described as medical clinics based on their ability to admit and treat patients. Health units may be based in hospitals, such as intensive care units or mental health units. Certain hospitals have a reputation for medical specialism and units.
Health Centres
Health Centres are usually based in the community and serve groups of people for early intervention, rehabilitation, advocacy and education. Some Health Centres have outreach services to reach a broader community and work with other professionals in hospitals and practices.
GP Surgeries, Psychiatrist, and Pediatric Practices
Nurses may prefer to work in certain locations and join a GP surgery where patients consult with them for contraception or sexual health advice, for monitoring blood pressure or for vaccinations. In contrast, the work environment of a psychiatrist’s practice mainly deals with nursing for people who have mental health conditions and are in need of psychiatric treatment or therapy. Nurses in such environments work closely with the psychiatrist in managing a case load of patients and their treatment. Other specialist practices, such as in Chiropody or Osteopathy, are also options to explore as working environments. Often the work environment may be dictated by the nursing specialism selected, such as pediatric practices where child nursing opportunities may exist.
Supported Living and Residential Homes
Residential homes are forms of institutions where people with certain health conditions, disabilities, or senior needs, may live being supported by a team of staff who work shifts.
Educational, prison or defence settings
People with foundation qualifications in nursing but who lack further study and nursing experience, can gain the further study and experience in most of these nurse work environments, depending on their interests, such as working with offenders in prisons, with students, or with people involved with defence.
If we go back to the definitions of nursing practice, it means that qualified nurses or unregistered support workers may be present in any community across the world educating people, managing health systems, researching, promoting health and care, preventing illness, and caring for people with illness, disability or terminal disease. Nurses aim to improve the quality of life of people from birth to death regardless of the work environment that they are in.