Introduction to Nursing & Healthcare Practice
If you want to work in the healthcare profession, whether that’s as a doctor, nurse, dentist, health care assistant, vet, or other role, you’ll be driven by your desire to help people (or animals) and make a positive impact in the community.
Nursing & Healthcare Practice subjects are challenging, but highly rewarding, and are more commonly described as a vocation than just a job.
The number and variety of roles available is enormous – for example, even you become a nurse there are any number of specialisms you can train in depending on your area of particular interest.
Further study is also common and many Nursing & Healthcare Practice professionals have a highly specialised knowledge of their field.
What are the Nursing & Healthcare Practice subjects?
Here are some of the subjects which commonly fall under the category of Nursing & Healthcare Practice:
- Dentistry
- Nursing (Adult)
- Nursing (Child)
- Nursing (Mental Health)
- Nursing (Learning Disabilities)
- Veterinary Medicine
- Healthcare Practice (usually offered as a Foundation Degree)
- Midwifery
As you can see, the list of subjects and career paths relating to those subjects is enormous. There are many career opportunities available and you can take your career in almost any direction you choose.
What are the career options for a Nursing & Healthcare Practice graduate?
As we’ve said, the career options for graduates with a degree in the Nursing & Healthcare Practice subjects are many and varied.
You’ll also find that the world is your oyster, with many countries abroad welcoming healthcare professionals for both short and long term work.
Here are some of the common career paths for Nursing & Healthcare Practice graduates:
- Dentist
- Dental technician
- Nurse (Adult, Child, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities)
- Health services manager
- Medical sales representative
- Dietician
- Paramedic
- Health visitor
- Midwife
- Occupational therapist
- Community development worker
Remember, this is list doesn’t give you your only options and many of these choices can lead on to further specialisms and other career opportunities.
What skills will I gain from a Nursing & Healthcare Practice degree?
Of course, you’ll gain many skills which are specific to the type of degree you study, but you’ll also gain a transferrable skill set which will be useful in any future career.
These valuable skills include:
- Written and oral communication skills
- The ability to work in a team
- Effective problem solving and creative thinking
- Organisation and time management skills
- Research and data analysis skills
- IT skills
- Flexibility
- The ability to adapt to different environments and people
- Empathy
- Leadership and the ability to use your initiative
- The ability to work independently
- Determination and tenacity
- The ability to conduct thorough research
- Decision making skills
Where can I study Nursing & Healthcare Practice subjects?
Where you study depends on the exact degree you want to study – for example, there are only 16 universities and medical schools in the UK which are accredited by the General Dental Council. You can find the full list here.
Similarly, all Nursing and Midwifery courses have to be accredited as you have to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council before you can practice. Studying an accredited degree qualifies you for registration.
You can search for accredited Nursing and Midwifery degrees here.
For any other subject which comes under the Nursing & Healthcare Practice bracket, the Apply to Uni website has a full list of all UK universities and courses offered, so you can find the right degree for you.
