A children’s nurse is a healthcare professional who specialises in providing care to children and young people from birth to 18 years of age. Children’s nurses have specific knowledge and skills to understand health needs that children experience and you will need to understand how a healthy child develops towards adulthood to minimise the impact of illness
Children’s Nursing gives you the opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of care activities from nursing an unwell new-born to helping a critically ill young person who has been involved in an accident ensuring that
Working life
Working as a children’s nurse will mean that you work within the multidisciplinary team with other healthcare professionals but are the main contact for young patients and their families, providing consistent care. Building a trusting relationship with each child and their parent is essential.
Your aim is to improve your patients’ quality of life, whatever their situation. You’ll need to take lots of factors into account and juggle priorities to get the best possible results for your patients.
Working as an children’s nurse will provide you with a variety of activities to undertake throughout your working day which can include:
- writing patient care plans.
- Preparing patients for operations, treating wounds and monitoring pulse, blood pressure and temperature while in your care.
- Observing and recording the condition of patients.
- Checking and administering drugs and injections.
- Setting up drips and blood transfusions.
- Assisting with tests and evaluations.
- Carrying out routine investigations into patient conditions.
- Responding quickly to patient emergencies.
- Planning discharges from services and working closely with GPs and other healthcare professionals.
- Reassuring patients and their relatives and communicating effectively with them the treatment plan and outcomes.
- Advocating on behalf of patients.
- Promoting health and wellbeing.
- Supporting families.
- Mentoring students and junior nurses.
- Keeping patient records updated.
- Making ethical decisions relating to your patients.
Children’s nurses work in a variety of different settings which can include hospitals, community settings, day care centres, clinics and private settings.
Requirements
To become a children’s nurse, the main route is through a degree course at university. Entry requirements for these courses can vary depending on where and how you’d like to study, so it’s important to check with universities.
Typically you’ll need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, possibly in English language or literature and a science subject. You’ll also need two A levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications, such as a T level or BTEC to take an undergraduate degree. Some universities may ask for three A levels or equivalent. If you already have a degree, you might be able to study for a postgraduate qualification.
If you’re eligible, you’ll receive at least £5,000 a year towards your studies while at university. Your personal circumstances may mean you could receive more. And the good news? You’ll never have to pay it back.
There are other routes into children’s nursing such as nurse degree apprenticeships and nursing associate apprenticeships but this will depend on the employer you work for and which apprenticeships they provide.
Whatever route you choose to undertake, you will need to meet the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and be registered before you can practice.
Working as an children’s nurse will also allow further opportunities to develop your career through apprenticeships and internal training in the future.
Degree apprenticeship route
For those interested in becoming an children’s nurse through an apprenticeship route, there is a degree apprenticeship programme available with some providers in mid and south Essex.
To access the pathway, you would need to be employed by an NHS Trust in a Healthcare Support role in a children’s area first. This role will give you clinical and patient experience while you develop knowledge and build skills. You will need to be over 18 to be employed in any clinical role, have achieved English and Maths GCSE at a grade 4 or above and must have a substantive contract of at least 30 hours a week for future eligibility onto the apprenticeship pathway.
Once you have secured employment in a healthcare support worker role, you would need to spend at least 6 – 12 months in this job gaining your Care Certificate, which is proof of your fitness to practice before you will be eligible to access the apprenticeship route to Nursing.
There is more information about the Care Certificate here: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Developing-your-workforce/Care-Certificate/Care-Certificate.aspx?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAw6yuBhDrARIsACf94RW_6AYEq4QktSz8PCRxb764VsDHsVnzS1OkJe9a-E5q9fXDvsGe-OUaArOUEALw_wcB
If your employer is able to support your development from a health care worker, you would then be able to apply for the trainee nurse associate apprenticeship which is a 2 year programme or the 4 year registered nurse degree apprenticeship depending on which pathway the employer you work for uses.
You would receive 20% of your work time as study leave which can be given either in a block week or one day a week depending on the university and your NHS employer would pay the fees for the programme from their apprenticeship levy fund.
Once you have completed your apprenticeship, you would become a qualified Nurse Associate or Registered Nurse and can then work in this role.
Personal characteristics
To work successfully within the children’s nursing team, you need to consider your own personal characteristics. You would need to have the following attributes or similar:
- Be accurate and methodical and have good attention to detail
- Be able to assess a situation quickly
- Be resilient and prepared to work in unknown or unpredictable situations
- Be able to work as part of a team but also able to use your own initiative
- Be willing to follow instructions
- Be able to work with all people from various backgrounds with different experiences
- Be able to stay calm under pressure
Skills required
To work successfully with the children’s nursing team, you need to consider the skills that you have. You would need to demonstrate the following:
- Be well organised and able to plan your time
- Be able to communicate with a variety of people using different methods
- Have positive customer service skills
- Be patient, caring and kind
- Be able to reassure those who may be anxious, scared, angry or distressed
- Be able to make decisions
- Be able to verbalise complicated information and ensure this is understood
- Be physically fit as you will be on your feet a lot during a shift
- Be able to work alone where required
- Be resilient and able to manage complex problems
Training and development opportunities
When you begin to work as an children’s nurse, you will receive the training you require to be able to undertake the role successfully. You will receive an induction which will introduce you to the department you will be working in, will support you in accessing the IT systems and will ensure you are aware of the policies and procedures you will be required to follow in the undertaking of your role. You will also have to complete any statutory and mandatory training that your employer requires such as fire training, data security training and customer service.
As part of your training, you will be required to be competent in moving and handling, first aid, life support and basic patient skills. Some of these training programmes will require practical assessments and written exams.
Career development opportunities
Once you have experience working as an children’s nurse, there are many other roles you could progress into. You could lead a team, become a supervisor or develop your career into management. You could also transfer into other specialist nursing roles such as those in oncology, operating theatres, public health, or paediatric intensive care.
You may also be able to use your skills and experience to teach or research. The possibilities with nursing are endless.
Pay and benefits
Children’s nurses usually work 37.5 hours per week and you will be required to work shifts which can include nights, evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Children’s nurses in the NHS are paid using the Agenda for Change (AfC) system and Registered Nurses who are qualified will typically start their career on AfC band 5 but with experience, further training and additional qualifications, can progress further up the pay scale.
Other benefits of working within the nursing team include access to a pension scheme, health service discounts such as a Blue Light Card and 27 days of annual leave in addition to bank holidays.