We wonder if you know the largest profession in the NHS… (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

If you were asked to identify the most popular job in the NHS, what would you say?

Odds are you might quickly reply with ‘doctor’ but nursing is actually the single largest profession in the health service.

The role of a nurse has changed dramatically from the 1948 founding of the NHS. And it has seen an equally dramatic shift since the launch of TV drama Casualty, for example, which premiered on BBC in 1986.

In fact, nurses today would hardly recoginse the job as it was. All about meeting doctors’ demands, nurses were once in a strict hierarchy that involved a ward sister and a matron, who answered to the doctors and consultants.

These days, though, thanks to broader social and scientific advances, the profession has rapidly evolved. Once a generalist job, now you’ll find nurses working across all areas and specialities, doing detailed medical assessments, and prescribing medication, for example.

When it comes to education, since 2013, all new nurses are required to have a degree-level qualification, which has helped to create a nursing cohort with increased skills.

And where this was once a very female-coded profession, these days 11% of UK nurses identify as male. All of this has opened up the role of a nurse, and as a career it offers huge scope and variety, with many pathways, as well as good learning and development opportunities.

But the profession is under strain, with pressure coming from substantial staffing shortages over the past number of years. However, new data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council, released in November, indicates that things may be getting a bit better.

Its register of nurses, midwives and nursing associates is now at a record 808,488, which, the council says, means there are 19,857 (2.5%) more professionals eligible to practice in the UK than there were earlier this year, and 114,874 (16.6%) more than five years ago.

‘We’ve also reached a milestone of more than 10,000 nursing associates,’ the report states, which is ‘good news for people using services in England, where this relatively new role bridges the gap between health and care assistants, and registered nurses’.

If you’re looking for a new role now, there are many opportunities for nurses in the UK, both within the NHS and across the wider healthcare sector.

The Metro Job Board is a great place to start your search as it contains hundreds of healthcare jobs, like these three great nursing opportunities.

Preceptorship Nurse / Newly Qualified Nurse, Appoint Healthcare, York

In this Preceptorship Nurse / Newly Qualified Nurse opportunity, you’ll work within a welcoming, warm, and person-centred specialist hospital, supporting adults with an eating disorder (Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa).

You’ll provide a treatment model that is based on each individual and their needs. An integrated approach is used to address all aspects and impacts of an eating disorder including behaviour, emotions, consequences, and relationships with family and friends.

To be considered, you’ll need to be a Preceptorship / Newly Qualified Registered Nurse RMN, be passionate, caring, fun and energetic, with a genuine commitment and desire to make a difference to the lives of the residents every day, and be committed to your own personal development and growth, and to the development of nursing services.

See all the benefits for this role here.

Registered Nurse, Nurseplus, Aylesbury

As a leading nursing agency in the UK, Nurseplus is looking for compassionate, reliable Registered Nurses to provide exceptional care for clients in Aylesbury and the surrounding areas.

Your responsibilities will include delivering care plans for patients, monitoring vital signs, carrying out assessments and blood tests, liaising with other team members, including doctors and senior nurses, observing patients condition and recording information, administering medications, and communicating with patients and their families.

To be suitable, you’ll need current and unrestricted NMC Registration and six months’ UK-based paid experience.

If this sounds like a good career fit, discover all the criteria here.

Registered Nurse, Akari Care, Stockton-on-Tees

Akari Care is seeking night shift Registered Nurses in Stockton-on-Tees who are passionate about, and thrive on, making a real and positive difference to the lives of older people. In this job, you will be responsible for playing a personal and direct, hands-on role in ensuring the highest levels of clinical and medical care to residents.

Plus, you will be leading, coaching, and mentoring a team to ensure you create a warm and inclusive environment in which residents feel a sense of security and belonging, while simultaneously retaining their dignity and self-respect.

Akari Care’s homes offer a wide range of clinical experiences and opportunities which will enhance and expand your skills and competencies, allowing you to gain both personal and professional growth.

If you’re a registered nurse with an active PIN and no restrictions, have a caring nature and a proven ability to lead by example, motivate a team and delegate effectively, then this could be the job for you. Find out more now.

Start your healthcare job hunt today on the Metro Job Board

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