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Adult nurse: Career development

Nursing begins with a period of preceptorship, which is similar to a supported probationary period. This entails acquiring and demonstrating competencies, including specific skills in, amongst others, cannulation, administering intravenous procedures, performing tracheal suction and handling blood products, as well as broad competencies in leadership, management, teaching and communication. After successfully completing this, the majority of nurses in the acute hospital setting move from staff nurse positions to junior sister/charge nurse within two to three years. All nurses have management roles, but some career paths are more management-orientated than others. As you become more senior, you may have less hands-on nursing responsibility.

Progression to ward sister/ward manager/team leader depends on the development of management skills and level of specialist knowledge. Ward sisters/charge nurses are responsible for annual appraisals of nursing staff and are appointed at band 6 or 7 of the Agenda for Change pay scale . At this level, progression is possible either within a clinical specialism to nurse practitioner and ultimately nurse consultant, or through further managerial responsibility as a matron and then up the executive ladder to a director of nursing post. Nurse consultants need a Masters qualification and work at the highest clinical level with 50% of the role in the delivery of autonomous care. The role also involves developing and delivering education, service development and research within their area of expertise.

If you are looking at a role in the community, primary care offers careers in school nursing, general practice (GP) nursing, district nursing, health visiting and nurse specialist posts. Secondments to achieve the required specialist qualifications on a full- or part-time basis are available. Recent government priorities should mean an increase in posts for school nurses and more investment in areas such as sexual health, where nurses undertake specialist roles.

Once qualified, many nurses take extra courses to specialise in areas such as cancer care, women's health, accident and emergency, critical care, practice nursing or public health roles, such as health visiting and school nursing.

AGCAS

Written by Antonia Clark, London South Bank University

Last updated:

May 2009

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