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Becoming a nurse in Belfast

If you’re interested in a nursing career in Belfast, there is a wide range of opportunities available for you. As a diverse and exciting career, nurses are often inundated with a variety of vacancies, specialising in a number of settings. Settings for nurses to work in typically include hospitals, GP practices, mental health facilities and more, which can make it difficult to know which path is the right one for you.

Whether you are already a registered nurse, or you are just starting out your journey into the nursing industry, we can help. This guide highlights your Belfast nursing education pathways, explores the opportunities available and highlights the benefits of living in this city.

Education

Regardless of where you want to practise as a nurse in the future, nursing begins with a number of qualifications and courses.

Degree

Most people become qualified nurses by studying a degree in nursing – this typically involves studying theory, but also applying learnings to hands-on practical experience in community settings and hospitals. You will also generally specialise in one of the 4 areas of nursing: adult nursing; mental health nursing; children’s nursing; or learning disability nursing.

Entry requirements to study a degree in nursing varies by university, but it usually requires three A-levels, or equivalent qualifications, at Level 3. This is also additional to supporting GCSE’s including maths, English and a science.

Studying as a nurse in Belfast, you could study at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University, or School of Nursing, Ulster University.

RNDA

However, there are other routes to become a nurse you can take that don’t involve necessarily getting a degree. A Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeships (RNDA), for example, offers a more flexible route that doesn’t require full-time study at university. University studying will be on a part-time basis, but the majority of your training will focus on practice placements in settings such as hospitals, GP practices and mental health facilities.

Location

Once you’re qualified as a nurse, it’s important to consider what location you want to work in. This can refer to both your professional setting, such as hospitals or GP practices, and to the physical location of where in the UK you would like to live and work.

Working as a nurse in Belfast provides a range of opportunities, which is where we at The Guild step in. At our nursing agency in Belfast, we’re always looking for qualified nurses to fill vacancies across the city, providing competitive rates of pay, reimbursed travel costs and fantastic training opportunities.

Benefits of working as a nurse in Belfast

  • History – rich with history, Belfast is also the birthplace of the RMS Titanic. The legacy is recalled in the renovated dockyards’ Titanic Quarter, including speciality museums such as Titanic Belfast.
  • Culture – such as the Botanic Gardens – a traditional iron framed Victorian conservatory containing many plants from around the world, to the historic walking area of the Cathedral Quarter, there’s plenty of culture to soak in by living in this thriving city.
  • Leisure – with an array of bars, restaurants, eateries and cafes scattered across the city, such as Eipic, a Michelin Star awarded restaurant, or The Muddlers Club, there’s something for everyone.

Whether you’re studying to become a nurse in Belfast, or looking for vacancies as a registered nurse, Belfast has a lot to offer. For more information on the nursing jobs available in Belfast from The Guild, register online with us today.

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