Why choose London for your next nursing role?

As the capital city, London is full of life, bustling with excitement from every corner. A great place to live and work, the city offers a unique lifestyle which is often desirable for young professionals. If you’re thinking about a nursing career in London, there are a wide range of opportunities available for you, including working in mental health facilities, hospitals, GP practices and more.

Whether you have just begun your nursing journey, or you’ve been working as a registered nurse for years, this guide will show you why you should consider living and working as a nurse in London.

Becoming a nurse in London

Education

To become a nurse, there are a number of qualifications you will need to obtain. Many countries will also have a registering body that you’ll need to join in order to become a fully qualified nurse – for example, in the UK, all nurses must register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Nursing degree

One of the easiest routes to become is a nurse is through a university degree. To begin a nursing degree course, you will need three A-levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications. You will also need GCSEs in English, Maths and at least one Science.

The four areas of nursing you could specialise in during your degree are:

• Adult nursing
• Children’s nursing
• Learning disability nursing
• Mental health nursing

Considering studying to become a nurse in London? There are a range of universities to choose from, such as the University of London, Kingston University, University of East London, Middlesex University and King’s College London.

Any of these courses should not only provide you with the academic theory of nursing, but also hands-on practical experience in hospitals and community settings, too.

Registered Nursing Degree Apprenticeships (RNDA)

However, getting a degree isn’t always the only route into a nursing career – in fact, many people qualify through Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeships (RDNA) as an alternative path. This offers the option of university studying on a part-time basis, whilst most of your nursing training will focus on practicing in placement settings.

Working as a nurse in London

Location

Once you’ve completed your nursing education, the next step will be deciding which professional setting you’d like to work in and, arguably more importantly, where in the country that will be. With a career in nursing comes a level of flexibility with location – meaning you can choose to work in pretty much any location you want.

However, some of the most common benefits of working as a nurse in London includes:

• Capital city – as the capital city of England, London has a lot to offer from a tourist perspective. Soak up quintessential British culture visiting iconic spots such as the London Eye, Madame Tussauds or Buckingham Palace on your days off!
• The West End – for theatre-lovers, London is arguably the best city to live in the UK. With an array of West End shows to choose from, ranging from matinee performances to evenings on most days of the week, you’ll never be without entertainment in London’s Theatreland district.
• Salary – with the cost of living raised by living in the capital city, the salary and general pay also reflects this. So, you can expect to earn quite a bit more while working in the city.

Here at Thornbury Nursing Services, our nursing agency in London is looking for qualified nurses to fill our vacancies across the city. We recruit nurses who have found their specialism background and have a few years’ experience working in nursing. With competitive pay, reimbursed travel costs and specialised training opportunities, register online with us today and find out more about how we’re an agency you can trust.