How to become a registered nursing professional
Official title: Other registered nursing professionals
Also called: Nursing sister, Nursing officer, Registered nurse, State registered nurse, Registered general nurse, A&e nurse, Team leader, Adult nurse, Staff nurse, Nurse-tutor, Ward sister, Unit manager
Other registered nursing professionals provide general nursing care for the sick, injured and others in need of such care, assist medical doctors with their tasks and work with other healthcare professionals and within teams of healthcare workers in a variety of other professional nursing occupations not elsewhere classified in minor group 223: Nursing Professionals.
Main tasks
- Assists medical doctors and works with other healthcare professionals to deal with emergencies and pre-planned treatment of patients
- Manages own case load
- Monitors patient’s progress, administers drugs and medicines, applies surgical dressings and gives other forms of treatment
- Cares for the physical and emotional wellbeing of patients in their care
- Informs and advises patients and their relatives on their health problems and how to care for themselves
- Teach nursing professionals clinical skills, patient care methods, and best collaboration practices
How to become one
Qualification as a nurse is via a diploma or degree course, both of which are provided by universities, or through an apprenticeship. Courses comprise both theoretical and practical work, including placements in hospital and community settings. Full time diploma courses last three years; degree courses last three or four years. Accelerated programmes are available to graduates with a health-related degree.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Registered nurse degree (NMC 2018) (level 6). England. Typically 48 months. Skills England standard ST0781.
- University: Nursing & Midwifery degrees, Offered by 16 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £42,300 a year The middle half earn £36,192 to £49,866.
- About 395,800 people work in this job now, and about 434,000 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)
Related jobs
- Midwifery nurses
- Registered community nurses
- Registered specialist nurses
- Registered nurse practitioners
- Registered mental health nurses
- Registered children's nurses
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Questions people ask
How do I become a registered nursing professional?
Qualification as a nurse is via a diploma or degree course, both of which are provided by universities, or through an apprenticeship. Courses comprise both theoretical and practical work, including placements in hospital and community settings. Full time diploma courses last three years; degree courses last three or four years. Accelerated programmes are available to graduates with a health-related degree.
How much does a registered nursing professional earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £42,300 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £36,192 to £49,866.
Is a registered nursing professional a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 395,800 to about 434,000 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a registered nursing professional?
Usually. 74% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.