How do I become….

… a Health Care Assistant?

Health Care Assistants (HCAs) are often described as the bedrock of the nursing service. They deliver care in every imaginable setting, and are invariably the people who deliver the majority of hands-on nursing care, so are very much part of the nursing team.

You don’t usually need any formal qualifications or training to apply for HCA posts in the NHS. Some relevant care experience, such as volunteering, can be really helpful.  Once you have been accepted as an HCA, training is offered to ensure you are competent in the skills required for your job. You should undergo a comprehensive induction training programme to prepare you for your role.

For more information visit NHS Careers and the Royal College of Nursing websites. Also see our Nurse Bank page.

… a Doctor?

Becoming a doctor isn’t an easy option, it takes years of study and hard work. There are more than different 60 specialties that doctors work within. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. You will need to work as a part of a multi-disciplinary team in virtually every specialty.

Those who are considering medicine as a career will need to consider a degree in medicine, or if you are a graduate in another subject, consider applying for the accelerated graduate entry programme to medicine.

For more information visit the NHS Careers and the NHS Medical Careers websites.

… a Nurse?

Nursing offers a diverse, challenging and rewarding career to all those who’d like to make a difference to people’s lives.  Nurses take responsibility for the care they provide and answer for their own judgements and actions. Nurse education is provided by universities, with half the programme devoted to supervised placements in local hospital and community settings. Students specialise in the fields of either adult, children’s, mental health or learning disability nursing.

For more information visit the Royal College of Nursing website. Also see our Nurse Bank page.

… a Midwife?

Being a  midwife is more than  just delivering babies.  A midwife is usually the first and main contact for the expectant mother during her pregnancy, and throughout labour and the early postnatal period. She is responsible for providing care and  supporting  women to make informed choices about the services and options available to them.

You enter the midwifery profession directly by undertaking a degree course leading to a midwifery qualification.

For more information visit the Royal College of Midwives website.

… a Physiotherapist?

Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession that works with people to identify and maximise their ability to move and function. And functional movement is a key part of what it means to be healthy. This means that physiotherapy plays a key role in enabling people to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life.

A physiotherapy degree gives you eligibility for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and qualified membership of the Charted Society of Physiotherapy, which brings chartered status if you qualify on a programme that holds CSP accreditation.

For more information visit the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy website.

… an Occupational Therapist?

Occupational therapists work with people of all ages to help them overcome the effects of disability caused by physical or psychological illness, ageing or accident. The profession offers enormous opportunities for career development and endless variety.

Being a registered occupational therapist takes patience, ingenuity, determination, common sense, a sound knowledge base and enthusiasm. Most of all, it requires an interest in working closely with people to enable them to lead full and satisfying lives as independently as possible.

Once you have completed a pre-registration programme in occupational therapy and have registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, you will normally be in a position to apply for jobs.

For more information visit the NHS Careers website.