Nurse - Child
Look after sick, injured or disabled children and teenagers. You'll care for them and comfort their families during times of distress.
Also known as: registered nurse (children), nurse (children's)
About the job
A day in the life – Children's nurse
What it's like
Are you a caring, compassionate person who enjoys working with children? If so, you may be interested in a career as a children's nurse.
You'll collaborate with doctors and a wider team to care for children and young people under the age of 18. You'll get to know their physical, mental, and emotional needs to provide the best care, treatment, and support.
As well as planning the nursing care for young people, you'll guide parents and caregivers. It can be a challenging time for families, you'll guide them on caring for their child at home, making sure they feel confident and supported.
One of the most rewarding parts of the role is building trust with both the children and their parents. Children can find it hard to express how they’re feeling. You’ll use your communication and observation skills to understand their behaviour and notice when they need extra help.
Your tasks might include:
checking vital signs like temperature, blood pressure, and breathing rates
giving medications and injections with care
cleaning and dressing wounds
setting up and managing drips and blood transfusions, making sure everything runs smoothly
assisting during examinations
You'll work closely with a variety of healthcare professionals. That could include doctors, healthcare assistants, social workers, dietitians and hospital play specialists.
Career growth and opportunities
With experience, you'll have the chance to specialise in areas like:
intensive care
cancer care
burns and plastics
child protection
Most children's nurses find fulfilling careers in the NHS. There are also great opportunities in hospices, community settings and private healthcare.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
NHS Scotland Careers – learn how to become a children's nurse
Nursing and Midwifery Council – find details of the standards for training set by the NMC
Royal College of Nursing – discover advice on becoming a nurse
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- developing a plan
- social conscience
- empathising
- researching
- verbal communication
- listening
- supporting
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Care
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Chemistry
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Childcare and Development
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Human Biology
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Skills for Work: Early Education and Childcare
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Skills for Work: Health and Social Care
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services and Healthcare
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Entry into this career is competitive and you'll need a degree in Child Nursing. There are a few different routes you can take to work towards this.
University
You’ll need a degree in Child Nursing that's approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
If you have a degree in another subject, you may be able to do a postgraduate qualification in Child Nursing.
Use the My World of Work course search to find relevant degrees.
Apprenticeships
Want to build some relevant skills or gain more qualifications before going to university? You might want to consider a Modern Apprenticeship in Healthcare Support.
College
Are you already working in healthcare? Or perhaps you don't have the qualifications you need to get in to a Children's Nursing degree?
You can do a HNC in Healthcare Practice. This is a stepping stone towards a Children's Nursing degree.
If you're an adult looking to get back into education, consider the Scottish Widening Access Programme (SWAP). It offers routes to nursing courses at university by learning at college first.
If you don't have a degree and have been out of education for at least 3 years, you could be eligible. You can read more about eligibility on the SWAP website.
Use the My World of Work course search to find HNCs and SWAP courses.
Getting work experience in a relevant role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become a children's nurse. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
It's also helpful to have other qualifications that show understanding of health, wellbeing and care, such as an SQA Wellbeing Award.
Once you've qualified as a children's nurse, you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
All children's nurses must be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
You'll need to complete a medical examination to make sure you're physically fit.
You'll need to provide evidence that you do not have, and have been immunised against, Hepatitis B.
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