What Are the Benefits of Returning to Nursing?
14 Aug, 2024
How to Progress Your Nursing Career
16 Jul, 20241-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- What the stages of career development in nursing are.
- How nurses can progress their career within the NHS.
- How nurses can engage in Continuing Professional Development.
- Where the latest nursing jobs are and how to apply for them.
Career progression is an essential component for feeling fulfilled within any profession. When it comes to a job role as demanding as nursing, it’s important for nurses to see a clear pathway for advancing and developing their skills within healthcare.
If you’re a nurse wondering how to progress your career, or you’re interested in how nurses can pursue Continuous Professional Development opportunities, check out our latest blog where we explore how to progress your nursing career!
What are the stages of career development in nursing?
The career development of a nurse typically follows a structured path, although it should be noted that individual experiences can vary, depending on a person’s career aspirations and qualifications.
Typically, the stages of career development in nursing are:
- Nurse training.
- Junior Staff Nurse.
- Staff Nurse.
- Senior Staff Nurse.
- Specialist Nurse.
- Advanced Practice Nurse.
- Management and leadership roles.
Nurse training
To practise as a nurse, the relevant qualifications must be obtained. In the UK, there are a variety of different routes an aspiring nurse can pursue in order to qualify within the profession.
Two of the most common routes include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or a diploma from a nursing program.
Initial training is the best way to equip a nurse with the foundational skills and knowledge required to practise in a variety of healthcare settings.
Junior Staff Nurse
After qualifying as a nurse, professionals often begin their career in a Junior Staff Nurse post.
This role involves working beneath a more experienced nurse to gain practical experience and develop skills in a hands-on role.
Typically, a Junior Staff Nurse will work on a hospital ward or within a community setting under the supervision of an experienced team.
Staff Nurse
As a Junior Staff Nurse gains experience and showcases their competence within their role, they may earn the opportunity to progress into the position of a Staff Nurse.
The responsibilities of a Staff Nurse can include administering medication, providing wound care and carrying out patient assessments.
Staff Nurses often work in hospitals, community healthcare settings and within specialist services, such as a mental health unit.
Senior Staff Nurse
After several years within a nursing career, healthcare professionals may progress to a Senior Staff Nurse position.
A Senior Staff Nurse is usually responsible for mentoring junior colleagues, leading shifts and coordinating patient care and responsibilities across the team.
Specialist Nurse
After gaining sufficient experience, a nurse may choose to specialise in a particular area of healthcare, such as mental health nursing or intensive care.
In order to practise as a Specialist Nurse, additional training and qualifications are usually required.
Specialist Nurses are responsible for delivery high-quality care and are even sometimes involved with the development of clinical guidelines within the area they specialise in.
Advanced Practice Nurse
Whilst not a priority for everyone, some nurses choose to pursue further education and training to become an Advanced Practice Nurse.
This may involve completing a master’s degree in nursing and obtaining an additional certification in a specific area.
Healthcare recruitment specialist, Kaylah Henderson, says “An Advanced Practice Nurse needs in-depth knowledge across all areas of nursing, as they might need to complete jobs such as prescribing medication, diagnosing illness and leading others within a healthcare team.”
Management and leadership roles
Nurses who excel within their role may have the opportunity to progress into a management or leadership position such as a Nurse Manager, Director of Nursing or Clinical Lead.
Within these leadership roles, nurses are responsible for managing staff, implementing policies, improving the delivery of healthcare and overseeing patient care.
The NHS banding system
When it comes to career progression within the NHS, it is important to note that the NHS staff structure operates on a banding system. Every NHS position, including nursing roles, are assigned to a specific band within the system. In order to ensure that NHS staff are paid in accordance with their responsibilities, the band they fall within will determine their level of pay.
For example a newly qualified or staff nurse would sit within band 5, whereas a nurse practitioner or advanced nurse falls inside Band 7.
There are a number of different types of nursing within each band.
How can Nurses progress in the NHS?
There are a variety of ways a nurse can successfully progress within their career within the NHS, such as:
- Utilising networking opportunities.
- Researching the job market.
- Pursuing advanced certifications.
- Volunteering time and expertise.
- Making the most of appraisals.
- Seeking advice from peers.
- Contracting with Spencer Clarke Group.
Utilising networking opportunities
Utilising networking opportunities is an important way for nurses to establish connections with healthcare professionals across a multitude of specialities, settings and levels of experience.
By connecting with others in the profession, nurses afford themselves the opportunity to gain industry insights and discover new job opportunities.
By collaborating with others, nurses are also able to exchange ideas, share knowledge and open the door to new opportunities for learning and career development.
Building a strong network is also a fantastic way for nurses to increase their visibility within the healthcare sector which could result in recommendations, referrals and invitations to participate in special projects, all of which are advised ways to progress within a career.
Researching the job market
Researching and understanding the job market is an instrumental way of helping nurses to progress their careers.
A thorough understanding of the job market will provide nurses with valuable insights into industry trends, demands and opportunities within the healthcare sector.
These insights are essential for allowing nurses to strategically align their skills, experience and professional goals to the evolving needs of healthcare employers.
By doing so, nurses are able to increase their competitiveness and employability within the job market.
Researching the job market can also help nurses to identify potential employers and understand salary expectations, both of which are important insights for career advancement.
Armed with a thorough understanding of the job market, nurses are able to proactively pursue career opportunities that align with their specialities, skills, aspirations and expertise. An understanding of what employers are looking for from their team also allows nurses to pursue advanced certifications which will enhance their employability.
Pursuing advanced certifications
Pursuing advanced certifications can help a nurse enhance their knowledge, skills and credibility within their field.
By obtaining certifications, a nurse is able to demonstrate their commitment to enhancing their skills, experience and commitment to career development.
Advanced certifications are a great way for a nurse to increase their job satisfaction by affording the opportunity to open doors to new career opportunities and a variety of positions.
Kaylah Henderson says, “Advanced certifications give nurses the skills required to handle complex patient cases which can result in increased opportunities for career progression.”
Holding additional certifications can also result in higher earning potential for nurses along with solidifying their status as a respected professional within the field.
Volunteering time and expertise
Volunteering allows nurses to gain valuable experience either within their field or within a new area of practice.
Devoting time and energy to volunteering can be a powerful catalyst for advancing a nurse’s career and broadening their skillset.
Volunteering also provides important opportunities for networking and establishing collaboration with other healthcare professionals. As a result of building a network, nurses might open doors to new career opportunities.
Making the most of appraisals
Appraisals are an important aspect of any professional's career in order to successfully develop core skills.
The opportunity to discuss personal and professional goals with a senior member of staff is vital for progressing a career within nursing.
Highlighting aspirations to a leader will help a nurse utilise the support needed to progress within their career. Having clear goals for the future is also an important way to demonstrate dedication and commitment within a role.
During an appraisal, a nurse may wish to highlight their desire to take on more responsibility within the team, shadow other colleagues, get involved with project work or take part in additional study.
Seeking advice from peers
A simple but effective way to progress a nursing career is to seek advice from peers. Whether this be people within the same healthcare team or an online network of professionals, reaching out to others is a great way to gain new insights and learn new skills, which as a result can lead to career progression.
We advise nurses to speak to leaders who hold positions they aspire to work within. This is a brilliant way to get advice for progressing into these positions.
Asking what they did to get where they are, utilising their network of contacts and delving into the resources they utilised is an effective way to progress within a nursing career.
Seeking advice from others is also an advised way for nurses to manage nurse burnout as speaking to others might help to lighten the burden of a demanding role.
Contracting with Spencer Clarke Group
Agency nursing can provide excellent opportunities for career progression. By gaining experience across a variety of specialties and working alongside different healthcare professionals, agency nurses can develop their skills on the job.
Contracting with a specialist nursing agency such as Spencer Clarke Group enables nurses to network with healthcare professionals, complete training programmes and enhance job prospects and salary potential.
Our specialist nursing recruiters can help nurses find exactly what they are looking for in their next contract - whether this be more flexibility, a higher salary or even training opportunities. We also offer referral benefits to agency nurses and healthcare professionals who recommend us to their colleagues.
If you’re a nurse searching for your next contract, why not take a look at all the latest nursing jobs available or upload your CV today.
How can nurses engage in Continuing Professional Development?
In order to progress within their career, it’s vital for nurses to continuously develop their professional skills and expertise.
Kaylah Henderson says “Within nursing, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can involve taking part in a range of activities aimed to enhance learning. These activities include workshops, conferences, training sessions and mentorship opportunities and can be carried out online and in person.”
CPD activities are designed to support the professional growth of nurses and as a result of this, improve patient care within various healthcare settings.
Within the UK, nurses are required to engage in Continuing Professional Development in order to maintain their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Nurses must adhere to the CPD requirements set by the NMC, which include recording and reflecting on their CPD activities and demonstrating how their efforts have contributed to their professional development and practice within the industry.
Nursing jobs
If you’re searching for your next interim nursing job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Struggling to recruit nurses?
As nursing recruitment specialists, we support NHS Trusts, local authorities and private sector businesses nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent recruitment needs.
We can supply nurses across all specialisms of nursing including adult, mental health, children, and learning difficulties.
If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with our nursing specialist, Kaylah Henderson on 01772 954200 to see how we can help?
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re a vibrant and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West.
We continually reimagine the recruitment process to challenge convention and defy expectations; from creating a better recruitment experience to remodelling employee engagement, we thrive off doing things differently and turning heads along the way.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
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