Nurse - Adult

You would care for adults who are sick, injured or disabled and support them and their families when they are anxious and upset.

You'd work with doctors to give the patients practical medical care. You'd respond sensitively to the person's needs so they feel safe and looked after.

Your tasks might include:

• listening to patients and try to understand their worries

• checking temperatures

• measuring blood pressure and breathing rates

• helping doctors to examine patients

• giving drugs and injections

• cleaning and dressing wounds

You would use high-tech medical equipment and carry out procedures like blood transfusions. You might also do routine checks and procedures with healthy people.

You could work in a hospital or in the community at a GP's surgery, health centre or clinic. Most jobs are in the National Health Service (NHS) though you could also work at private hospitals or nursing homes, schools, colleges or for the prison service, the Armed Forces or in industry.

You could specialise in an area such as accident and emergency, cardiac rehabilitation, outpatients, neonatal nursing, and operating theatre work.

You need to be able to help any person without judgement and respect patient confidentiality.

You can see more about this role in the National Health Service on the Adult nurse page on the NHS Scotland Careers website. See the Learning and development section for information about career structures, progression and rates of pay.

• Nursing and Midwifery Council – details of the standards for training set by the NMC

• Royal College of Nursing - advice on becoming a nurse