Career ideas and inspiration

What nursing role suits you?

Many members who come through to the RCN Career Service are looking to change or progress within their career.

This page has information about different roles within nursing and healthcare to encourage thoughts, ideas, and inspire you to explore and research further.

What are transferable skills?

Some skills are specific, like venepuncture, checking vital signs, etc. However, others are non-specific like communication, teamwork, leadership, mentoring, etc. These are called "transferable skills."

You’d probably be surprised to find out how many skills you’ve already got without realising.

Applying your transferable skills - How portable is your skill set?

How many times have you thought, “I’d really like to apply for this job, but I don’t have the necessary experience or skills.”

This is when your transferable skills could come in.

Have a look at the list below to help you identify which transferable skills you have.

Activisim (See Become an RCN rep)	Adaptability and flexibility
Auditing	Capacity to work independently
Case management	Communication (verbal, written and listening)
Critical thinking	Decision making
Empathy / compassion	Ethical issues
Evidence based practice	Governance / quality assurance
Health promotion	Leadership and management
Networking	Planning and organisation
Problem solving	Project management
Research	Risk assessment
Taking initiative	Teamwork
Time Management

Examples of using transferable skills when applying for a job

Let’s say for example you see a vacancy for a managerial role which states that leadership skills are essential.

If you've never formally been a manager before, don't let this put you off; you'd be surprised how you can use transferable skills to demonstrate your capability as a leader.

Here are some examples:

"As a Senior HCA on my unit, I'm responsible for organising the HCA team, helping them to prioritise their workloads, delegating tasks and motivating the team through 121s. I also act as a role model through coaching, supervising and supporting new staff and junior HCA’s, and was recently nominated for Employee of the Year. "

“I often took charge of a busy 20 bedded ward during my last post as a band 5 staff nurse. This involved acting up in the absence of the manager, coordinating the running of the ward, overseeing bed management, and leading and supporting both the nursing and support staff."

“I gained excellent skills in leadership and management from when I took charge of a Service Improvement project. I organised and led a group of 15 colleagues to deliver an effective strategy within a strict time frame. This involved negotiating and influencing others to come on board, and communicating the new changes within the wider team.”

“As a student rep at university, I played an active role in driving positive change within the University to ensure the needs of students were met. As well as being the first point of contact for my cohort, I supported students to raise concerns, and was in charge of organising and chairing meetings."

“I recently initiated and implemented a Practice Nurse Network Group in my area. I led the group to discuss issues affecting primary care, identify opportunities for collaborative working, keep up to date with changes in legislation and share best practice. I made sure the group had a clear aim at all times and was pivotal in ensuring any objectives were achieved."

“I have excellent skills in leadership from when I organised a charity event to raise funds for my local hospice. This involved motivating and engaging the local community to get involved, promoting the event, and proactively seeking opportunities to be interviewed by the local press and radio. I worked within a tight budget and was responsible for the collection and management of funds raised.”

“Prior to my nursing career, I worked in retail as a team leader where I supported a team of 10 sales assistants and oversaw the running of the shop floor. I was accountable for ensuring all staff completed mandatory training, auditing the stock, and scheduling the staff rota. I have effective people management skills through carrying out monthly 121, appraisals and addressing any staff performance issues appropriately. This combined with my 3 years' nursing experience I feel would make me an excellent candidate for the role.”

Clinical

The majority of nursing roles fall within the category of clinical practice, characterised by delivering direct care to patients, clients or service users, and boasting the widest choice of roles at a variety of different settings and levels.

Research

Research nursing offers attractive career options, enabling nurses to use core nursing skills, contribute to the development of new evidence and improve patient care.

Education

If you're passionate about learning and like the idea of developing others, you may want to consider a role within nurse education or the facilitation of learning and development. Education roles sit within both educational and clinical settings.

Leadership

Nurse Managers help patients by managing the nurses who care for them, drawing together patient experience and the coordination of the multidisciplinary team.

RCNi Nursing Jobs

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Digital roles and innovations

Modern nursing and midwifery requires digital capabilities. This is being reflected in new and emerging roles across health and social care.

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Nursing careers resource

This web resource is designed to provide you with a range of ideas about the varying roles that you can enjoy throughout your health career.