How to become a nurse

Whether you're just finishing school or changing careers, there are several pathways into becoming a registered nurse (RN).

How you get there will depend on which route you want to take, you can study a full-time university degree course, an apprenticeship or even work your way from a healthcare support worker.

What to expect

Nurses care for people who are unwell, injured, or need support with their health. They check patients' vital signs, give medication, provide emotional support, and help with recovery.

You’ll need to build trust with patients and sometimes talk to their families, especially if the patient has a long-term illness and comes in regularly for treatment. Nurses usually work with a team of healthcare professionals and are often the main person patients see and receive most of their care from.

Nurses work in many different settings. At Mid Yorks, they work in our hospitals and in the community, but you could also work in GP surgeries or nursing homes.

You will need to choose which specialism you would like to follow: adult or child nursing.

Nurses typically work 37.5 hours per week. Shift work is common, with unsocial hours covering nights, early morning, weekends and bank holidays. Some roles in the community and specialist clinics may offer opportunities for 9am to 5pm hours.

A collage of photos showing nurses working in hospital wards

Routes into nursing

We have listed the typical routes into nursing at Mid Yorks below. You could also start as a support worker and work your way up to a trainee nurse associate.

BSc nursing degree (university route)

Best for those who want a direct path to becoming nurse, ideal for students finishing A-levels, BTECs, or access courses.

3-year university course that qualifies you as a Registered Nurse (RN)
Entry requirements: A-levels (often including biology), T-level or a level 3 qualification in a relevant subject – it’s always best to check with the universities what qualifications they accept
Specialisms: adult or child
If you are interested in adult nursing, we run a School of Nursing in partnership with the University of Bradford, which is located at Dewsbury and District Hospital

We have an active graduate nurse recruitment programme and host events every year, where students who are nearing completion of their degrees are invited to apply to work for us.

Nursing degree apprenticeship

Best for those who want to work while they train. This route is only available to staff at Mid Yorks who are working as nursing associates.

You will work and study part-time to become an RN
Usually takes 1.5 years (adult) 2 years (child)
Entry requirements: A nursing associate foundation degree or recognised assistant practitioner preparation programme with a minimum of 120 academic credits at level 4. Or a certificate in higher education for assistant practitioners before 2016 or foundation degree for assistant practitioners or equivalent. English and maths at GCSE grades 9-4 (A-C) or level 2 functional skills. When English is spoken as a second language, must have an IELTS score of 7.0

Trainee nursing associate (TNA)

Ideal for people who want to work in healthcare and possibly become a registered nurse later.

It’s a 2-year paid apprenticeship to become a nursing associate – a role bridging the gap between clinical support workers and registered nurses
Requires GCSEs in English and maths or Level 2 Function skills including Maths and English and 6 months experience in a health care setting
You can later apply to “top up” via a shortened degree or apprenticeship to become a registered nurse

Placement opportunities

We offer placements to students who attend one of our partner universities: the University of Huddersfield, the University of Bradford, and the University of Greater Manchester.

If you are a student at one of these universities, we recommend contacting your placement team for any placement-related queries.