Which branch of nursing pays better as in starting or more opportunities?

Basically im thinking of applying for nursing and I work with pretty much all areas (not medically) I work with children in childcare including children with special needs and disabilites for example speech and language issues, which makes me want to child nursing. I work in a college as an assistant with students with special needs which covers learning disability and also mental health as some of the students have mental health issues. I like them all for different reasons.
So I guess looking at pay and progression would help me choose which branch to go down. Doesnt learning disability nursing start higher in band 5?

Reply 1

NHSFan

11

Original post by trifleontoast

Basically im thinking of applying for nursing and I work with pretty much all areas (not medically) I work with children in childcare including children with special needs and disabilites for example speech and language issues, which makes me want to child nursing. I work in a college as an assistant with students with special needs which covers learning disability and also mental health as some of the students have mental health issues. I like them all for different reasons.
So I guess looking at pay and progression would help me choose which branch to go down. Doesnt learning disability nursing start higher in band 5?

All newly qualified nurses will start at bottom Band 5. (Currently £21,478). My advice is to choose whichever branch would interest you most, as it is very difficult nowadays to move to a different branch after qualifying. I understand the opportunities in learning disability nursing are very limited. Children's nursing courses will be the most competitive as there are far fewer places available.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 2

claireestelle

22

As NHS fan says they all start at band 5 and there can be similar progression in all branches, so you cant make a choice based on that (dont know anyone thats gone into nursing because of the pay though :wink:

)

Have a really good think about which client group you would be happy to work with, especially if you wanted to go into childrens as theres so little places. Have you got any care experience? If not get some in the different branches which should help you make your decision hopefully :smile:

Reply 3

NHSFan

11

Original post by trifleontoast

Basically im thinking of applying for nursing and I work with pretty much all areas (not medically) I work with children in childcare including children with special needs and disabilites for example speech and language issues, which makes me want to child nursing. I work in a college as an assistant with students with special needs which covers learning disability and also mental health as some of the students have mental health issues. I like them all for different reasons.
So I guess looking at pay and progression would help me choose which branch to go down. Doesnt learning disability nursing start higher in band 5?

Oxford Brookes offer a very interesting 4 year course with dual registration in mental health and children's nursing. That may be of interest to you, obviously depending on where you live and your current academic background.

Reply 4

N!*

19

Original post by NHSFan

Oxford Brookes offer a very interesting 4 year course with dual registration in mental health and children's nursing. That may be of interest to you, obviously depending on where you live and your current academic background.

Southampton also do dual courses in nursing, so i'm sure lots of other unis do aswell.

Reply 5

NHSFan

11

Original post by N!*

Southampton also do dual courses in nursing, so i'm sure lots of other unis do aswell.

Yes, lots do, (which is great) but as far as I am aware, only Brookes and De Montford offer those with dual reg in children's and mental health.

Reply 6

PaediatricStN

12

Without wishing to be too harsh, you should not be choosing your branch of nursing based on pay or career progression. End of.

Yes, we all want to earn a decent wage so we can keep ourselves and family members in nice accommodation with nice things etc, and yes we all want to progress up the ladder in our chosen career, however this shouldn't be the reason for choosing a branch or your career motivation. Your motivation primarily needs to be patient-centered.

More onto your question, there is an ancient myth that children's nursing is limiting, however this isn't the case and there are plenty of Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Specialist roles available in paediatrics. Remember that in this branch you work as much with the parents and families as you do the child or young person themselves. If you really do want to do child, don't be put off by the number of places available because if your desire is really there, that will likely be seen in your personal statement and at interview and you will get some offers.

Unfortunately I can't say much about mental health or learning disability nursing however there are other students of those branches on here who may assist you.

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Reply 7

deviant182

15

Original post by NHSFan

All newly qualified nurses will start at bottom Band 5. (Currently £21,478). My advice is to choose whichever branch would interest you most, as it is very difficult nowadays to move to a different branch after qualifying. I understand the opportunities in learning disability nursing are very limited. Children's nursing courses will be the most competitive as there are far fewer places available.

First off let me start by saying please don't give out information that you aren't sure of and may mislead others.
It is a myth and a lie that opportunities are limited in ld nursing. You are able to work with adults and children, palliative care, pregnant women, forensics, mental health etc. In ld we learn across the board and learn a lot of transferable skills.
In ld it is hard going and can be difficult for some people learning how to respond to challenging behaviour and stressful situations and work out how to help someone who has very limited communication skills.
Learning disability is becoming more and more competitive due to it having limited spaces and more jobs needed every year.
Those on my course for the past several years have all been offered jobs when qualified. Whether it's specifically in ld or elsewhere.

If the op is wanting to do ld I would recommend going for it if they enjoy it.
All nursing starts in the same band but historically ld nurses can start slightly higher due to demand. There are more and more people with learning disabilities today and not enough qualified nurses. Increased demand therefore demands higher wages to pull people in.

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Reply 8

kiss_me_now9

16

Original post by NHSFan

All newly qualified nurses will start at bottom Band 5. (Currently £21,478). My advice is to choose whichever branch would interest you most, as it is very difficult nowadays to move to a different branch after qualifying. I understand the opportunities in learning disability nursing are very limited. Children's nursing courses will be the most competitive as there are far fewer places available.

It's £21,690 now with the 1% pay rise that's just come through.

OP, I work an acute trust so I can't comment on MH/LD nursing as we don't deal with them. However I can tell you right now off the bat that nursing is not about the money and if you're going in looking for a higher wage then you might as well not bother starting the degree.

A good nurse is someone who is passionate and engaged with their patients, and who acts for their patients best interests. If you can't do that, then you won't last long as a nurse.

In my trust we have a small paeds department, within there we have everything from band 3s (our HCAs start at band 2 elsewhere) up to band 8ds - just the same as our adult wards. The progression is there if you want it but it's no use studying nursing if you want to progress to a fantastic wage because that *isn't* there in the NHS and never will be.

Reply 9

username1236842

8

I'm a GP and at the moment in Scotland we seem to have a shortage of practice nurses. This is a branch worth considering, tends to be band F to G (sounds like they've changed as people are talking numbers not letters although many GP practices don't use Agenda for Change) you do chronic disease management, diabetes, COPD, asthma, bloods, health reviews, cryotherapy, immunisations etc. Tends to be daytime only. Has the disadvantage of working alone much of the time which some nurses aren't comfortable with and often your employer is a bunch of GPs.
If you get fed up in hospital and think about practice nursing it's maybe worth doing some courses in your own time like COPD and asthma to get an interview. Things like the Warwick diabetes course can be done when you have a PN job although having that is a very big advantage.