Child VS Adult nursing for nurse practitioning-HELP

What do you understand about the role of a nurse practitioner? If you've researched the role you'll know the answer to your question

Which branch will be better for nurse practitioning.

I am more interested in doing child rather than adult.

Will it matter which branch i pick since i want to be a nurse practitioner.

You can become a nurse practitioner in either branch. Obviously the roles will be slightly different and it will also depend what sort of area you specialise in.*

If you are more interested in children's nursing then you've really answered your own question.*

What do you understand about the role of a nurse practitioner? If you've researched the role you'll know the answer to your question

What do you understand about the role of a nurse practitioner? If you've researched the role you'll know the answer to your question

If i was to work in a GP as a nurse practitioner will i be expected to work unsocial hours?

Depends on your employer but potentially yes. In GP practices I don't think NPs stay on at night for emergency/ out of hours surgeries, its usually the doctors.

Also here's my two cents: Adult branch nursing would potentially allow you to choose between the two as you can do a post graduate diploma to change specialism if you so desire from adult to child (NOT vice versa). If you go into child nursing you will only ever work with children. It really restricts some of the paths you could go down if you were to change you mind in the future. I know it's a lot of pressure but you need to make a decision soon. Also don't forget you need a few years experience before doing your masters degree to become a nurse practitioner and in this time you could only work with children if you choose child branch potentially forcing you into the children's nurse practitioner.

Hope that's helpful

If you want to work with children, work with children (0-18 years). Conversion courses are hard to find nowadays so 'topping' up is not necessarily an easy option, yes you could do a PGDip but you would have to fund that. There are so many areas that you can go into within paediatrics, children get ill too and in paeds you see a lot of children with various syndromes that you won't find in Adult because sadly many are life limiting. Oncology, diabetes, renal, cardiac, haematology, intensive care, A&E, trauma, mental health issues, addiction etc etc etc, paeds has it all too it's not just the preserve of adult nursing. Children's wards imo are happier, nicer places to work with a better ratio of nurse to patient.

You can it just takes a while. 3 years of a degree then maybe an extra year for a change in specialism. I don't think it's worth it tbh plus funding and placements. Many employers make it difficult for their employees to change specialism and still work (like if you did it part time).

It sounds to me like you want to be a children's nurse from what you've said. Stick with what you like best


They do but in my local practice the NPs go home at 4 or 5! Like I said it depends on your employer really with the unsocial hours.



PS: What about this? http://www.southampton.ac.uk/healthsciences/undergraduate/courses/bn_nursing_adult_child.page Seems like a good solution for you! It's 4 years though.

Thanks for the reply... you work in?

It's harder to find a job as a child nurse. Not as many as adult. My mum is finding it hard to find jobs. Don't have the option to do agency work or part time as not many agencies for children.

You do get some abuse from both though. From parents of children or from adult patients themselves.

As an Adult nurse you could and often do come across children (I think they should call adult branch "general" really) in practice. For example in a lot of A and E departments the children's emergencies department closes at night and so other nurses may pick up those jobs. Some A and E's don't have children specific departments sometimes too, it depends on the hospital and its size.

Theatre nursing is similar, you may be required to work with patients of all ages in your given specialism like orthopedics or ENT etc. with only an adult branch degree.

Also as a nurse practitioner in general practice (having studied adult branch only) you would almost certainly be seeing children and babies come into your office. I have grown up seeing the nurse practitioner over the doctor from when I was a kid up until now!

Also practice nurses often have adult branch qualifications but they might still do vaccinations for babies and young children.

As I said before child branch is restrictive, the only adults you would come into contact with would be parents and guardians of your patients really.

Edit: I'm a student adult nurse

Why is it hard to find jobs as a child nurse after all, child nursing is more difficult to get into when applying to uni?

And nurses are needed everywhere 24/7


This has really changed my perspective of being a child nurse.

Thanks for all your replies, they were helpful and i think i might now do Adult, considering that it opens more doors and i could always change speciality.

I just need to get some work experience under my belt.

If you have any questions about uni interviews etc. in the future when you apply just ask BTW

For the very same reason you just said It's very competitive plus far more adults get sick than children and hospitals tend to only have one pediatric ward= fewer jobs.

Don't let that put you off though! Plenty of graduates find jobs nearly straight away.