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Children nursing

I’ve been seeing a lot of negative things about nursing in the UK lately, and it’s honestly starting to really affect how I feel about pursuing it as a career.

If anyone here is a children’s nurse (or has experience in the field), I would really appreciate hearing your perspective. What made you choose this career? And if you’ve left, what were your reasons?

I’d be really grateful for any honest insights both positive and negative just to help me get a clearer picture.

Reply 1

Swansea Students

Official Rep

Original post

by bingbangdiggery

I’ve been seeing a lot of negative things about nursing in the UK lately, and it’s honestly starting to really affect how I feel about pursuing it as a career.
If anyone here is a children’s nurse (or has experience in the field), I would really appreciate hearing your perspective. What made you choose this career? And if you’ve left, what were your reasons?
I’d be really grateful for any honest insights both positive and negative just to help me get a clearer picture.

Although I am not a nursing student myself, many of my close friends are, including those studying children’s nursing. I have also been at Swansea University for the past four years studying under the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, so I often hear about their experiences.
From what I have seen and heard from friends, many chose children’s nursing because they genuinely enjoy working with children and families and want to support them during difficult times. They often say the most rewarding part is seeing a child recover or helping families feel supported when they are going through stressful situations. The sense of purpose and the variety of experiences in different clinical settings are things they value a lot.
At the same time, they are also very open about the challenges. Nursing can be demanding, with long shifts, emotional pressure, and sometimes staffing shortages. Some people feel the workload and the pace of the NHS can be difficult, especially early in their careers. That said, many still feel the role is meaningful and offers strong opportunities to specialise, develop skills, and make a real difference in patients’ lives.
Because experiences can vary a lot depending on the hospital, team, and stage of training, it can be really helpful to speak directly with current student nurses or qualified children’s nurses about their day-to-day work. Hearing a range of perspectives often gives a more balanced picture than what we sometimes see online.
I hope you’re able to gather some helpful insights here, and I wish you the best as you explore whether it’s the right path for you.
Best wishes,
Mamta
Swansea University Official Rep

Reply 2

LSBU

Official Rep

Original post

by bingbangdiggery

I’ve been seeing a lot of negative things about nursing in the UK lately, and it’s honestly starting to really affect how I feel about pursuing it as a career.
If anyone here is a children’s nurse (or has experience in the field), I would really appreciate hearing your perspective. What made you choose this career? And if you’ve left, what were your reasons?
I’d be really grateful for any honest insights both positive and negative just to help me get a clearer picture.

Hi there,

At LSBU, Children’s Nursing is presented as a career for people who want to make a real difference to children and families during difficult times, but it is also very clear that it is a demanding profession. LSBU says the course suits students who can plan well, respond to unplanned change, stay motivated when things get challenging, and cope with the complexity of nursing practice. So while there is a lot of negativity online about nursing, LSBU’s view is more balanced, it is a rewarding career, but it does require resilience, commitment, and the ability to handle long shifts and pressure.

If you are looking specifically at LSBU, the BSc (Hons) Children’s Nursing is ranked 3rd in London Moderns for Nursing in the Guardian University Guide 2025, and the course leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which is the key professional regulator for nurses in the UK. LSBU also highlights practical training through dedicated children’s skills laboratories and placements with host trusts, and its School of Nursing and Midwifery works with 60+ NHS partner organisations across London and beyond.

So if I were answering this from an LSBU perspective, I would say one of the biggest positives is that the course is very hands-on and career-focused, with real clinical experience and a clear professional route into registration. One of the more challenging sides is that nursing is not an easy career path, and even LSBU makes that clear through the expectations around resilience, adaptability, and managing demanding placement learning.

Also, LSBU has a Unibuddy platform where you can chat directly with current students, ask honest questions about the course, and get a feel for what student life and nursing at LSBU are really like before making your decision.
Chat with our students

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