what is a nursery nurse?
As a nursery nurse, sometimes also called a neonatal nurse, you provide care for babies and young children in hospitals, schools, family centres and nurseries. Your work is to ensure the children's daily care needs are met. You provide a safe, supportive and nurturing environment. You also supervise and coordinate social and educational activities to help them develop and grow.
When you work in hospitals, you look after babies from birth until they are discharged. You also look after sick children and assist parents with feeding, dressing, changing and comforting them. You are trained to administer medication and conduct various tests that aid diagnosis.
A nursery nurse is an important part of children's early development since they organise activities to improve social skills. You encourage and build children's concentration, creativity and sense of discovery. You also supervise play and encourage activities that improve their skills in number work, reading, art and singing.
As a nursery nurse, you monitor changes in children under your care and provide remedies. For instance, if they withdraw from social activities, you work with parents, carers and doctors to figure out the problem. You also write reports on children's progress and document the recovery process prior to discharge. The role requires empathy and patience to help children achieve their goals effectively.
Would working in health as a nursery nurse suit your passion for helping kids and empathetic skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a nursery nurse role.
nursery nurse salary
According to ONS, a full-time nursery nurse earns a median salary of £22,255 per year. Entry-level positions have a salary of £20,710 annually, while experienced nurses earn over £29,120 per year. The benefits packages vary depending on the employer, but most nursery nurses enjoy sick pay, generous annual leave, childcare discounts and pension schemes.
When you work for the NHS, your salary is scaled on the Agenda for Change band systems. Entry-level nursery nurses start at Band 3, ranging between £20,330 and £21,777 per year. When you have three years of experience, your Band 4 salary starts at £22,549 and can rise to £24,882 per year. Senior nursery nurses take home a Band 5 salary starting from £25,655 to £31,534 per year.
how to increase your salary as a nursery nurse
Your nursery nurse salary mainly depends on your specialism and level of experience. When you are a general nursery nurse, your earnings only increase with experience. However, specialising in a specific area improves your income. For instance, you can specialise in caring for children with special needs, physical disabilities or mental health issues. You also receive better salaries in the private sector when you have additional years of experience and take up supervisory roles. However, trainee nursery nurses are better off financially working for the NHS.
types of nursery nurses
Types of nursery nurses include:
- neonatal nursery nurse: as a nursery nurse, you care for newborn babies. You dress and feed them to support new mothers. You also administer food and medication to premature infants in neonatal intensive care units.
- developmental disability nursery nurse: your job is to assist children with Down's syndrome, ASD (autism spectrum disorder), or other developmental conditions at home or in hospital and school settings. You help them improve their well-being by providing speech therapy and improving mobility. You also administer medication and help the parents cope with the condition.
- school nursery nurse: as a nursery nurse, you assist with the learning and development of children in school. Apart from assisting them with learning activities, you help treat injuries and manage medical conditions.
working as a nursery nurse
Working as a nursery nurse involves caring for babies and young children in a supportive, safe and nurturing environment. Let's explore the work environments, opportunities for progression and responsibilities of nursery nurses.
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nursery nurse job description
Specific tasks depend on the employer, but a nursery nurse generally performs these duties:
- administering treatment: as a nursery nurse working in hospitals, you administer medication recommended by the doctor. You also assist with tests by collecting samples and performing simple medical procedures like cleaning wounds. You help physicians during diagnosis by reporting your observations and helping them make the correct diagnosis.
- updating patient care plans and records: when the doctor completes their assessment and recommends treatment, you create a 24-hour care plan to ensure the child is well-fed and medicated. You also maintain the child's healthcare records by updating the tests, medication administration and diagnosis.
- educating families on proper care: as a nursery nurse, you liaise with the parents or guardians of children throughout their treatment. When the patients complete their treatment, you educate the parents on the home care routine and the required follow-up care to support recovery.
- providing non-medical care: as a nursery nurse, you tend to infants and newborns. Hence, you often provide non-medical care like soothing babies with colic, changing nappies and feeding.
- planning learning activities: as a nursery nurse working in schools, you supervise and plan educational and social activities. You come up with songs, arts, games and stories for the children. You also help children develop literacy and numeracy skills through informal lessons and games.
- feeding and supervising meals: your job is to ensure children eat healthily and on time. You supervise food preparation, coordinate mealtimes and monitor children's eating habits. If a child is struggling to eat, you can develop a different diet for them.
- reassuring and supporting kids: as a nursery nurse, you ensure children develop and grow. Part of this is reassuring and comforting them when they are distressed.
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work environment
As a nursery nurse, you work for various private and public organisations. For instance, you can be employed in hospitals, privately-owned playgroups and nurseries, hospices and children's centres. The work environment varies depending on your employer. For instance, you may work indoors and outdoors in schools or nurseries, depending on the learning activities. You also organise trips to outdoor locations and conduct risk assessments.
In hospital settings, you mostly work with sick children and infants. That means you spend most of the time working indoors. Sometimes, you work with premature babies who need additional attention. You also have to wear uniforms and use protective equipment in hospitals.
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who are your colleagues?
Whether you work in hospitals or schools, your colleagues are paediatric nurses, doctors and nursery workers. You will also work with primary teachers, nursery assistants and early years teachers, as well as other specialists like paediatricians, psychologists and learning disability nurses.
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work schedule
The work schedule of nursery nurses depends on the employer and whether they prefer full-time or part-time work. Full-time nursery nurses work over 40 hours a week. When you work in a hospital, you are likely to work on a shift basis. Privately owned nurseries also open early until late, and you may have to work early morning or evening hours. Working in schools often provides a flexible schedule since children leave early, but sometimes you have to work overtime. Most of the time, you will have a flexible work schedule, but you cannot work remotely or from home.
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job outlook
When you are a nursery nurse, you have excellent childcare qualifications, which provide a good grounding for progression into higher roles in childcare. Nursery nurses with years of experience can progress into nursery nurse manager roles and other supervisory positions. If you work in a school, you may opt for a career in teaching and become an early years teacher.
Alternatively, you can specialise in a particular care area and improve your career prospects. You will find diverse opportunities in mental health, learning disabilities and physical disabilities roles. You can also change your work settings from hospitals to schools or social services.
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advantages of finding a nursery nurse job through randstad
Finding your nursery nurse job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a nursery nurse is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
Nursery nurses require formal education to provide services in various settings. Some qualifications include:
- college course: you can become a nursery nurse with a Level 3 National Diploma in Childcare and Education. An NVQ Level 3 in Children's Care, Learning and Development also lands you a role. When you work in hospitals, you may need nursing training before doing a conversion course in children's care.
- apprenticeship: you can become a nursery nurse by joining an apprenticeship programme for nursery assistants and work your way up to nursery nurse roles. If you want to work in schools, you can do an advanced apprenticeship in early years educator or practitioner roles.
skills and competencies
Some of the skills and competencies of a nursery nurse include:
- communication: as a nursery nurse, you communicate with children, doctors and children's families. You need the skills to communicate clearly with everyone. For instance, you have to use simple language when communicating with children and explaining medical terms to child patients' families. You also update medical records and write reports.
- multitasking: a nursery nurse handles a huge workload since you care for multiple patients per shift. You need multitasking skills to manage your workload and ensure every patient is attended to on time.
- observation skills: babies cannot explain how they are feeling. Hence, you need to be observant when monitoring their status and well-being. Observation skills help you notice changes in an infant's health.
- patience: as a nursery nurse, you work with worried parents and distressed children. You need the patience to stay composed and help the children feel better. Patience also helps you perform medical procedures meticulously.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a nursery nurse
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what is the role of a nursery nurse?
The role of a nursery nurse is to care for children from birth to seven years by helping them grow and develop emotionally and physically.
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what do you need to become a nursery nurse?
You can join the role through an apprenticeship or complete a Level 3 Diploma in children's care.
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what is the salary of a nursery nurse?
A nursery nurse earns an average salary of £22,255 per year. You can increase your earnings by improving your experience and qualifications.
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can you work in a nursery without qualifications?
You can work in a privately owned nursery without formal qualifications. However, you need prior experience caring for children, such as babysitting or nannying.
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how do I apply for a nursery nurse vacancy?
Applying for a nursery nurse job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
