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From student to qualified nurse
The realisation that you have the skills, confidence and passion to really make a difference in healthcare is exhilarating, yet the transition from student to staff nurse can feel enormous. Here are recommendations to make the transition easier including advice on securing that first job, time management skills for recently qualified nurses and information about the preceptorship framework.
Be a leading contender
The jobs market for nurses is certainly changing but like all change, there are opportunities for those who prepare themselves to succeed.
Safe from the start
Patient safety is a priority for all NHS organisations that must report adverse incidents and failures in safety to the NHS Commissioning Board - formerly this was the role of the National Patient Safety Agency.
Transition to staff nurse can be a daunting, but positive experience
In my final weeks at university, the daunting prospect of leaving behind my comfortable nursing student status to become a qualified nurse started to dawn on me.
Learning continues throughout your career in nursing
Learning never stops even after qualifying, says staff nurse Joanne Hardy.
Finding your first nursing job
Trying to secure the first job of your nursing career is often a tricky rite of passage. Nursing student Kerry Stott is in the middle of it , and has this advice for others student nurses.
Effective time management for nurses
The ability to prioritise and delegate are essential skills for nurses. Here district nurse team leader Bethann Siviter shares her tips for keeping on top of it all.
The changing nature of patient care
As patients become ‘customers' in a changing NHS, Benny Goodman considers the implications of the business approach for nurses of the future.
The transition from nursing student to staff nurse
Staff nurse Paula Povey explains the transition from nursing student to nurse, and the changes she has implemented on the ward.
How to read a job advertisement
A systematic approach can help you interpret the jargon of job adverts and launch your career in nursing, says nurse advisor Vincent Tremayne .
Preceptorship course is a pathway for learning
Rebecca Murray explains how a preceptorship course is proving invaluable during her first year as a staff nurse .
Courses & Careers
This section offers practical and professional advice at every stage of your nursing career.
The RCN Publishing Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal College of Nursing, the world's largest organisation for nurses. RCN Publishing produces one weekly, eight monthly and two quarterly nursing publications. Nursing Standard, the flagship journal, is the UK's biggest selling weekly for nursing. It is produced by RCN Publishing Company along with a suite of specialist nursing journals - Cancer Nursing Practice, Mental Health Practice, Learning Disability Practice, Nursing Children and Young People, Nursing Management, Emergency Nurse, Nursing Older People, Nurse Researcher and Primary Health Care. RCN Publishing Company also produce the RCN Bulletin, a major source of up-to-the-minute information for RCN members in all specialities, grades and working environments. With the latest nurse vacancies from trusts nationwide, it has become the most cost-effective nurse recruitment magazine available.