Staff nurse jobs

Staff Nurse jobs: frequently asked questions

(Updated Dec 2024)

Welcome to our Staff Nurse jobs page, featuring all the latest roles throughout the UK, as well as frequently asked questions below.

What is a Staff Nurse?

Staff Nurse is essentially another commonly used term for an Adult Nurse, General Nurse or RGN. And as with other nursing titles, it involves caring for patients with a variety of ailments, in a variety of settings.

A Staff Nurse can work in hospitals, GP surgeries, community locations, prisons, schools, care homes and beyond. Roles are available both within the NHS and the private sector.

What are the daily responsibilities of a Staff Nurse?

The duties of a Staff Nurse are varied and can change depending on the setting and the specialism. But very broadly, they may include:

• Observing and recording the ongoing condition of patients

• Administering medication and injections

• Supporting doctors with assessments and treatments

• Scheduling discharges from hospitals

• Educating patients and their families about their ongoing health

• Supporting students and junior nurses

• Working with patients’ families to help them understand their situation and supporting them with ongoing care plans

Hospital roles tend to be shift-based, which can include evenings and weekends. However, community roles, perhaps at GP surgeries or care homes, tend to be more structured around a traditional Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 model.

What qualifications do you need to become a Staff Nurse?

To become a Staff Nurse you need to be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). And to be eligible to register you need to complete a nursing degree.

Courses typically last three years and are available at locations throughout the UK. Apprenticeships are also on offer in certain locations, which provides a way of earning while you learn.

No experience is necessary for your first role beyond obtaining your degree and registering, but some healthcare experience can be useful. Many Nurses choose to work part-time as Healthcare Assistants while they study, as it offers the dual benefit of earning some money and working closely with qualified Nurses.

How much do Staff Nurses earn?

Staff Nurses earn £29,969 a year once qualified – a Band 5 salary – which rises incrementally every year until you reach the top of your banding.

From there, more experience and qualifications can help you to work your way up into higher bandings. Band 6 and 7 salaries can head well beyond £45,000 a year.

Use our pay calculator to work out exactly what you’ll earn.

There are dozens of career routes you can take beyond this, which can see you earn higher salaries too. Further study can also help you to move into senior roles like a Nursing Consultant or Modern Matron.

You also have the option to work as a bank or agency Nurse, either alongside your regular job or in a full-time capacity. Agency Nurses will often earn a higher hourly rate of pay in comparison to a full-time contracted Nurse, but this will demand that you can find agency or bank roles consistently enough to work equivalent hours – which does require some solid experience first.

Privately, Staff Nurses can expect to earn a similar salary – and anecdotally, Nurses suggest that pay is slightly better in the private sector.

Find your next Staff Nurse job today

View our latest roles above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create an account and register your CV here and we’ll send you the latest roles as soon as they come up.