Nursing in Maidstone: Studying, working, and living guide
Find out about nursing in Maidstone - where nurses can find jobs, the hospitals they might work in, colleges & universities to study in, plus living information.
Maidstone is the county town and largest settlement in Kent, England and lies 30 miles south-east of London.
Once an industrial town it had interests in paper, brewing, cloth, and stone quarrying.
Maidstone could be an ideal place for nurses to relocate for study and work.
From cost of living and travel through to culture and nightlife, here is an end-to-end guide for Nurses wanting to study or work in Maidstone.
Where do Nurses work in Maidstone?
There are several places across Maidstone where registered Nurses work.
Maidstone Hospital
Cygnet Hospital Maidstone (Mental Health)
Oncology Centre Maidstone (Cancer Centre)
KIMS Hospital (Private)
Registered Nurses work in hospitals, health centres, nursing homes, hospices, communities, and National Health Service across the Maidstone area.
All these institutions are major employers and there are thousands of ready to fill vacancies for Nurses throughout Maidstone for anyone wishing to live and work there.
Find nursing jobs in Maidstone
Find nursing jobs in the South East
Priority House, Maidstone - Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
Find nursing jobs in Maidstone at Priority House, Maidstone, operated by the Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust. You will find career information about this facility, Plus, if they have live vacancies, you can browse their jobs for nurses in Maidstone.
Where do aspiring Nurses study in Maidstone?
Across Maidstone and surrounding areas there are many educational places that aspiring Nurses can study at.
Locally, MidKent College incorporating University Centre Maidstone is an educational campus which offers a small range of health and caring profession options. These courses start in September.
However, would-be nurses should consider applying to Canterbury Christ Church University which offers multiple nursing courses such as Adult Nursing, Child Nursing, Healthcare Practice, Mental Health Nursing, Nursing Associate and Neonatal Intensive Care.
Canterbury Christ Church University is just an hour by direct train from Maidstone East to Canterbury West or 40 minutes by car.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust offer a wide range of nursing apprenticeship and training opportunities at Maidstone Hospital.
Any of these places would be a wonderful place to study and train to become a nurse.
Find our nursing university guide here.
The average monthly rental in Maidstone is around £1000 per month.
Where do Nurses live in Maidstone?
Nurses live all over Maidstone and surrounding areas, but their exact location of course depends on individual requirements.
Some of the best places to live in Maidstone are:
Maidstone Town Centre.
Popular with students due to its excellent central location with plentiful amenities close by.
Allington.
Popular area for families due to its good schools and local amenities.
Bearsted.
A much sought after area for professionals and students to live with great transport links into Maidstone.
Aylesford.
10 minutes’ drive away from Maidstone with numerous walking and cycling trails. Popular with locals due to its good transport links and Ofsted rated Outstanding schools.
What are the living costs for Nurses in Maidstone?
Maidstone is an affordable town with a marginally lower cost of living compared to other towns and cities across Kent and London.
Here is a general guide to some of the different costs of living in Maidstone.
The average price for a home in Maidstone is currently £357,955 which is slightly higher than the national average of £293,000 – according to Rightmove.
The average rental price for a property in Maidstone is £1000 per month. But if you are looking to rent a room in a shared house, the average cost is just over £600 depending on the area in Maidstone.
Council tax costs vary across the United Kingdom but in Maidstone many people reside in a Band B property or similar which means paying £1783.39 a year, which works out to approx. £148 per a month.
Bills like shopping and utilities are priced along the same lines to the rest of the UK.
Is travel easy in Maidstone?
Travel is simple in Maidstone, whatever your requirements.
Many places in Maidstone are easily accessible by foot or bus.
Maidstone has excellent major road/motorway links and is accessible via the M2 and M20 with access to the M25.
Maidstone is easy to visit by train with excellent services to other major cities and towns across the region such as Bromley and London Victoria. London Victoria to Maidstone can be reached in just over 1 hour by direct train.
There are three train stations in Maidstone – Maidstone East, Maidstone West, and Maidstone Barracks.
The nearest airports are London Southend Airport, London Gatwick Airport and London Heathrow Airport – all located just over one-hour drive from Maidstone.
Maidstone is well connected for all your transport no matter where you are located.
What to do in Maidstone: walks, culture, nightlife and eating out
There are lots of places to visit and experience in Maidstone, from daytime attractions to evening entertainment.
Culture and attractions
Depending on your interests and where you want to spend your free time Maidstone has an array of places to visit and attractions to enjoy.
One must visit is Leeds Castle which is a fantastic attraction for families. As well as the castle and grounds there are also 500 acres of parkland and wildlife to explore including a children's playground, obstacle course and an adventure golf course.
Another popular choice is Kent Life. Set across 28 acres of Heritage Farm Park in Sandling - three miles from Maidstone - it is a living open air museum with multiple attractions including an indoor soft play area and farm rides as well as a Vintage village and Kentish Gardens.
Other good days out include Mote Park, Cobtree Manor Park, and Teston Bridge Country Park.
There are also many art galleries and museums to visit including Maidstone Museum and Maidstone Carriage Museum which both have unique collections of history and art.
There is also a good variety of entertainment venues to indulge in including Hazlitt Theatre, The Hermitage Millennium Amphitheatre and Studio 6 for your music and entertainment needs.
Sports fans can indulge in the talents of Maidstone United Football Club who play in the English National League South and host their home matches at Gallagher Stadium. They became the first non-league club in nearly 50 years to reach the 5th round of the FA Cup in 2024.
Nightlife and eating out
Maidstone is known for its restaurants and nights out.
Highlights include.
The Potting Shed (Pub and Restaurant). Number One ranked Trip Advisor Restaurant in Maidstone.
Fifi’s Pizzeria, offering an authentic Italian experience.
MuMu Experience, a popular nightclub and bar offering brunch, dinners and cabaret shows.
Market House Pub, providing a fantastic selection of real ales, ciders, and a welcoming atmosphere.
Finanlly, The Source Bar - a popular nightclub venue and open every weekend until 5am.
What are the school options in Maidstone?
There are many schools in Maidstone and surrounding areas for you to send your children to school. Choosing a school for your children is down to personal preference and the future interests of your children.
Maidstone has 50 Primary schools, 16 Secondary schools and 3 private independent schools.
There are lots of Ofsted Outstanding and Good rated schools in Maidstone and surrounding areas.
Population and demographics in Maidstone
Here are some of the stand-out population and demographic facts in Maidstone.
Maidstone has a population of 176,700.
Maidstone’s population density is 1,163 people per square kilometre.
The River Medway runs through the centre of Maidstone.
Students account for 27.2% of the population in Maidstone.
3.0 % of Maidstone population is unemployed – lower than the UK average.
In summary: is Maidstone a good place to be a Nurse?
There are many sought after areas to live in Maidstone and surrounding areas.
Maidstone is a town with lots of attractions and amenities close by.
Living costs are a little cheaper than other major cities and there is lots of work on offer.
Travel to and from Maidstone is easy - multiple locations can be reached by foot, as well as car, bus, and train.
Average salary for a nurse in Maidstone is £34,000 per year. So, your salary as a registered Nurse goes much further in Maidstone.
Here are a couple of examples:
As a newly qualified Nurse on an NHS Band 5 salary, if you rented a house, you would still have just over £1100 left in your pocket each month for everything else. Your disposable income in the Southeast would barely reach half of this figure, for example.
As a Band 6 Nurse, you would easily be able to borrow enough money to buy a joint mortgage for an average-priced flat in Maidstone. In fact, in many parts your salary would cover the cost of buying a house.
As a nursing student or Nurse in Maidstone, you will have an excellent quality of life with lots of things to do.
