Nurse

Overview

Provide general and specialist nursing care to soldiers and civilians while working in a range of locations. This role allows you to join either as a soldier or an officer, when you\’re fully trained or while you\’re a student nurse. Army Nurses can work in settings ranging from NHS hospitals within a Joint Hospital Group to ground-based environments, such as medical regiments and field hospitals. Nursing personnel deal with all types of medical situations, including caring for civilian and military patients in the UK to military casualties of war and conflict. You may travel, take part in Adventurous Training and play sports for the Army. With a competitive salary, non-contributory pension and free healthcare, you’ll gain a valuable experience.

Posting opportunities are diverse and include clinical roles, instructional positions within clinical and military training establishments and other roles such as recruiting. You can choose to join as a Soldier or Officer, depending on your qualifications, experience and career goals.

Queen Alexandra\’s Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) nurses have worked at the sharp end of military life throughout the last century. Nursing Officers, Nursing Soldiers, Healthcare Assistants and Student Nurses of the QARANC deliver high-quality, adaptable and dedicated nursing care wherever the Army needs it.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide general and specialist nursing care to soldiers and civilians
• Manage daily patient caseload on a ward within a Joint Hospital Group
• On operations, work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, often alongside other multi-national forces
• Have the adaptability to work in a modern UK hospital or the more challenging conditions of a field hospital overseas

Entry requirements

Age From 17 years 9 months to 35 years 11 months

Qualifications If you have qualifications, apply online. Your application will be passed to our specialist team who will guide you through the process towards joining in this role. You will be invited to an insight course with a career discussion to advise which role best suits you — Soldier or Officer.

Student Nurse (Soldier)

120 UCAS tariff points from A/AS level (candidates from Scotland must have Advanced Highers and Highers before application), plus 3 GCSEs Grades 9-4/A-C, or Scottish National A-C, including Maths, English Literature or Language, and a Science. If you do not have A/AS levels, UCAS tariff points are accepted from Level 3 routes.

Full entry requirements on Birmingham City University

Student Nurse (Officer)

If you have already gained your Student Nurse university place, are in the process of obtaining a place through UCAS or are part way through your Student Nurse training you are eligible to apply for an Army Nursing Bursary. You will join as a Nursing Officer once you qualify. You will need to pass the Army Officer Selection Board and the Arms Selection Board for the Queen Alexandra\’s Royal Army Nursing Corps for professionally qualified officers.

Adult Nurse

You need to be registered with the NMC. You can join as a newly qualified nurse, be in your final year of training or join with prior nursing experience. You choose whether to join as a Soldier or Officer once you qualify. If joining as a Nursing Soldier, you will need to pass the Assessment Centre tests for the Queen Alexandra\’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. If joining as a Nursing Officer, you will need to pass the Army Officer Selection Board and the Arms Selection Board for the Queen Alexandra\’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.

Basic Physical Fitness Assessment

Mid Thigh Pull: Soldier – 50kg; Officer – 76kg

Medicine Ball Throw: Soldier – 2.7m; Officer – 3.1m

MSFT (beep Test): Soldier – level 5.8; Officer – level 8.7

Training for the role

Training to become an Army nurse depends on whether you join as a student nurse, or as a registered nurse, and whether you are a Soldier or Officer. Don’t worry if you’re not sure which route is right — recruiters can discuss options with you.

Joining as a Registered Nurse

You’ll command a team that provides the highest standard of care. You can choose to join as an Officer or Soldier; both roles will extend your clinical and leadership abilities. As a Soldier you will follow a regular nursing career pathway. Officers will take on additional leadership and management responsibilities within the Army, alongside their nursing duties.

Training

• Step 1 – You join the Army and complete your initial Soldier or Officer military training.
• Step 2 – You complete a short Transition to Military Practice Course, after which you will be assigned to a Joint Hospital Group to commence your preceptorship and rotation programme and begin life as an Army Nurse.

Golden Hello

If you hold a recognised specialist qualification within Emergency, Intensive Care or Burns and Plastics you may be eligible for a £30,000 bonus on completion of your military training.

Joining as a Student Nurse (Soldier)

You will complete a three-year degree programme that will give you professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You will be supported by military and civilian University staff at the Defence School of Healthcare Education and will be employed as a Registered Nurse by the Army. After successful completion of your Student Nurse training, you will wear the rank of Acting Corporal. Your first unit will be a Joint Hospital Group, with a post-qualification rotation to develop in acute areas of practice.

Training (Student Nurse)

• Step 1 – You join the Army as a Soldier and complete Phase 1 Training prior to starting your university course.
• Step 2 – After university, you complete a Transition to Military Practice Course, then join a Joint Hospital Group to begin life as an Army Nurse.

Join as a Student Nurse (Officer)

If you are already in your student nurse training or soon to embark on your Adult Health training pathway with a guaranteed university place you could apply for an Army Nursing Bursary worth up to £42,000. This provides £5,000 per year of training. On successful completion of your student nursing course and officer training, you will be commissioned as a Registered Nurse and assigned to a Joint Hospital Group unit to continue development.

Qualifications You Could Get After Training

You will have the opportunity to specialise in areas including Primary Health Care, Emergency Nursing, Critical Care, Burns and Plastics, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Sexual Health, General Medicine and General Surgery, with significant personal and professional development. There is also continued professional development up to and beyond MSc level.

Pay & Benefits

Adult Nurse Soldier Earn £26,334 during initial training. After training, pay increases when you join your unit.

Adult Nurse Officer You’ll have an annual salary of £34,676 during training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, commissioning at £41,456+ depending on experience.

Student Nurse (Soldier) Earn £26,334 during initial training; pay increases on qualification and posting.

How to Apply

If you have qualifications, apply online. Your application will be passed to our specialist team who will guide you through the process toward joining in this role. You will need to pass a specialist skills interview to ensure your skills match our needs.