Adult nursing, children's nursing, learning disability nursing and mental health nursing: what are the differences?
So, you’re thinking about studying a Nursing degree at university, but may not be quite sure of which course to choose.
To help you make your decision, we have outlined the key differences between the different strands of nurse training available, and the information you’ll need to know before embarking on your nursing journey.
Adult, Children’s, Learning Disability, and Mental Health Nursing, all have their own unique elements. They not only help to prepare you for your chosen profession after university, but they also allow you to expand on your specific interests in healthcare.
Adult nursing
As a practicing adult nurse, you’ll be looking after a variety of patients within the adult age range. You will focus on the fundamental care skills required to practice as a caring, kind, compassionate professional. Someone who values and respects the individual needs of the patient, family and carers.
During your Adult Nursing degree, you will learn about the provision of evidence-based safe care, for acute and chronically ill patients. You will coordinate and manage change, enhance people’s health outcomes, and take part in personal and professional development to prepare you for becoming a registered nurse.
Your placements will mean that you have a range of employment opportunities working as a staff nurse in the NHS, in both acute and community settings. On successful completion of the course, you will be registered with The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a registered adult nurse.
Learn more about Adult Nursing.
Mental health nursing
The focus is slightly different with the Mental Health Nursing degree, as you will be supporting patients with mental ill health. This compares to the more generalised method of caring for physical ailments found in adult nursing. This contrary approach to nursing will help you connect with service users and their families by using a therapeutic process. You will also be working with patients in all age ranges, compared to the specialised age brackets of adult and children’s nursing.
The focus will be on law and ethics, with an emphasis on the holistic components of acute, diverse and long-term mental health conditions, as well as research, and evidence-based care. You’ll learn how to manage change and empower service users and family/carers, using applied bioscience for complex care.
Careers in mental health nursing include opportunities to work for a range of NHS organisations, such as hospitals, communities, specialist services, forensic mental health services and primary care. There is also an option to go into specialisations such as forensic mental health, and nursing home care, as well as specialist drug and alcohol services.
Something to note is that registered mental health nurses, can expect a period of preceptorship, to transition from a student nurse to registered practitioner (this will be arranged by your employer).
Learn more about Mental Health Nursing.
Children’s Nursing
In contrast to Adult Nursing, a Children’s Nursing degree will help you provide family-centred care by equipping you with the skills to build positive relationships with young people and children specifically. You will support and guide families, along with working as part of a team of health and social care professionals.
You will focus on child-centred care, as well as expanding on research skills in this area. A key part of this strand of nursing, is empowering children, along with their family or carers through your role as a Child Nurse.
A qualification in Children’s Nursing opens many doors and enables you to develop your career in a variety of organisational settings. These could be in children's hospitals, general hospitals, independent sector settings, community settings or in children's own homes.
Learn more about Children's Nursing.
Learning disability nursing
Learning disability nurses play a vital role working across the whole life span in both health and care settings. In adults and children. You will be involved in improving or maintaining a person’s physical and mental health, reducing barriers and supporting them in living an independent and fulfilling life. You may even be involved in helping them to learn the skills needed to find work.
As a learning disability nurse, you can work in a range of settings, including people's homes, education, residential and community centres and hospitals. You will work as part of a team that may include GPs, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, teachers, and healthcare assistants.
Learn more about Learning Disability Nursing.
Similarities and key information for nursing degrees
An NHS bursary, including tuition fees and a non-repayable bursary for living costs, is available for every nursing degree in Wales (of every type). This funding option is available to you providing you agree to work in Wales for two years after registration (subject to change).
Nursing degrees always incorporate work-based placements as part of the learning, and you will be required to complete a certain amount of placement hours before graduating.
For more detailed information on nursing degrees in Wales, head over to Get into nursing.
This article was sourced from a student at Wrexham University.