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Nursing and other Health Care Professions

As a Nurse, Midwife or other Health Care Professional you will care for patients suffering from a variety of health conditions, ranging from minor injuries and ailments to acute and long-term illnesses and diseases. You will support their recovery by observing and assessing their needs, using care plans and carrying out care procedures. 

Other Graduate Allied Health Professionals play a crucial role in the healthcare system by providing essential services that complement and enhance the work of doctors, physicians and nurses.  

These professionals are highly skilled in diagnosing conditions, for example:  

  • speech-language pathologists identifying communication disorders 
  • radiographers using imaging techniques to detect abnormalities.  

They also focus on restoring and improving a patient's health and function through treatment and rehabilitation, including:  

  • occupational therapists assisting with daily living activities
  • physical therapists helping patients to regain mobility
  • physiotherapists managing breathing conditions. 

The following job profiles and further reading provide more detail: 

Allied health professions 

Allied health professionals are essential to healthcare, supporting doctors and nurses while directly improving patient outcomes. Read more from the following Prospects profiles and We are allied health professionals | Health Careers  

  • Art therapists - help individuals to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through art. 
  • Dieticians - use their knowledge to help people of all ages make healthy food choices and manage their health through diet. What is a dietitian? - BDA explains the differences between the roles and functions of dietitians, nutritionists and nutritional therapists.
  • Dramatherapists - mental health professionals who use drama and theatre techniques to help people express themselves and work through emotional issues.
  • Music therapists - help individuals understand the meaning behind their musical experiences and use them as tools for healing and growth.
  • Occupational therapists - focus on enabling individuals to participate in self-care, work, leisure, and social activities.
  • Operating department practitioners - work with surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of surgical procedures.
  • Orthoptists - specialise in diagnosing and treating eye movement disorders and problems with binocular vision. 
  • Osteopaths - focus on the body's musculoskeletal system, which includes bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints. regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).
  • Paramedics - provide emergency medical care. They are often the first medical responders, providing critical care to patients before they are transported to the hospital.
  • Physiotherapists - work with patients to assess, diagnose, and treat physical limitations caused by injury, illness, or disability.
  • Podiatrists - specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the feet, ankles, and lower legs.
  • Prosthetists and orthotists - specialise in designing, fitting, and fabricating assistive devices to help people with limb loss or physical disabilities. 
  • Radiographers - use specialised equipment to create images of the inside of the body, which doctors then use to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries.
  • Speech and language therapists - help people with communication, eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties. 

Other Health Care Career profiles with further reading 

      Optometry 

     Pharmacy 

Nursing and related occupations - NHS Careers  and  Careers | Nursing Times for an overview of NHS nursing roles. 

    Management 

Further reading  

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews.  

If these areas of work interest you, you may also wish to read our sector pages on

Skills employers look for

In addition to the technical skills relevant to your role, the following skills show potential employers you have everything it takes to be an outstanding healthcare professional: Top 10 Must-Have Skills for Healthcare Professionals in the UK - MedMatch 

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with patients, their families and a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals
  • The ability to gain patients' trust and support them both emotionally and physically through person-centred care
  • Empathy, sensitivity and emotional resilience when caring for patients in distressing or complex situations
  • Written communication skills to keep patient records and write care plans
  • observation skills and attention to detail to monitor patient conditions
  • The ability to prioritise and manage care for patients with diverse needs
  • Excellent teamworking and collaboration skills to ensure safe and coordinated care
  • The ability to remain calm under pressure in a fast-paced and sometimes challenging work environment
  • General IT skills and digital literacy
  • Good organisational and time management skills
  • Leadership skills and the ability to motivate, particularly as your career progresses and you move into a more senior position.

To develop these skills, remember Career Zone also offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term.  Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.

Gaining Experience

Many NHS jobs and training courses, need some level of experience. While for others, you'll need to demonstrate that you've investigated the role you're interested in and have some understanding of what it involves. See Getting experience | Health Careers. 

Volunteering 

Campus opportunities 

Grand Challenges | Grand Challenges | University of Exeter a project week in which you work in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges e.g. Mental Health, Food Security and Social Inequality.  

Clubs and societies 

There will be a breadth of diverse opportunities via the Students’ Guild to help you develop experiences from the British Sign language Society to the Chronic Health Peer support group.   Also look out for other Volunteering opportunity.  

Paid opportunities 

  • NHS Jobs - search for part-time healthcare assistant or related jobs
  • Find a job - GOV.UK - regularly advertises part-time care assistant and similar roles. 

Finding advertised graduate roles, placements and internships

Competition can be strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and research employers. You could also have a look at Handshake, our vacancy database with employers who are targeting University of Exeter students.  

There are a wide variety of places to find vacancies within the healthcare sector. 

Healthcare (general) 

For job listings, the following resources may be helpful: 

Dietetics 

Occupational therapy 

Prosthetics and orthotics 

Radiography 

  • SoR - Society for Radiographers 

Speech and language therapy 

Pharmacy 

Optometry 

Recruitment agencies 

These tend to be for immediate start positions and can be useful for finding graduate jobs in healthcare. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.  Specialist agencies include:  

  • Team24 - healthcare recruitment agency
  • Sterling Cross - pharmacy recruitment agency
  • Maxxima - healthcare recruitment agency (specialising in careers in a mortuary)
  • Jennie Reeves Radiographers Agency
  • Prospecthealth.com - Healthcare recruitment specialists with useful advice and resources on areas such as optometry and the impact of technology on the future of primary care
  • Zenopa - Recruitment agency specialising in all types of jobs within the healthcare sector, including sales, engineering, medical, laboratory and administrative jobs
  • British Medical Journal Careers - Recruitment organisation specialising in jobs within healthcare.

Further sources of support 

For further advice on finding graduate opportunities, visit  Finding a graduate job page. 

If you are an international student, visit  international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally. 

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.

Further study and professional development

Health Careers - In addition to job profiles, this site provides excellent advice on career planning, further study opportunities, bursaries and continuing professional development. 

Route to become an Allied Health Care Professional 

Read  How to become an allied health professional  | Prospects.ac.uk  for further advice. You will need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). To register with the HCPC you first need to complete an approved degree. Find a course by using the NHS course finder and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) - includes a register of approved programmes. Bachelor’s degrees that lead to a career in allied health include:  

Routes into other Health Care Careers 

Nursing conversion courses - Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, accelerated programmes allow you to complete training in two years (full time) instead of three or four. You can train in adult, children's, learning disability or mental health nursing. Universities set their own entry requirements, so contact departments directly to find out how to apply. Search nursing conversion courses. 

To qualify as a Midwife, you need to complete a degree approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).Find a course by using the NHS or NMC course finder. RCN (Royal College of Nursing) offers advice on beginning a career in nursing/midwifery, together with news and events allied to professional development.  

Pharmacist, need to complete a master's degree in pharmacy (MPharm). This must be a course approved by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).On completion of your degree, you must first complete a pre-registration training year in a GPhC-approved community or hospital pharmacy and pass a registration exam. Find a degree by using the NHS course finder or see the GPhC website for details of approved MPharm courses. 

Optometrist need to complete a General Optical Council (GOC) approved degree in optometry. On completion of your degree, you must then complete 12 to 15 months' pre-registration training with a GOC-approved optometrist and pass a GOC assessment. See the GOC website for details of approved courses. 

Funding further study 

Funding for some healthcare courses is provided by NHS bursaries. The amount of money awarded will depend on your personal eligibility and student status, you can find this out by using a bursary calculator. Find out about additional funding that is available, including the NHS Learning Support Fund. 

Information and links from professional bodies 

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.  

Advice 

If you are considering postgraduate or doctoral level study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study.