To retrain as a nurse

[Changery]

Im 40 and have worked in the arts my whole working life, now my line of work is under threat from AI.
I just had a really traumatic operation and the nurses blew me away. Is it insane to want to retrain as a nurse? Am I being deluded?
I didnt do A levels, I did secondary school in another country where maths and a science is compulsory so I do have that but otherwise my entire working life and qualifications has been arts

I’d recommend trying to get some experience as a care assistant or a similar role before anything else. It’s very commendable to want to enter the profession after a good experience but the reality of the job could be an eye opener.

You may well have enough qualifications as a mature student.

Good luck it can be a very rewarding career ( not financially rewarding though!).

Not at all. People older than you have retrained and gone into nursing.

Most colleges run Access courses, which will give you A-level equivalent qualifications needed to get into uni. They are not cheap though (£3-£4k), and the nursing degree is no longer free so you will still have to pay back your tuition fees.

Alternatively, have a look to see if your local NHS trust has any nursing apprenticeship places.

Are there nursing jobs where you live? I know many healthcare students who have qualified with no jobs at the end.

Look carefully at the jobs market first.

Many newly qualified nurses across the UK face major difficulties securing entry-level Band 5 NHS posts, despite widespread nursing shortages. Cash-strapped trusts have frozen recruitment, restricted jobs to internal applicants, or demanded prior experience, leaving hundreds of graduates struggling to find work. You can thank Rachel from accounts and her foolish jobs tax as being partly responsible for that as the NI hikes make it too expensive for Trusts and other staff heavy organizations to recruit.

OWN GOAL RACHEL!!

I live in Scotland so will need to investigate the differences there!

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) annual data report, 30,323 nursing and midwifery professionals left the UK register in the year leading up to March 2026, which is a 5.3% increase from the previous year.

I would get some experience working on hospital wards first.

Maybe get some experience as a HCA or CSW first to see if you like it, can cope with the 12 hour shifts, night shifts etc first.

You need to find out the requirements first and what other study you need to do.

It’s a bloody hard job.

If you are considering the apprenticeship route, you should secure a job as a hca and then apply to do the nursing associate apprenticeship, followed by the top up to become a qualified nurse.
The only people in our trust who ever get accepted on to the apprenticeship route are those who are already employed, have experience and also a manager who can confirm their suitability for the apprenticeship. I've never known anyone walk into an apprenticeship for nursing 'off the street', so to speak.
An access course followed by university will be easier to get accepted on to.
Ive worked in the nhs for over 25 years. Some years, jobs for newly qualified are limited. Other years, they can practically pick and choose. It changes year on year. I don't personally know of any unemployed nurses. I'm in England though, not sure of the situation in Scotland.

I have been qualified for almost 10 years and I have spent the last 5 trying to leave the profession. Without sounding dramatic, I implore you to reconsider. Please do not let one encounter with some lovely nurses cloud your judgement. I really wish someone had sat me down and told me exactly what nursing is like in the UK before I embarked on a career choice that has effectively pigeonholed me into the role of a nurse.

As a fellow creative person, I will tell you that many nurse roles can feel incredibly stifling and rigid. There are so many policies and procedures that can feel draconian, particularly if you are used to thinking for yourself. I have tried so hard to leave the profession, but it is almost impossible to be given a chance in any other field. It is challenging to leave as realistically you will be earning more than you would be in the most junior entry level position in another field. I feel that the moment prospective employers see "nurse" on a CV, they disregard it and perhaps assume that you have applied to the job in error.

The average nurse earns an above average salary so it's all relative. Half the working population would love to have a nurse's benefits - both the salary and the waaaaaaay above average pension. CNOs and DCNOs easily earn 6 figures so, like any industry, with promotion comes more money. Not sure why you'd belittle it.