Nurses can work in a multitude of clinical areas and settings, working with a large variety of patients. The Nursing and Midwifery Council has devided the register of qualified nurses in to 4 areas.

1. Childrens Nurses

2. Adult Nurses

3. Learning Disability Nurses

4. Mental Health Nurses
   

Normally, prior to commencement of your pre-registration you will be asked to choose the branch of nursing in which you want to study.

Normally, prior to commencement of your pre-registration you will be asked to choose the branch of nursing in which you want to study, some universities allow transfer of between the branches; normally after the common foundation programme and prior to entering the branch of study. 

As a qualified nurse, depending on your level of education and your area of registration you can work as:

Midwife - provides advice, care and support for women, their partners and families during the pre-conceptual, antenatal, intranatal and postnatal periods. Modern maternity practices provide a 'woman-centred' approach allowing choice and continuity of care. The work involves caring for newborns, providing health education and parenting support. Midwives are responsible for newborns for the first 28 days, after which care transfers to a health visitor.

Diabetic Specialist Nurse - educates people newly diagnosed including education for type two and type one diabetics as well as ongoing education and support including the continuous development of evidence based information leaflets for people with diabetes.

District Nurses - District nurses play a crucial role in the primary health care team. They visit people in their own homes or in residential care homes, providing care for patients and supporting family members. As well as providing direct patient care, district nurses also have a teaching role, working with patients to enable them to care for themselves or with family members teaching them how to give care to their relatives. District nurses play a vital role in keeping hospital admissions and readmissions to a minimum and ensuring that patients can return to their own homes as soon as possible. As a district nurse, you will assess the health care needs of patients and families, monitor the quality of care they’re receiving and be professionally accountable for delivery of care. Your patients can be of any age, but often many of them will be elderly, while others may have been recently discharged from hospital, be terminally ill or have physical disabilities. You may be visiting patients every day or more than once a day, offering help, advice and support. You may work on your own or with other groups, such as the social services, voluntary agencies and other NHS organisations and help to provide and co-ordinate a wide range of care services.

School Nurse - School nurses provide a variety of services such as providing health and sex education within schools, carrying out developmental screening, undertaking health interviews and administering immunisation programmes. School nurses can be employed either by the local health authority, primary care trust, community trust or sometimes by the school directly.

Adult Nurse - Adult nurses provide medical care to, and support the recovery of, patients suffering from acute and long-term illnesses, diseases such as diabetes or arthritis, or those requiring surgery. They focus on the needs of the patient rather than the illness or condition. They also promote good health and wellbeing through education. Nurses plan and carry out care within a multidisciplinary team but are the main point of contact for patients. Adult nurses work mainly in hospitals, although they are playing an increasingly prominent role in the community, attached to a health centre or general practice and in residential homes, specialist units, schools and hospices.

Health Visitor - A health visitor is a qualified and registered nurse or midwife who is specially trained to assess the health needs of individuals, families and the wider community. They aim to promote good health and prevent illness in the community by offering practical help and advice. The role involves visiting people in their homes, in particular new parents and children under five, as well as working with other sections of the community. Working as a health visitor may also include tackling the impact of social inequality on health, and working closely with at-risk or deprived groups.

Children's Nurse - Children's nurses work with sick or injured patients up to 18 years old in a wide range of hospital and community settings. They are specially trained to deal with the needs of children and young people.

Learning Disability Nurse - A learning disability nurse supports people with learning disabilities and is concerned with their clients' health in the widest context. They help clients of all ages to live their lives as fully and independently as possible, whilst respecting their rights and dignity. Learning disability nurses work with clients, their families and carers to assess their needs and draw-up care plans, monitoring the implementation of recommendations. They aim to ensure their clients lead as normal a life as possible. Working with other nurses and health/social welfare professionals, they assist clients with basic living skills and social activities.

Mental Health Nurse - Mental health nurses work with children, adults and older people suffering from various types of mental health problems. As a registered mental health nurse (RMN), you may work with clients in their own homes, in residential units, in the NHS or in private specialist hospital services and secure units. The work involves helping people to overcome their illness or come to terms with it in order to maximise their life potential. Mental health nurses liaise with psychiatrists, occupational therapists, GPs, social workers and other health professionals to plan and deliver care using a multidisciplinary client-centred approach.

The list of jobs a nurses can do is endless and this is only an example of such jobs. The type of job a nurse enters into is largely effected by the nurses interests in a particular area.