Registered nurses are responsible for providing general nursing care for service users (anyone accessing adult social care) within a variety of care environments, including a residential home, their own home or within community services. When working in an adult social care setting, this is rarely done under the supervision of medical doctors, which allows nurses more autonomy in the care of their service users.
Registered nurses in adult social care will not only work with the people that they support, they will also work with their families, carers, partners and other health and care professionals to promote health and prevent ill health. Social care nurses focus holistically on the health and wellbeing of the people they support and work hard to promote independence, whilst also meeting their medical needs.
Nurses working in social care can be found in a range of areas including:
- Nursing homes
- Domiciliary care
- Learning disability services
- Mental health services
- Alcohol and substance abuse services.
Registered Nurses play an important part in the lives of the people they support, and will develop key professional relationships to ensure they meet their nursing requirements. This is to ensure the best possible outcomes are achieved and to help patients maintain an excellent quality of life.
To become a registered nurse, you should be fully qualified and registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). There are many opportunities available for nurses in social care to develop in their areas of interest, progress in their careers and benefit from the lasting relationships that they are able to build with service users and their families and friends.
Social care nurses work with a wide variety of adults from different backgrounds and of all ages, as well as their partners, families and carers. Key aspects of the role include:
- Working with individuals to understand their healthcare needs
- Delivery of quality healthcare and being professionally accountable for its delivery
- Taking a personalised approach to supporting people in relation to health promotion, prevention and treatment
- Coordinating care with different professionals including care staff, registered managers, GP’s and Occupational Therapists.
