Medical Jobs in Kent

Nursery nurse jobs refer to jobs that exist in schools and daycares in the United Kingdom. Quite often the people who work in these positions do not have a university degree. Another term that could be used to describe this position is that of teacher assistant. Nursery nurses assist the teacher in a nursery, infant or primary classroom. Schools, day nurseries, hospitals and private nurseries are some of the employers that hire personnel to work in this field. However, even though the job title says you are not a nurse in terms of the medical professions interpretation of the word.

The type of work that such a nurse does includes:

- helps children with the learning and play activities throughout the day

- bathes, dresses and feeds young children

- keeps records on observations of children

- supports the workers in community settings

- maintains the learning resources and materials needed for the location

- takes children on outings

Depending on the location where you work, you may be involved in meetings with medical personnel and social workers.

In the United Kingdom, you do need to pass an exam in order to work as a nurse in a nursery. The course required is a two year course leading to a Diploma in Nursery Nursing. There are three levels that you must go through to obtain this qualification and you can start while you are still in high school. The first level is an introduction to child care. This will give you the basic knowledge you need to work in a nursery under supervision. Once you have an entry level certificate, then you take a course leading to the Level 1 certificate which gives you the skills and training you need for working in a pre-school setting.

The next step in obtaining the qualifications you need is to take the courses leading to the Level 2 certificate. This will enable you to work under supervision in any of the following:

- an assistant in a parent/toddler group

- a homestart worker

- babysitter

- mothers assistant

- toy library worker

- playgroup assistant

- nursery assistant

There are five certificates you can earn in this level, with each one qualifying you to work in different locations.

The third level of this certification will give you the skills and knowledge you need to obtain a job as a childminder and a nursery nurse in charge. You can still further your education in this field by attaining a Level 4 certificate if you wish to work in technical, professional, developmental or management roles.

In order to work in a school nursery setting, you do need to have a Level 2 certificate. You must be at least 16 years of age to qualify for this training. During the course of obtaining this certificate you must develop a portfolio of evidence of your knowledge by including discussion you have with professionals and witness testimonies based on observations of you working with young children. Chances are those who do take these qualifications often go on to higher education that will give them a degree in a field that involves working with children.