Introduction
Nursing is, very simply, a vital profession, essential to everyone’s health, and our society. There’s nowhere better to be a nurse than Greater Manchester, where the choice of roles and career paths is as diverse as the area itself.
With so many people to care for – and the range of trusts, hospitals, primary and community services within our network – we can offer an impressive range of roles. You can work in hospital wards, outpatient units or specialist departments, or get out into the community, working in homes, GP practices or nursing homes. You could focus on adults, children, mental health or people with learning disabilities. There are also many opportunities in education, research, informatics and workplaces, the ambulance service, prison service and police – and we also have links with the voluntary and private sectors.
When you’re ready to move, we make it simple to change roles. So you can grow your skills in a particular area, or move sideways to take on a new role. You can also apply your skills with a different provider.
See the videos and case studies to find out more.
Roles
Use the links below to explore more about different Nursing roles on the Health Careers website run by Health Education England.
Nursing opportunities
Community
Now is the time to start a career in community nursing in Greater Manchester, with more initiatives to care for patients in their own home, and more services moving from hospitals to community.
Community nursing can be broadly described as any nursing care provided outside of an acute hospital. It includes healthcare provided in the home and other community settings, for example health centres, community hospitals, police stations and schools.
Working in the community is a different challenge to working in a ward environment, involving a great deal of autonomy, and it can be incredibly rewarding. Whichever role you choose, you’ll never run out of options.
General Practice
The move to providing more care out of hospital and in the community makes General Practice Nursing in the region a rewarding career in Greater Manchester.
A Practice Nurse is often the first person a patient sees when they visit their local GP practice, General Practice nurses see people from birth to old age undertaking holistic care and management for the practice population. They are key in enabling patients with the management of long term conditions such as diabetes, respiratory and heart disease. From public health to palliative care, general practice nursing offers a unique opportunity to build deep and lasting relationships with patients, carers families and communities throughout the life course.
Greater Manchester Training Hub: https://www.gmthub.co.uk/
Hospitals
Many of our twelve Greater Manchester NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts are integrated providers of hospital, community, primary and social care services, offering options for all levels of experience. They include district hospitals and large teaching hospitals as well as community and primary care. A large number too, are regional or national centres for specialised health services.
It enables us to offer opportunities for candidates with varying experience and backgrounds. Roles range from Clinical Advisors in 111 (ambulance services) – who use their clinical judgement to direct service users to appropriate care – to Theatre Nurses, who provide skilled support during patients’ perioperative care. Once on board, we’ll nurture your career with comprehensive, ongoing training – starting with a comprehensive induction programme
Independent Care Sector
Greater Manchester’s most vulnerable people need assistance for a huge variety of reasons. Ultimately, the care they experience in a care home is holistic, and offers professionals the chance to make meaningful connections over time.
Residents and users have a range of cognitive, physical and mental health needs. So aside from assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation, specialists are always welcome – for example, in dementia or palliative care. Sometimes you’ll be encouraged to take university courses, but many larger organisations also have their own training departments. This is a sector that offers you the opportunity to expand your nursing role and achieve your career goals.
Greater Manchester Nurses
Because of their quiet brilliance, sometimes nurses get overlooked. But not here. We know just how absolutely essential their work is for the 2.8 million people who call Greater Manchester home.
And that’s why we’re committed to recruiting so many more nurses – growing the profession and opening up opportunities for current, returning and future practitioners.
You’ll discover that in Greater Manchester, there’s a great deal more to nursing than you might think. You’ll have access to an extensive network of expertise. You’ll also find a wealth of training and career opportunities – not just for this job, but the next one, and the one after that – right on your doorstep.
This isn’t just nursing, this is nursing in the buzzing, connected, proud community that is Greater Manchester.
Saying thank you to our NHS has become a big part of our lives recently, but perhaps the best way to say thank you is to join them …
Train to be a Nurse
A nursing career isn’t something to be taken lightly. It calls for great focus and astute decision-making, and so training is essential. However, with the right approach, and the support we can offer through tutors, mentors / practice assessors / practice supervisor and university support networks, everything’s in place to ensure you succeed.
We have a reputation for holistic education. As well as covering the theory, we ensure you understand the clinical implications and practical applications of nursing. Outside of classroom work, you’ll also undertake a number of hospital and community placements, each introducing you to a new area of care, from sexual health to cardiology to A&E. You’ll also have a mentor / practice assessor / practice supervisor on each placement, who’ll be invaluable in supporting you. Their experience, knowledge and skill will help you to develop and unlock your full potential.
Hear from our student nurses on the videos below on the support available while studying to be a nurse at one of Greater Manchester’s four amazing universities.
From September 2020 all nursing students on courses will receive £5,000 a year maintenance grant. Additional payments of up to £3,000 will be available for students in regions or specialisms struggling to recruit or to help students cover childcare costs.
Nursing training course programme providers
Click on the headings below to read more information about the Nursing training course programme providers across Greater Manchester.
Manchester Metropolitan University
BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing
BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing
BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting or School Nursing)
MSc Adult Nursing – Pre-registration
MSc Mental Health Nursing – Pre-registration
The Department of Nursing at Manchester Metropolitan aims to prepare students for the challenges they may face throughout their degree and develop the expertise they’ll need to become a leader in nursing. In the Department of Nursing, the staff have real insight and experience practising in the roles they teach. As registered nurses, they have all worked as nurses, health visitors or advanced practitioners at points in their healthcare careers. Placements are an important part of the course and students will go on a number of clinical placements, working in both hospitals and community settings in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
The Nursing Department has a great reputation for excellence in learning and teaching built on strong partnerships with local healthcare providers and colleagues from across the Faculty of Health and Education. The University prides itself on supporting its student’s growth and success. The department has been successfully shortlisted or won in categories of the Student Nursing Times Awards since 2012 including wins for the ‘Learner of the Year: Post-registration’ and ‘Partnership of the Year’ in 2017.
Manchester Metropolitan University is one of The Guardian’s top 5 UK Nursing universities in the 2022 UK rankings. 100% of Nursing graduates are in employment or further study fifteen months after completing the degree*. (*Graduate Outcomes survey 2017/18 graduates – UK, full-time, first degree respondents. Contains HESA Data © HESA 2020 hesa.ac.uk)
University of Bolton
- BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing
- BSc (Hons) Child Nursing
- BSc (Hons) Community Specialist Practice (District Nursing)
- BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting) with integrated Nurse Prescribing
- FdSc Nursing Associate
The University of Bolton is located in Greater Manchester in the North West of the UK is a Guardian Top 50 University and home to more than 10,000 students. Our ‘Teaching Intensive, Research informed’ strategy puts our students at the heart of everything we do.
Together with our partner NHS Trusts and professional bodies we will prepare you to become a confident professional nurse, in an ever-changing health and social care environment. The University of Bolton offers a wide range of health-related courses with access to state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Suites within our £31 million Bolton One building
The University is ranked 1st in the North West for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2022)
University of Manchester
- BNurs Adult Nursing
- BNurs Child Nursing
- BNurs Mental Health Nursing
- MNurs Adult Nursing
- MNurs Children’s Nursing
- MNurs Mental Health Nursing
- MSc Adult Nursing (if you already have a degree)
Part of the prestigious Russell Group of universities, The University of Manchester is one of the largest single-site university in the UK, and has over 40,000 students from 160 countries. The University works closely with local NHS Trusts and social care partners. Nursing students spend half their learning time in a variety of clinical placements, applying theory to practice, and can even choose to take a placement overseas.
The University is ranked 5th in the world and 2nd in the UK for nursing (QS World University Rankings 2021). Their nursing graduates have excellent employment prospects and are sought after by employers. Many of their graduates are in leadership positions in the NHS and social care organisations and academia, both in this country and beyond.
University of Salford
BSc (Hons) / MA Adult Nursing
BSc (Hons) / MA Children and Young people Nursing
BSc (Hons) / MA Mental Health Nursing
BSc (Hons) / Learning Disabilities Nursing and Social Work (Integrated Practice)
University of Salford is a friendly, vibrant and pioneering place to study with strong industry partnerships and world class facilities. Nursing students at University of Salford benefit from state-of-the-art Simulation Suites, clinical practice wards and skills rooms, and teaching informed by the latest research. Clinical placements put learning into practice and develop vital knowledge and skills in real world situations.
It was the first university to be accredited by the North West Simulation Education network for their Patient Simulation Suite from (NWSEN). BSc Learning Disabilities Nursing and Social Work (Integrated Practice) scored 95% overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (2019).
Return to practice
However long it’s been since you were last registered as a nurse, we’ll make it enjoyable to return to this proud profession. Greater Manchester is offering exciting opportunities to re-join the nursing profession by completing a Return to Practice (RtP) Programme. Financial support is available from Health Education England (and comes with an additional £1000 paid in three instalments, to cover things like books, parking and childcare).
Alternatively, you could ‘Earn Whilst You Learn’ and be paid as a Band 3 whilst undertaking the Return to Practice Programme, with our employer-led model which is jointly provided by Manchester Metropolitan University and healthcare organisations across Greater Manchester. We will provide you with education and support so that you can gain confidence on your journey to once again becoming a registered professional.
The course takes around six months, depending on how long you’ve been away and the clinical hours you need to complete. The minimum 22.5 hours per week in practice can also be tailored to work around your commitments. You’ll be able to immerse yourself in all the latest teaching and techniques, on an innovative and exciting course, which prepares you for clinical practice. And then, you’ll get back to doing what you do best – being a skilled, empathetic, experienced nurse.
Videos and case studies
Types of Nursing
Registered Nurse – Polly
Registered Nurse – Andy
Return to practice – Reanna
Student Nurse – Sam
Study Nursing in Greater Manchester
You can afford to study in Greater Manchester
Nursing in Social Care
Organisations offering nursing roles
Click on the headings below to read more information about the organisations offering nursing roles across Greater Manchester.
Greater Manchester Training Hub
The Greater Manchester Training Hub is part of the HEE training Hub model designed to meet the educational needs of the multi-disciplinary Primary Care team.
Our ambition is to make primary care the best place to work; offering opportunities to enter, enhance and expand careers. We aim to become part of the sustainable solution to primary care workforce challenges across Greater Manchester by sharing its passion for learning to inspire positive change.
Our objectives are delivered by a central team and 4 local Training Hubs. Geographically, local training hubs make up and cover all 10 areas of Greater Manchester.
Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
We are one of the North West’s busiest acute NHS foundation trusts, serving people across Bolton and other parts of Greater Manchester and are classed as amongst the best in the region for several of our services.
We employ around 6,000 dedicated staff across more than 100 different services and specialties, based mainly at Royal Bolton Hospital but also at many community healthcare sites.
You can find opportunities in a wide range of occupations and professions, from Midwifery and nursing through to other health professionals, and essential support and corporate services – all working together to provide outstanding care every time for patients, and the communities we serve.
The Royal Bolton Hospital is also a major hub in Greater Manchester for women’s and children’s services and is the second busiest ambulance-receiving site in Greater Manchester.
Our Trust values are vision, openness, integrity, compassion and excellence, and they underpin the way we work together as staff for our patients.
Our aim is for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust to be a great place to work, and we believe that by living our values every day we have built a culture where we treat patients as we would treat our family and friends:
Provide every person the best treatment, in the best place, every time
Be a great place to work
Spend our money wisely
Make our hospital and our buildings fit for the future
Join up services to improve the health of the people of Bolton
Develop partnerships across Greater Manchester to improve services
Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
With an income of £140 million, the Trust cares for a huge area of the North West: 1.3 million residents in total. In practice, most services are delivered outside of hospitals: in patients’ homes, clinics, health centres, GPs, community centres and nearby schools. It also maintains a long-standing partnership with the area’s justice system.
In particular, the Trust is known for its outstanding work integrating services for 0 to 19 year-olds as well as excellent community midwifery, health visiting and family nursing.
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 6,400 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 160 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world’s most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
As a leading health, teaching, research and innovation campus there are limitless career opportunities across nine hospitals situated in the heart of Manchester and Trafford.
They offer care across the whole patient pathway providing integrated services with the Manchester Local Care Organisation bringing together primary care, community, social and mental health services. The Trust is home to Royal Manchester Children’s hospital providing specialist healthcare services for children and young people throughout the North West. The Manchester Royal Infirmary is a renowned teaching hospital providing secondary and tertiary services including the GM Trauma Centre. St Mary’s Hospital provides the full range of maternity services for local residents as well as specialist Maternity, Gynaecology and neonatal services for the region with services also provided from Wythenshawe hospital. The Manchester Royal Eye Hospital is one of only two specialist eye hospitals in the country and the Dental hospital offers nationally acclaimed specialist services with career opportunities for specialist dental nursing roles.
The Trust can also boast the first Hospital in the NHS; Trafford General, hosts Manchester Orthopaedic Unit and Specialised Neuro Rehab Centre. Altrincham and Withington hospitals provide outpatient treatment and services.
Situated in the South of Manchester, Wythenshawe Hospital provides secondary and tertiary services including the Cardiothoracic Critical Care Unit, Burns Centre, the internationally renowned North West Lung Centre, and the Nightingale Centre (Europe’s first purpose-built breast cancer prevention and treatment centre).
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
North West Ambulance Service is one of the largest ambulance services in England, delivering emergency and urgent care services to seven million people across the North-West. Our aim is to make clinical decisions early in the patient journey, and go far beyond the traditional 999 response – providing 111 services, clinical prioritisation and assessment and Patient Transport. We have a number of roles for qualified nurses undertaking roles in our 111 contact centre and our Clinical Hub, utilising both telephone triage skills and we are launching some rotational roles to include face to face patient contact.
Northern Care Alliance NHS Group
The Northern Care Alliance:
Who are we?
Our dedicated team of around 20,000 staff – our NCA Family – delivers healthcare excellence to over one million people across Salford, Oldham, Rochdale and Bury, as well as providing more specialist services to patients from Greater Manchester and beyond.
Patients and service users may receive a range of integrated health and social care services at their home or in their community or be treated and cared for in one of our four hospitals – Salford Royal Hospital, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary or Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.
Our aim is to deliver consistently high standards of care to them all.
Patients may be visiting one of our four hospitals or receiving a range of integrated health and social care services at their home or in the community.
The NCA team works to save lives and improve lives. By joining forces with the partner organisations who share our values, we’re committed to enhancing the health of our local communities.
Our Care Organisations
All community and hospital services are provided through our four Care Organisations: Salford, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale, supported by our NCA-wide diagnostics and pharmacy services, and corporate functions.
The four Care Organisations have a Medical Director, Director of Nursing, Managing Director and Finance Director with clear accountability and authority to govern.
Together they manage and are responsible for the day-to-day running of their hospital and community services, ensuring the safe delivery of high-quality care at scale.
Created in 2017 and now one of the largest NHS providers in the country, the NCA supports its Care Organisations to be sustainable, both clinically and financially by:
- developing service strategy
- agreeing new/replacement building and equipment
- agreeing annual operational delivery plans
- developing a standardised operating model which determines best care based on evidence of best practice
- organising this standardised care to be delivered effectively across multiple sites and locations.
We also ensure we have the right people with the right skills in place to continuously improve the way people receive care, enabling resources, skills and expertise to be shared in the best possible way. This means, no matter where people are treated, our aim is that they’ll experience the same high standard of safe, reliable, compassionate care.
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
We’re proud to provide mental health, learning disability, and autism services to people across Greater Manchester and beyond.
We serve a population of 1.3 million and our vision is a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities.
More than 3,600 dedicated and skilled staff deliver care from 88 different locations in five boroughs:
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust runs Stepping Hill Hospital and community health services across the area. The hospital’s stroke centre was assessed last year as the best in the country, and is one of only three stroke centres for Greater Manchester. It is also the second largest hospital in this region for orthopaedic surgery, and one of only four ‘specialist’ sites in Greater Manchester for emergency medicine and specialist abdominal surgery. Stepping Hill Hospital treats around 500,000 patients per year, with community services delivered through 24 health centres and in homes. The organisation also runs Devonshire Centre for neuro-rehabilitation, The Meadows palliative care centre and Swanbourne Gardens children’s respite centre in Stockport.
Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
A “Good” rated organisation by the CQC, which provides combined acute and community services to the boroughs of Tameside & Glossop. The Trust employs 3,800 staff across a range of sites, in the foothills of the beautiful Pennines. They provide acute services from the Tameside Hospital site at Ashton-under-Lyne, including accident and emergency and urgent care, medical and surgical care, and obstetric and paediatric services for women, children and babies. They also provide community healthcare services, through a range of health centres and in homes.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
The Christie is a national cancer specialist. They serve 3.2 million people across Greater Manchester and Chester, and 26% of patients are referred from across the UK.
The Trust is renowned as a world pioneer in the care, treatment and research of cancer. As well as their surgical theatres, The Christie is known for the collaborative work of its Haematology and Transplant Unit and Teenage and Young Adult services, a friendly, open culture and a commitment to excellence.
Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
We are a medium sized acute and community foundation trust in the Northwest of England, within the Greater Manchester footprint.
We serve a local population of 326,000 and we provide specialist services to a much wider regional, national and international catchment area.
We provide our acute clinical services from our five main sites: Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wrightington Hospital, Leigh Infirmary, Thomas Linacre Centre and Boston House. Our community services are provided from a range of locations across the borough.
Further information
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a membership organisation of over 465,000 registered nurses, midwives, health care assistants and nursing students.