The very first step towards becoming a registered nurse is choosing which of the four specialisms of nursing you would like to study – adults, children, learning disability or mental health. 

Choosing what to study now doesn’t mean your future career path is fixed.
With support from your employer and additional training, you can often switch specialism after qualifying.

After my education in adult nursing, I qualified as a mental health nurse. Combining these two specialisms was a great asset to my career. 

Read Lisa’s full story.

No matter what specialism of nursing you choose, you will work as part of a team – often with nurses who qualified in a different specialism.

Certain aspects of your degree course will be common across all four specialisms to equip you with the knowledge and skills to provide essential care to anyone who needs it. The second part of your course will focus on one of the following areas so that you learn specific skills to provide more complex care.