There are four main strands of nursing - adult, mental health, learning disability and child. Nurses care for and help treat patients. The job is demanding and presents an intellectual challenge to the recruit but is substantially rewarding for many professional nurses employed in the health service.

Normal minimum age of entry 17.5 years. Minimum of five GCSE passes or equivalent at grade C or above.

Three-year course, leading to the award of a higher education diploma and qualification as a Registered Nurse and four-year degree course leading to Dip BSc in Nursing.

The Careers Information Team, National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland, 22 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1NT.

Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, 13th Floor, Pearl Assurance House, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff CF1 3AG.

ENB Careers, PO Box 2EN, London W1A 2EN.

The Recruitment Officer, National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Northern Ireland, RAC House, 79 Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 4JR.