Social care nursing roles are much more than ‘handing out medication’

The latest figures from Skills for Care predict that around 34,000 Registered Nurses work in the social care sector.

Despite social care being a rewarding career, with lots of opportunities to develop skills and progress, the sector is often misunderstood, especially within the nursing profession.  

Our Registered Nurses play a vital role in the care we provide at Exemplar Health Care, and it’s hard to believe some people have negative conceptions about social care nursing.

We’re here to dispel these damaging myths, and show how amazing a Registered Nurse role in a complex care setting can be.

“Social care nursing is just looking after older people.”

A quick browse through our website and social media is definite proof that this isn’t true!

We support adults of all ages (the average age of our service users is 45 years) living with a range of complex and high acuity needs.

This might include neuro-disabilities, brain injuries, spinal injuries, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. We also have a number of learning disability services.

"Working in social care is all about personal care."

Our mission is to make every day better for the people we support, whatever that looks like to them.

Yes, the people we support may need help to get washed and dressed on a morning, but that’s just a small part of the holistic care we provide.

And with our high staffing levels, with an average of six Health Care Assistants and one Nurse on each small unit, this will be a small part of your day.

Our care is about so much more than that. We support people to maximise their independence and live their best lives.

We have dedicated Activities Teams that keep our homes full of fun and laughter. They regularly organise engaging activities the whole home can get involved with, even our Registered Nurses.

“Social care nursing is an easy option, I worry I’ll become deskilled.”

A role as a Registered Nurse in a social care setting is different to other nursing settings, however that doesn’t make it any less challenging. Like all nursing roles, some days are harder than others.

Our Registered Nurses are an integral part of the care our individuals receive. In a complex care home environment, we take a person-centred approach, looking not only at clinical needs, but holistic needs.

Our Registered Nurses play a key part in the collaboration process of creating care plans, administering care, and supporting colleagues.

Although the level of autonomy our Registered Nurses receive may be higher than in other settings, we have a range of support available. From higher than average staffing ratios, to a multi-disciplinary expert team in each home, our Registered Nurses are never alone, and have a team to surround them.

As a key part of the care we provide, there’s no worry you’ll become ‘deskilled’. As mentioned earlier, we support people in our homes with a variety of complex needs.

As a result of this, we offer a wide variety of training and opportunities to upskill. Our Registered Nurses also have free access to the RCNi Learning platform to support with their revalidation.

Want to find out more about working as a Registered Nurse in a social care setting? Take a look at the roles we currently have available, or contact our Recruitment Team by emailing nursetalentspecialist@exemplarhc.com.