Skip to content
Job Role
Nursing Officer
Job Role

Nursing Officer

You’ll use your extensive medical skills in a wide range of contexts, from an NHS hospital to some of the most challenging environments in the world.

HealthcareAdventureHumanitarian aidMedicalSciences
  • £34,300 - £109,000
  • Undergraduate Degree
  • Surface Fleet
  • Medical
  • Officer level

At a glance

This job sits within the Healthcare & Medical Profession and is a Healthcare & Medical Officer role. Challenging conditions and first-class care don’t always go hand-in-hand. But they will for you as a Nursing Officer. From providing humanitarian aid, to supporting personnel in a maritime environment – you’ll safeguard our people and civilians alike.

£41,000

The minimum you'll earn after training at BRNC

£55,000

Earn at least this amount as you progress

Degree

in adult nursing is the minimum qualification needed

6 weeks

Of paid holiday every year

Free

Medical and dental care

Travel

All around the world
Nursing Officer writing out notes in a hospital
I have taken my nursing skills all over the world and worked within some amazing teams, providing care for patients on board ships or in land environments.

Leanne

Nursing Officer, Medical Branch

Role details

What you’ll do

Life as a Nursing Officer offers extraordinary challenges and responsibilities, but comes with opportunities and rewards to match.

Wherever you go in the world and whatever you’re doing, you’ll play a key part in safeguarding our personnel and civilians alike. You could be in an NHS hospital caring for returning military personnel, or out in the field working in a conflict zone.

Whatever you do, you’ll encounter some of the most challenging environments imaginable, developing both personally and clinically as you experience a life few medical professionals can imagine.

Your role

  • Lead a team providing medical support to Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel on shore and at sea, in the UK and around the world.
  • Develop and maintain your clinical skills in order to take those skills around the world on operations when required. During peacetime, you’ll be based within a Joint Hospital Group Unit in either Plymouth, Portsmouth or Birmingham.
  • Gain clinical and management experience and take responsibility for mentoring junior nurses and medical assistants.
  • Wider job opportunities as your career progresses in senior leadership positions, clinical governance, training, operations and deployed roles including as a Head of Department or Senior Nursing Officer. 
  • Be part of a world-class medical service that’s recognised far beyond the Armed Forces. You’ll represent our nation whatever you’re doing and wherever you are.

Pay & benefits

  • A salary that rises to at least £41,000 following basic military training
  • Excellent pay and promotion prospects as your career progresses
  • Sports and Adventurous Training opportunities
  • Forces Help to Buy house purchase scheme
  • Six weeks of paid holiday every year
  • Free medical and dental care
     

Skills for life

Qualifications you'll gain

  • An opportunity to study further at degree or masters level, to top up your professional portfolio
  • You’ll have the opportunity to carry out specialist courses funded by the Royal Navy, in areas such as Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Orthopaedics and Primary Care. 
  • Civilian recognised leadership and management qualifications
     

Skills you'll develop

  • Unique nursing care, including assessment, treatment and management that can be utilised in a variety of environments all over the world
  • How to use your expertise and develop your leadership and management skills in a maritime environment
  • Become a Divisional Officer, responsible for the welfare and development of other junior clinical personnel. 
     

Eligibility

  • Aged 20 to 39
  • A degree in Adult Nursing is required - you can apply in the final year of completing your degree to be selected
  • Registered with the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) 
  • 5 grades A*-C (9-4) Including grade 6 (B) or above in English Language and Maths
  • A National of the United Kingdom, a Commonwealth citizen or Dual National
  • A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18 and 28 (between 17 and 27 if under 18)

Skills & Interests

  • A caring and compassionate nature
  • Decisive with strong independent thinking
  • Highly organised and able to remain cool under pressure
  • Approachable as a strong team leader

Joining Process

From picking your role to starting on your first day, these are the steps you'll take to join as a rating.

Step 1

Submit an application

Once you’ve registered your interest in a Profession, and have satisfied some basic eligibility criteria, you will be sent an online application form.

Step 2

Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)

Depending on Profession applied for and professionally qualified status, you’ll be tested on: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension.

To prepare, you can practise the DAA.

practise the DAA
Step 3

Interview

A  Career Interview to talk through suitability of your chosen Profession and discussion of your preferred roles that are available within that Profession, including Submarine service.  It will also cover the initial stages of the Security application. This is normally conducted using your own device over the Shine video platform.

Step 4

Medical and Fitness Assessments

This is conducted at one of our Candidate Preparation Centres and will include a Fitness and Medical Assessment.

Step 5

Admiralty Interview Board (AIB)

The AIB is conducted online and made up of two assessments, . A Pre-Recorded Interview (PRI) online assessment that assesses your awareness and motivation to join the Royal Navy as an officer. The Group Planning Exercise (GPE) is the second stage online competency-based assessment which will take place approximately 3 weeks after the PRI. It will be conducted in a virtual group environment, and you will be assessed on your contribution to the team based on your individual performance.

Step 6

Start training

Once you’ve passed all eligibility criteria, including a Security Check, you’ll be offered a place at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) to commence your initial training.

Career Progression

From responsibilities to pay, find out where this role can take you.
Day one
Join Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth
Year one
Start at a Joint Hospital Group Unit and start preceptorship and the Foundation Programme
First promotion
After 4 years from qualifying, if you do well, you’ll be promoted to Lieutenant.
Second promotion
You'll be chosen on merit for promotion to Lieutenant Commander

Got a question?

Our virtual recruiter is available to answer your questions 24 hours a day

More roles like this

Register interest

THANKS FOR USING OUR NEW WEBSITE. IF YOU’VE SEEN ANY ISSUES OR WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST ANY IMPROVEMENTS, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK.