PONN Paula Dalton-Kirby
Nurse Recruiting Assistant for CNR-HQ

Working Together

What is a Defence Nurse?
Defence Nurses are highly qualified and skilled healthcare professionals who deliver the very best nursing care wherever they are working; be it the most arduous and challenging of operational environments or more traditional clinical settings

• Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval
Nursing Service (QARNNS)
• Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army
Nursing Corps (QARANC)
• Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force
Nursing Service (PMRAFNS)

Why do we need the Royal Navy
• Defending our Island
• Defending our seas
• Protecting our fishing grounds
• Protecting our merchant ships
• Helping to tackle international smuggling, terrorism and piracy
• Humanitarian and relief aid

Why do we need Nurses in the
Royal Navy?

What specialities do we require?
• Emergency Nursing
• Medical or Surgical Assessment
• Operating Theatres
• Trauma Orthopaedics
• Intensive Care
• Primary Care
• Community Mental Health (No availability at the current time)
• Ophthalmology
• Infection Control

• Nursing Officer (Adult)
• Registered Nurse (Adult or Mental Health)
• Student Nurse
• RNR Nurse (Adult):
– Registered –West Coast Scottish Initiative

Entry Requirements for
Qualified Nurse
Registered Nurse RN
• 20 - 36 years of age (17 ½ - 36 for Student
Nurses)
• Degree in Adult or Mental Health Nursing
• Registered with the NMC

• Offer you a position 6 months prior to qualifying
(pending registration)
• 12 month rotation and preceptorship package
• Competency training (cannulation, male catheterisation, etc)
• Continuing Professional Development (Prep for
Mentorship module, etc)
• Specialist training

Entry Requirements for
Nursing Officer
Nursing Officer
• 20 – 38 years of age
• 5 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above in 5 Subjects including Maths and English
• Degree Adult Nursing
• Registered with the NMC
• CV to be sent for approval to NMD team

• Offer you a position 6 months prior to qualifying (pending registration)
• 12 month rotation and preceptorship package
• 12 months leadership pathway
• Competency training (cannulation, male catheterisation, etc)
• Continuing Professional Development (Prep for Mentorship module, etc)
• Specialist training

• GCSE requirements for Officer
• Both routes you will have a newly qualified preceptorship periods
• In the first 12 months you will not be utilised operationally but may be involved in Maritime exercises to learn what it is like to be a nurse on board a ship.
• To apply as Nursing Officer you will need to have recent examples of having responsibilities, organisational skills and examples of being in a team
• Newly qualified Nursing Officers will start their careers working in Plymouth Ministry Defence
Hospital Unit (MDHU).
• Rating newly qualified nurses and more qualified nurses may start their careers at Royal
Centre Defence Medicine Birmingham, Portsmouth or Plymouth MDHU.
• Joining as a rating Naval Nurse will not prevent you from applying to Nursing Officer later in your career.
• As a Nursing Officer after being qualified a year you work on more leadership skills to be able to be responsible for a division of junior rank ratings – reports, welfare.

Royal Navy
• You may still apply pending registration
• Starting salaries as follows:
– Nursing Officer £ 31,300 - £32,149 (Depending on Experience)
– Registered Nurse £ 29,402 - £35,357 (Depending on Experience)
– Student Nurse £ 14,492 (after 26 weeks £ 17,945)
• Specialist pay for Competent Nurses (£1,733) and Qualified Nurses (£
3,690)
• Allowances when overseas
• A non-contributory pension scheme
• Qualified Specialist nurses may be eligible for a golden hello of £20,000

What initial Military Training will I do?
Royal Navy
10 Weeks at HMS Raleigh for
Ratings
10-15 at BRNC Dartmouth for
Officers.
• Leadership skills
• Discipline, Ethos and
Values
• Service Knowledge
• Field Craft
• Fitness
• Weapons handling and
CBRN

Where can you be deployed and in what roles
Role 3, Primary Casualty
Receiving Facility
• 200 Medical Staff
• 100 Beds
– A+E
– 10 x ITU
– 20 x HDU
– 4 x Theatres
– 70 x Ward beds
– CT Scanner
– Xray department
– Labs

Where can you be deployed and in what roles
Role 2A, Commando
Forward Surgical
Group (CFSG)
• Rapid deployability
• Damage control surgery
– A+E
– Theatre
– Air Evacuation section
– 6 hour Ward

Royal Navy
• Career security
• Free medical and dental care
• Subsidised food and accommodation
• Welfare/allowance/education packages
• Sponsored academic and clinical CPD
• 38 Days Paid Annual Leave
Royal Navy and RNR
• No grade/band trap
• Camaraderie / Social Opportunities
• Ceremonial events
• First class sporting facilities
• Paid expenses
• Travel opportunities
• Variety, Challenge, Adventure and Fun

Why do we need the Royal Navy
Reserves
• Royal Naval Reserves is a part time force of civilian volunteers
• Provide extra support to the Royal Navy
– Tension
– Humanitarian crisis
– Conflict

Why do we need QARNNS
Reservists
• Support the QARNNS in operations to provide extra expertise

• As an integral part of the Royal Navy
• On a part-time basis
• Attend their local RNR unit one night per week

RNR
UNITS

Entry Requirements for
Reserve Nurse
• 20 - 52 years of age
• Adult Nursing Degree
• Registered with the NMC
• All CV’s to be sent to NMD Recruiting team

RNR
– Paid on an hourly rate for the commitment you give
– Given a bounty each year based on if you show a full commitment

Advantages of Reserve Service
• Part-time role delivering full-time benefits
• Pay and allowances including an annual taxfree bounty
• Vibrant social life
• Continuing professional development
• Adventurous training
• Personal challenge

How reserve service advance your career
• Management and leadership experience
• Competency training
• Specialist training
• Educational development
• Broaden your clinical experiences

What initial Military Training will I do?
RNR
– 2 Weeks basic training at HMS Raleigh (first year)
– Two weeks exercise per year
– 3 training weekends per year with other RNR
Medical Branch
– Attend the training evening per week at your local
RNR unit

All Nurses
• Physically fit
• Medical and Security clearance
• Nationality & Residency rules
• Registration with NMC

• Apply on line www.royalnavy.mod.uk
Or call 08456 07 55 55
• Expression of Interest Form
• You will be invited to Attend Local AFCO
• Requirement to pass:
Recruit Test
Medical pre-Joining Fitness Test
Interview / Specialist Interview

Contact the Royal Navy
08456 07 55 55 www.royalnavy.mod.uk
PONN Paula Dalton-Kirby QARNNS
Nurse Recruiting Assistant for CNR-HQ
Tel: 02392727096
E-mail:
NAVYCNR-OPSNRAPO@mod.uk

• www.qarnns.co.uk
• www.royalnavy.mod.uk/C areers/Rolefinder/Medical

QARNNS
Royal Navy / RNR