Careers & Employment Opportunities

Graduates in nursing, midwifery and radiography from the School of Health Sciences gain both an academic and professional qualification that is well-regarded by Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board, Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, the Countess of Chester Hospital and other educational partner placement providers in Wales and England.

Our employability record is excellent and you can view current statistics as well as other essential information about our programmes at Unistats.

Careers advice

Careers advice is gained from healthcare professionals both in practice and in dedicated careers sessions. You are also eligible to register for the Bangor Employability Award to further enhance career prospects and advice is also available form the Bangor University Careers & Employability Service.

Graduates from our programmes have a wide range of career options available including clinical specialisms, research and management in acute and community healthcare settings including hospitals, clinics and residential and home environments. The School offers a wide range of post-graduate and post-registration opportunities to further enhance career prospects such as Masters degree programmes and courses leading to qualifications for specialisms including intensive care nursing or specialist practice awards.

The post-graduate award programmes involve research leading to Masters and Doctoral qualifications, which includes our Professional Doctorate aimed at individuals in advanced clinical or organisational roles which combine elements of practice, research and service improvement in healthcare.

NHS Careers has more details of the career opportunities that are available to graduates from the School of Health Sciences:

  • Nursing;
  • Midwifery;
  • Radiography;

All students are well-supported in practice placements and the Nursing and Midwifery Council have favourably assessed the quality of mentorship provision and student support in clinical placements concluding ‘the university and its partners are commended for their excellent partnership relationships at strategic and operational levels’ (NMC UK Wide Quality Assurance Framework Programme Monitoring Report 2011). The final extended placement for BN students focuses on management skills and competencies and is an opportunity for students to make choices about areas of career focus. Radiography students gain more clinical experience and content on placements and during academic study than any other course in the UK. During their final year, radiography students produce dissertations exploring service improvement improving their clinical awareness and credibility.

Key Employability Skills

All undergraduate programmes focus on developing graduate skills including problem-solving, self-management and clinical competence required for practice and a career in the chosen profession.  Transferable skills are useful to a wide range of clinical careers and for employment in professions outside of healthcare:

  • Communication – these skills are embedded in the curricula and clinical practice assessments and are a cornerstone for working with individuals and teams working in healthcare settings. Students are assessed on their ability to communicate effectively and with dignity with patients, clients and service users.
  • Numeracy Skills – all health sciences graduates will receive further training in numeracy, particularly nurses, radiographers and midwives. Numeracy and the development of skills in relation to medicines administration and using equipment that emits ionising radiation are essential for safe and effective healthcare.
  • Literacy Skills – development of writing skills is facilitated not only through academic assignments (including draft work feedback and assessment supervision and feedback), but also in clinical practice where clear and effective documentation of care is essential – this activity is assessed by mentors and supervisors through several key activities including reporting on patient status, care planning and report writing.
  • Information Technology –information technology literacy and confidence using and accessing facilities is essential in modern healthcare. Students work with the Blackboard virtual learning environment to access teaching and learning support or to facilitate group activities. Information technology support is available centrally but students have access to dedicated library resources including a health librarian and current databases, software and journal access. Radiography students’ skills are developed in the fully-operational digital radiography suite (opened December 2012) and as part of their clinical training and practice.
  • Team Working – skills in working with others are developed from the beginning of programmes and as students take on an increasing role in the multi-disciplinary team as their courses progress. By year three, students are often involved in managing their own mini-caseloads of patients, clients or service users. During this journey, students are facilitated to learn about self-management and managing others, workload and stress management and how to manage healthcare information. Interprofessional learning is embedded in the curriculum and practice assessments and promotes knowledge and appreciation of the roles of others essential for professional working in the modern healthcare environment.
  • Portfolio Development – all Health Sciences undergraduates develop portfolios demonstrating progression and achievement, which then become a component of providing evidence of updating and continuing professional development and a requirement for continued professional registration.