what do a nursery nurse do day to day?

Nursery nurses work with babies and children up to their 8th birthday. They work in a variety of settings including schools, nurseries, workplace nurseries or crèches; some work in private homes as a nanny. Their work is designed to match the ages of the children that they are working with, from feeding and comforting through to organising play and learning activities. They also monitor their physical, social and emotional development. Nursery nurses can work unsupervised and may have supervisory responsibility for assistants and others working in a centre. People who do this work care about children, are calm and physically fit, with teamwork and communication skills. An artistic or creative ability is useful in this work.

Entry can be with a job with training, apprenticeship or full-time study. The most recognised nursery nurse qualifications include the CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education and the CACHE NVQ Level 3 in Children's Care, Learning and Development. Entry to courses and training is with at least 3-5 A*-C grade GCSEs, including English; work experience helps when applying for courses and training.