Nursing in Nottingham: studying, working, and living guide
Find out about nursing in Nottingham - where nurses can find jobs, the hospitals they might work in, colleges & universities to study in, plus living information.
Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands, England, and the county town of Nottinghamshire.
Legend says the outlaw Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest, in the heart of the county, and Nottingham also has historical links to the lacemaking, bicycle, and tobacco industries.
Nottingham is named as the UK’S first City of Football.
Nottingham could be an ideal place for nurses to relocate to for study and work.
From cost of living and travel through to culture and nightlife, it is an end-to-end guide for nurses wanting to study or work in Nottingham.
Where do nurses work in Nottingham?
There are numerous medical facilities, ranging from NHS acute hospitals and general practices to private clinics and care homes, across Nottingham that are hiring and looking for Registered Nurses and carers.
Nottingham City Hospital
Woodthorpe Hospital (private)
Queen’s Medical Centre (largest major trauma centre in England)
The Priory Hospital Nottingham (psychiatric)
The main NHS Trust operating in the city is the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. It is one of the largest acute teaching trusts in England. One of the Trust’s hospitals, the Queen’s Medical Centre, has featured on the well known documentary 24 Hours in A&E as recently as May and June 2023.
There are hundreds of live vacancies for nurses throughout Nottingham for anyone wishing to live and work here.
Where do aspiring nurses study in Nottingham?
For anyone wanting to develop their knowledge and skills of the nursing and health professions in Nottingham, study options are provided by the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University.
The University of Nottingham is a public research university and offers on site nursing courses specialising in adult, child, and mental health, while an online undergraduate course is also available. The University of Nottingham was ranked 4th in the UK and 25TH for nursing in the QS World University Ranking by Subject in 2022. Courses start in September.
There are multiple campuses. These include the Queen’s Medical Centre, part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, while Nottingham City Hospital also offers purpose-built university facilities.
Nottingham Trent University offers nursing courses at their Manfield Campus (15 miles from Nottingham) and Clifton Campus (4 miles from Nottingham). It was named the Modern University of the Year in The Times Good University Guide 2023 and Nursing courses start in September.
Plenty of options for anyone looking to gain their nursing degree at a university in Nottingham.
Find our nursing university guide here.
The average monthly rental cost in Nottingham is around £950 per month; this is slightly higher than other towns and cities in the UK.
Where do nurses live in Nottingham?
Nurses live all over Nottingham and the surrounding areas.
Amongst the best places to live in Nottingham are:
Lenton
One of the most popular places for students and nurses to live in given its proximity to the University of Nottingham Jubilee Campus. It has endless shops and bars while Lenton Recreation Grounds is close by.
Dunkirk
Offers good transport links to the city centre as well as being close to the University of Nottingham main campus and Nottingham University Park.
Arboretum Park
Close to Nottingham Trent University and offering numerous local amenities.
City Centre
Has everything to offer students and professionals alike, such as brilliant transport links to local shops and high street staples, plus a huge array of nightlife options.
What are the living costs for nurses in Nottingham?
Nottingham is a moderately expensive city to live in compared to other towns and cities across the United Kingdom.
Here is a general guide to some of the different costs of living in Nottingham.
The average price for a home in Nottingham is currently £260,000 which is below the national average of £293,000 – according to Rightmove.
The average rental price for a property in Nottingham is £950 per month. But if you are looking to rent a room in a shared house, the average cost is just over £550 depending on the area.
Council tax costs vary across the city. But many people reside in a Band B property or similar, which means paying £1.784 a year, which works out to just under £150 per month.
Other bills like shopping and utilities are priced the same as the rest of the UK.
Entertainment and going out to eat may be a little more expensive than average, but it is dependent on where you visit.
Is travel easy in Nottingham?
Travel is very easy in Nottingham: in fact, it is recognised as the least car dependent city in the country! Nottingham is classed as a compact city with most people choosing to travel by foot or tram.
Nottingham Express Transit Tram connects the city to shopping, leisure and attractions around Nottingham and surrounding areas.
Nottingham can be reached from multiple locations by train. There are direct trains to Nottingham from Sheffield, Chesterfield, Leeds, and Barnsley. London to Nottingham take around 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The M1 motorway is close to Nottingham City for anyone wanting to drive. London to Nottingham is only 2 hours and 30 minutes’ drive away whereas Manchester to Nottingham is just under a 2-hour drive. Derby can be reached inside half an hour.
The nearest airport to Nottingham is East Midlands Airport which flies to destinations across the UK, US, and Europe.
What to do in Nottingham: walks, culture, nightlife and eating out?
There are lots of places to visit and experience in Nottingham, From daytime attractions to restaurants and nightclubs.
Culture and Attractions
Depending on your interests and where you want to spend your free time the city has a lot to offer in terms of culture and attractions.
City of Caves is one of the top attractions to visit. Nottingham has over 800 underground caves to explore beneath the city and this would be a wonderfully adventurous day out for nurses who love exploring and want to find out more about the city’s history.
Another place to visit is Nottingham Castle – which has recently reopened to the public. The castle offers stunning views of Nottingham and its surrounding areas. A visit is guaranteed to be an interesting and fun day out for all the family, with plenty to learn about the exciting tales of Robin Hood and an impressive historic art collection and exhibitions.
Nottingham also offers an excellent choice of national/country parks for nurses to spend time relaxing in or walking the various trails.
Other attractions to indulge in include Lakeside Arts (museum and arts centre), the National Justice Museum, Old Market Square – the largest public space in England - and the Lace Market, while not forgetting the 100,000 acres of Sherwood Forest.
For nurses interested in music, Nottingham covers all genres and tastes at the Albert Hall Conference Centre, The Theatre Royal, and Royal Concert Hall Metronome.
There is also the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham is a multi-use indoor facility which also includes the National Ice Centre. Nottingham has an established history when it comes to ice skating: Torvill and Dean, Olympic figure skating gold medalists, are both from the city, and the National Ice Centre is now home to the Nottingham Panthers Ice Hockey Team.
Nottingham City has two professional football teams. Notts County, officially the world’s oldest professional league club, play their matches in the National League at Meadow Lane.
Nottingham Forest, two-time winners of the UEFA European Cup, recently returned to the Premier League and host home games at the City Ground.
Officially named the ‘Home of Sport,’ Nottingham is also host to Trent Bridge, home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and Nottingham Rugby Football Club (RFU Championship members). The city also has a racecourse and greyhound track (both located at Colwick Park).
Nightlife and Eating Out
Nottingham has a plethora of places for nightlife and eating out to suit all tastes.
Highlights include:
Peggy’s Skylight, a jazz club, bar and kitchen offering fantastic jazz and blues music, as well as a middle eastern inspired menu.
Bistro Live, Nottingham’s Number one restaurant according to TripAdvisor.
Le Mistral Sherwood, a French Restaurant with a cosy environment offering great food and service.
The Hockley Art Club, a popular place for night out with students given its fun themed areas and plenty of drink choices.
As you can see, Nottingham has plenty to see and do in your valuable free time, as well as great restaurants.
What are the school options in Nottingham?
There are many schools in Nottingham to suit your and your children’s preferences.
Nottingham has 92 Primary schools, 39 Secondary schools and 7 private independent schools.
Out of these schools, 64 are graded at either Ofsted Outstanding or Good.
There is a great selection of schools in Nottingham and the surrounding areas.
Population and demographics in Nottingham
Here are some of the stand-out population and demographic facts in Nottingham.
Nottingham itself has a population of 330,000
Nottingham has a population density of 4,359 people per square kilometre.
Nottingham metro area population is 800,000
Nottingham is the ninth biggest city in the UK.
In summary: is Nottingham a good place to be a nurse?
Nottingham is a somewhat expensive place to live, but is a city with lots of attractions and amenities, as well as a rich history.
Nottingham University and Nottingham Trent University are great places to study and train to become a nurse.
Travel to and from Nottingham is extremely easy as Nottingham is classed as a compact city – and most people travel by foot or tram.
Living costs are a little cheaper than other major cities and there is lots of work on offer. You can view nursing vacancies for a great variety of levels and specialisms here.
Average salary for nurse in Nottingham £38,400 per a year.
So, your salary as a Registered Nurse goes much further in Nottingham.
Here are a couple of examples:
As a Newly Qualified Nurse on an NHS Band 5 salary, if you rented a house, you would still have just over £1000 left in your pocket each month for everything else. Your disposable income in the Southeast would barely reach half of this figure, for example.
As a Band 6 Nurse, you would easily be able to borrow enough money to buy a joint mortgage for an average-priced flat in Nottingham. In fact, in many parts your salary would cover the cost of buying a house.
As a nursing student or nurse in Nottingham, you will have an excellent quality of life with lots of things to do.
