Nursing in Stoke-on-Trent: studying, working, and living guide
Find out about nursing in Stoke-on-Trent - where nurses can find jobs, the hospitals they might work in, colleges & universities to study in, plus living information.
Stoke-on-Trent, often just called Stoke, is a city and the largest settlement in Staffordshire. Once home of the pottery industry in England, the area is still affectionately known as ‘The Potteries’.
Stoke-on-Trent is easily commutable via motorways and public transport to major cities in the UK. For nurses, Stoke-on-Trent could be a wonderful place to live, work and study.
Covering everything from places to work or study through to cost of living and culture, here is our helpful guide for nurses wanting to relocate to Stoke-on-Trent.
Where do nurses work in Stoke-on-Trent?
There are many NHS and private hospitals in Stoke-on-Trent, which are the biggest employers of nurses in the city, as well as plenty of GP practices. There are also care homes that are frequently on the lookout for Registered Nurses and carers.
This includes:
Royal Stoke University Hospital
The Haywood hospital
Harplands Hospital
Longton Cottage Hospital (outpatient services)
The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust provides much of the healthcare in Stoke. It is regarded as one of the UKs largest and most modern Trusts.
Where can aspiring nurses study in Stoke-on-Trent?
The only university in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire University is the main further education provider in Stoke-on-Trent, offering great courses for anyone wanting to study nursing.
Staffordshire University offers a range of nursing courses including Nursing Practice in Adult, Child, and Mental Health, all of which are approved by The Nursing and Midwifery Council. These courses will equip you for a career in nursing within a diverse range of settings both in hospitals, clinics and community environments and specialities.
Staffordshire University main campus is located close to the city, and nursing courses begin in January.
Find our nursing university guide here.
The average monthly rental cost in Stoke-on-Trent is £750 per a month. This is cheaper than living in other cities like London and Manchester.
Where do nurses live in Stoke-on-Trent?
Nurses live all over the city, as Stoke-on-Trent is affordable and offers good transport links- making it popular with students and families.
The most popular locations in Stoke-on-Trent for nurses and their families:
Stoke-on-Trent City Centre
Popular with nurses and students due to it being close to amenities.
Shelton
Located opposite Staffordshire University and a close distance to Stoke-on-Trent Train Station.
Hanley
Has great connections for nurses who need to travel to and from Stoke-on-Trent being close to the bus station. It is also handy for the Pottery Shopping centre for amenities and restaurants.
Penkhull
An artistic village with a community feel. It is close to Royal Stoke University Hospital making it an ideal location for nurses and has good transport connections to Staffordshire university.
What are the living costs for nurses in Stoke-on-Trent?
Stoke-on-Trent is a good place for nurses and professions to live in the UK.
Here is a general guide to some of the different costs of living in the city.
The average price for a home in Stoke-on-Trent is currently £174,280 far lower than the national average of £310,000.
The average rental price for a property in Stoke-on-Trent is £750 per month. But if you are looking to rent a room in a shared house, the average cost is just under £400.
Council tax costs vary a lot across the city. But most people across Stoke-on-Trent are in a Band B property or similar, which means paying £1,467 a year. This works out to £122 per month.
Other bills like shopping and utilities are priced the same as the rest of the UK but eating out and entertainment compare positivity.
Entertainment and dining tend to be a little less expensive than the rest of the UK.
Is travel easy in Stoke-on-Trent?
Stoke-on-Trent has good transport links to the major UK destinations. It is accessible from either Junction 15 or 16 of the M6 motorway linked by the A500 while the A50 provides an east-west link to the M1 and M6.
Stoke is 90 minutes by train from London and less than an hour away from major cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Nottingham.
The nearest airport to Stoke-on-Trent is Manchester Airport which is just over 40 minutes’ drive away or 60 minutes’ drive to Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport. Stoke-on-Trent also has over 150 km of cycle routes around the city.
Stoke-on-Trent is well connected for all your transport needs, no matter where you are located.
What to do in Stoke-on-Trent: walks, culture, nightlife and eating out
Stoke-on-Trent has everything you could need to ensure effective use of your free time.
Culture and attractions
Stoke-on-Trent is a lovely place to visit and has many wonderful attractions to enjoy.
One of the most popular places to visit is the Trentham Estate. Trentham is known as a special place with some of the finest award-winning gardens and woodland in Britain. There are over 725 acres of natural beauty, woodland estate house, outdoor shopping village and events plus the amazing Trentham Monkey Forest where 140 Barbary macaques roam freely in 60 acres of English forest.
Stoke-on-Trent has everything you will ever need for the music and arts scene. Popular places to head for are The Sugarmill and Eleven, both live music venues while The Regent Theatre and New Vic Theatre (in nearby Newcastle-upon-Lyme) and Victoria Hall – a large seater concert hall in Stoke’s Cultural Quarter - are all recognised venues for live music performances, shows and theatrical performances.
The city’s historical pottery links are well served with the Gladstone Pottery Museum, World of Wedgwood, Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and Barewell Art Gallery all within reach. Or for a more adventurous day out Alton Towers theme park is less than a 30-minute drive away.
Stoke is the smallest city in the country to boast two professional football clubs with the more well known Stoke City Football club who play in the EFL Championship League hosting their home games at Bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent while Port Vale, who compete in the EFL League One play at Vale Park in Burslem.
Nightlife and eating out
Stoke-on-Trent has many options for nightlife, bars, clubs, and restaurants; there is something for everyone in Stoke-on-Trent. Highlights include:
The Quarter, a restaurant and venue in the heart of the city known for its live music and wide range exquisite food and drinks.
The Slamwich Club serves gourmet sandwiches and coffee to the people of Stoke-on-Trent.
The Rabbit Hole Tea Room, an award winning Family run Alice in Wonderland inspired Tea Room.
The Sugarmill is a nationally acclaimed alternative live music venue and nightlife with a rooftop bar.
This is just a preview of what Stoke has to offer!
What are the school options in Stoke-on-Trent?
If you are also thinking about where you might need to send your children to school, Stoke-on-Trent offers a range of options for catering to a range of families' individual needs.
Stoke-on-Trent has 72 primary schools, 32 secondary schools and 6 private independent schools in the area.
The city has 47 Ofsted rated Outstanding or Good schools.
The right school for your family could be in Stoke-on-Trent.
Population and demographics in Stoke-on-Trent
Here are some of the stand-out population and demographic facts in Stoke-on-Trent.
Stoke-on-Trent has a population of 258,037.
Its population density is 2,761 people per square kilometre.
Stoke-on-Trent covers an area of 93 square kilometres (36 square miles).
Over 18s make up 80.9% of the city’s population.
In summary: is Stoke-on-Trent a good place to be a nurse?
Stoke-on-Trent is a great place for nurses to live, study and work. The city offers a range of open green spaces to explore and walk around, as well as lots of places to visit for entertainment and nightlife.
There are lots of things to do in Stoke-on-Trent whether you are a student or an experienced nursing professional.
Travel is easy, and there is plenty of work on offer. You can easily reach other towns and cities by bus, car, or train. Furthermore, living costs are much lower than the national average.
Nurses earn an average of just over £41,000 per a year in Stoke-on-Trent, so your salary as a Registered Nurse goes much further. 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 more than £1800 left in your pocket each month for everything else. Your disposable income in the Southeast would barely reach half of this figure.
As a Band 6 nurse, you would easily be able to borrow enough money to buy a joint mortgage an average-priced flat in Stoke-on-Trent.
Stoke-on-Trent, although a small city, is affordable and full of great things to do. Your dream nursing job could be here!
