Being an Adult Nurse (Reserves) means using your skills to support vital Royal Navy operations, all over the world. You’ll encounter some of the most challenging environments imaginable, so you’ll develop both personally and professionally. You don’t need any naval experience, just the desire to practise where you’re needed most, experiencing and doing things few medical professionals can imagine.
Naval Nurse Reserve
Provide world-class medical care to safeguard our people in challenging environments, all over the world.
Start your application
As part of your application process, we’ll help you find the most suitable role based on your skills and experience.
Register interest- Undergraduate Degree
- Surface Fleet
- Royal Naval Reserve
- Rating level

Role details
- Deliver world class healthcare as part of a highly skilled and motivated team.
- Provide vital support to maritime and wider military operations across the globe.
- Provide support in a range of challenging conditions at sea, on land or in the air. Adapt to a variety of platforms including state of the art warships such as the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.
- Travel the world as part of the front line medical services team.
- Daily rates of pay equivalent to those of full-time personnel
- Annual tax-free bounty subject to meeting the minimum training commitment
- Paid leave in proportion to the number of training days attended
- Automatic membership of the non-contributory Armed Forces Pension Scheme
- Expenses and allowances when undergoing training
- Access to sports and fitness facilities
- Opportunities for Adventurous Training (AT)
Qualifications you'll gain
- The opportunity to undergo formal management training on reserve staff and command courses
- Attain NHS accredited qualification through military service that transpose directly to your civilian medical occupation e.g. Immediate Life Support (ILS) and any specialisation course to your specific clinical area
Skills you'll develop
- Your professional skills will be broadened and enhanced with direct benefit to your civilian practice
- You will be trained and developed by an organisation recognised for its ability to turn out world class leaders
- You must be aged 20 and up to 52, (or 56 if you're serving or an ex-regular), when you start training
- 5 GCSEs grades C/4, which must include English Language and Mathematics
- You should have an Adult Nursing Degree, ideally with a specialism. If you haven’t had specialist training, we can offer this. If you are a registered Nurse (Adult) without a diploma, you can still
- join and we can offer you the training to get you to degree level
- You must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) without restrictions
- You must be a British or Irish national, a Commonwealth citizen, or a Dual National. Dual nationality restrictions do apply.
- You need to be within the healthy range for Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Pass the Naval Swimming Test
Civilian nursing and military nursing training are completely different. The exercises on board ship are so realistic that you quickly learn how to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, instantly knowing what’s required of you.
Joining Process
From picking your role to starting on your first day, these are the steps you'll take to join as a rating.
- Register your interest
- Complete your application
- Presentation
- Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA) and interview
- Join your local unit
- Medical and fitness test
- Phase 1 training
- Training
- Confirmation course
Start your application
Find your place in the Royal Navy. Make friends for life, learn new skills and experience the world.
Got a question?
Our virtual recruiter is available to answer your questions 24 hours a day
