Your day-to-day duties, you might give practical help and encourage patients to:

• look after their personal hygiene
• dress
• use public transport
• go on shopping trips
• develop leisure interests or community activities
• make and attend appointments
• find a job

You may need to wear a uniform.

You could work in the community, at an adult care home, at a client's home or in an NHS or private hospital.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

With further study and experience you could become an advanced nurse practitioner (ANP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS) or nurse consultant. Consultants work directly and independently with patients, carry out research and develop and deliver training.

You could lead a team of nurses in a residential setting or manage a learning disability unit. You could also move into other management roles, like community matron or director of nursing.

You could also go on to train as a health visitor.