What does a nurse advisor do and why should you become one?

Do you want a career where you make a difference? There are many ways that you could make an impact as a nurse advisor. The main motivation for most nurse advisors is to make a positive contribution to the healthcare industry, bringing care closer to home and supporting the National Health Service (NHS).

The very best nurse advisors come to IQVIA, where they work in partnership with the NHS and the patients themselves to improve health outcomes. Since many patients require long-term treatment it’s essential that a nurse advisor can foster relationships with the patient, their carer and other healthcare professionals (HCPs). 

Interested? Here’s an overview of what a nurse advisor does and why the work is so rewarding.

What is the role of a nurse advisor?

There are two facets of a nurse advisor role:

1. Offer information
2. Provide support

On the patient level, the aim is to both improve the level of care that a patient receives and generate better outcomes for them. Patients may receive their care at home or in an alternative community setting, so nurse advisors may need to travel. At the industry level, clinical nurse advisors will help other HCPs, GPs and clinical commissioning groups administer best clinical practices. Your responsibilities may include:

• Supporting patients and their carers with therapy practices
• Carrying out clinical procedures such as phlebotomy, venepuncture and cannulation
• Providing information about medication and therapies
• Review patient management in specific diseases against local or national guidelines
• Guiding HCPs to coordinate patient management
• Clinical auditing

Having experience in these areas might give you have competitive edge, but it's not essential. With IQVIA, you'll get all the training and support that you need.

How do you become a nurse advisor?

2023 saw the number of registered nurses hit 731,058 in the UK - up by around 70,000 since 2019 - with a selection of those employees working as nurse advisors. While you do need to be registered as a nurse to become a nurse advisor, holding a current or previous registration qualifies you for the role.

Experience carrying out clinical procedures and infusions is desirable but not necessary, however, to be considered as a strong candidate, your nurse advisor CV should evidence computer literacy.

How can you know this is the career for you?

To be successful in a nurse advisor role, you must thrive when working autonomously and exhibit excellent time management. This is essential as the role requires flexibility to accommodate the schedules of HCPs and their patients. Being a patient-focused role, it’s best suited to people with excellent communication skills who can take a positive approach to their work. Similarly, working closely with NHS stakeholders requires a person who is confident in building lasting relationships.

With more employers recognising the benefits of conducting virtual interviews, candidates must now consider how they can exhibit strong communication and other interpersonal skills in the digital space. View our advice on how to make a great impression in a video interview.

Career progression steps for a nurse advisor

A nursing qualification is essential if you're thinking about a nurse advisor career. That said, as you gain experience in this field-based role, diverse opportunities will become available to you. Over time, nurse advisors can define their career goals. These can be used to steer them in the right direction, whether that’s respiratory, incontinence or working in a care home.

Although these specialisms will offer different experiences, the commonality for all nurse advisors is the rewarding work they do to improve outcomes for patients. This is a job best suited for someone who wants to have a positive impact and is stimulated by education because, in the ever-changing modern workforce, the development of new technologies ensures that as a nurse advisor, you’ll never stop learning.

Find your next job with IQVIA

IQVIA is the 4th largest life sciences employer in the UK, with over 64,000 HCPs providing support in over 100 countries. Over the last 30 years, we’ve provided job opportunities for nurses and helped them find a role where they can make an impact in the healthcare and life sciences industry.

Forge a career with greater purpose - view our full-time nurse advisor jobs and take the next step with us. Alternatively, find out more about what we do.