Students are in the dark about what a nursing career actually involves, according to a British poll to mark 100 years since the death of Florence Nightingale.

Many 18-year-olds are unaware that a nurse has the authority to give medicines to patients and can have prescribing powers.

The survey of 1,000 students from all academic backgrounds was carried out for the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King’s College London.

Just six per cent of those questioned knew nurses could potentially earn up to £100,000 a year, with 92 per cent thinking only doctors earned that amount.

Many students also had no idea nurses could train to consultant-level – with just one in four saying that was true.

Once told about the range of skills a nurse develops and the senior position he or she can hold, a fifth of students said they would be more inclined to consider a nursing career.