Difference between nursing in the UK vs nursing in the US?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 13, 2006

Thanks for a very informative answer. In the US to be a "prescribing nurse" requires a Master's degree and then passing a national advanced practice nursing certification test. The Masters programs are varied according to specialty. Geriatics, Pysch, Family, Women's health, certified nurse midwife, neonatal, pediatric. I could go on but you get the idea. These Masters programs require a certain number of years experience before enrolling.

Thankyou.

In the county where I live there is a programme run by the universities for Nurse Practitioners but is aimed for nurses who work in general prctitioner surgeries. I will post a link at the end of this reply of courses provided by my local university. It is at masters level but nurse qualifies and is able to work at the end of the 2 years but won't get masters unless they do the third year and dissitation. I have also added a link to the extended formulary course so people can see what sort of course it is. This is open to everyone that meets the criteria regardless of where they work ie Acute or Community.

http://www.hud.ac.uk/courses/part_time/ipp_pages00000788.htm

http://www.hud.ac.uk/hhs/courses/profdev/sections/critical_care/hmh1032.htm

arys1075 · Nov 13, 2006

Thankyou.
In the county where I live there is a programme run by the universities for Nurse Practitioners but is aimed for nurses who work in general prctitioner surgeries. I will post a link at the end of this reply of courses provided by my local university. It is at masters level but nurse qualifies and is able to work at the end of the 2 years but won't get masters unless they do the third year and dissitation. I have also added a link to the extended formulary course so people can see what sort of course it is. This is open to everyone that meets the criteria regardless of where they work ie Acute or Community.
http://www.hud.ac.uk/courses/part_time/ipp_pages00000788.htm
http://www.hud.ac.uk/hhs/courses/profdev/sections/critical_care/hmh1032.htm

I've completed my anaesthetic course, Im an operating theatre staff nurse in one NHS in Lancashire, UK. I don't know if my extension course would be valid in United States.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 13, 2006

I've completed my anaesthetic course, Im an operating theatre staff nurse in one NHS in Lancashire, UK. I don't know if my extension course would be valid in United States.

It may be worth fetching all your stuff over and it may converted to the US if it meets thier requirements, You never know

english_nurse · Nov 13, 2006

Oh there's no denying the fact that life in the US kicks ass, especially Florida.
Are there any differences between the job itself though besides the pay?
I heard nursing in the UK was a lot more CNA type stuff and less, I don't know, delegating and pt care management type stuff.
EDIT: pt ratios and stuff like that?

actually this post, i feel does compare uk nurses to cna, medsurg nurse

augigi, CNS · Nov 13, 2006

I've completed my anaesthetic course, Im an operating theatre staff nurse in one NHS in Lancashire, UK. I don't know if my extension course would be valid in United States.

Depends on the course - I did a one year, university based Postgraduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing in Critical Care, and CGFNS just said "we have no equivalent" - so it doesn't count!

allnurses Guide · Nov 13, 2006

Thankyou.
In the county where I live there is a programme run by the universities for Nurse Practitioners but is aimed for nurses who work in general prctitioner surgeries. I will post a link at the end of this reply of courses provided by my local university. It is at masters level but nurse qualifies and is able to work at the end of the 2 years but won't get masters unless they do the third year and dissitation. I have also added a link to the extended formulary course so people can see what sort of course it is. This is open to everyone that meets the criteria regardless of where they work ie Acute or Community.
Nurse Practitioner (Primary Care) MSc
Module -- HMH1032

The nurse prescribing course can be either masters or BSc level, the one that I completed last year had a mixture of the 2 groups. Not all are attached to advanced practice courses although it is generally advanced practice nurses who attend. It is essential with these courses that you have a medic (independent prescriber) to mentor you and assess your clinical and prescribing practice which is probably why it tends to be APN that do the training. THe course is run over 6 months, covers history taking, physical examination and pharmacology, and my portfolio submission at masters level was in excess of 10,000 words. THe BSc ones I think had a 5000 word limit.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 14, 2006

The nurse prescribing course can be either masters or BSc level, the one that I completed last year had a mixture of the 2 groups. Not all are attached to advanced practice courses although it is generally advanced practice nurses who attend. It is essential with these courses that you have a medic (independent prescriber) to mentor you and assess your clinical and prescribing practice which is probably why it tends to be APN that do the training. THe course is run over 6 months, covers history taking, physical examination and pharmacology, and my portfolio submission at masters level was in excess of 10,000 words. THe BSc ones I think had a 5000 word limit.

I just added links to what is available in my area. My NP did her extended course as part of her NP course but it was a trial and was extra on top of the work they was already doing and had to do it in a shorter time.

allnurses Guide · Nov 14, 2006

I just added links to what is available in my area. My NP did her extended course as part of her NP course but it was a trial and was extra on top of the work they was already doing and had to do it in a shorter time.

Yeah a friend of mine did a similar thing, prescribing on top of a NP course she too found it very hard because there was no extra time given for the extra work. I enjoyed the one that I did but I did it as an elective part of an MSc so the time was allocated specifically for that.

Tanvi Tusti · Nov 15, 2006

So, say you needed an order for something in the UK, say an ATB. How does this get done if you don't chase up the Dr for an order?
I know I've had to chase up Drs for d/c foley orders, Tylenol orders (yes really!) and sillly stuff. Also, the D/C home with home help, PT & OT meds and narcotics are fun.
We have standing orders with some Drs, then house orders but some Drs have none whatsoever. Is there some sort of list in the UK where everyone can have Tylenol, Mylanta, MOM and general OTC meds?

Hi,

This is the first time I have read this thread and its really highlighted to me the misconceptions other cultures have about their nursing practices.

Im a Registered General Nurse and Registered Midwife. Here in the UK, I practice as an autonomous practitioner in both roles.

As a midwife I make descisions regarding a womans care throughout her pregnancy, I make the desciision whether or not to refer to an obstetricrian. In conjunction with the woman, we decide upon a plan of birth, there is no involvement with a doctor unless I feel it necessary. I support a woman throughout her pregnancy and conduct the delivery myself without the input of an MD, again, unless I feel it is needed. The focus here is very much on normal birth with as little medical intervention as possible. In my experience most doctors want as little as possible to do with pregnancy and birth as possible, unless things go wrong. If I feel the woman needs a foley, I make that choice, I dont need to chase an MD up for an "order". If I feel her labour needs accelerating with oxytocin, again I make that choice, I do not need an MD telling me what I can or cant do.

The same pretty much applies in my role as a nurse. I am a nurse practitioner and nurse prescriber. I am able to prescribe any medication without the "order" of an MD. I make my own descisions on patient care and I only consult a doctor, who I see as an equal, a valuable member of the multidisciplinary team, if I feel his/her input to be beneficial for my patient. I do not follow anyones orders. My practice is governed by the NMC and I am accountable for my own actions.

Obviously, it has taken a lot a studying and work on my part to get to this level, but it shows you an example of what a nurse in the UK is able to do.

I am going to the US because my husband is American, and I know the practice I am used to here will be very much restricted over there and my pay will be substantially cut. I am certainly not used to having to ask permission before doing something and needed an MD's signature before I can do anything will be very alien to me.

I am a UK trained nurse and proud to be that. Working in the States will be an eye opener to me, I know that, but it wont be the first time I have worked in a country other than my own and am looking forward to the experience.

Trauma Columnist · Nov 15, 2006

TanviTusti - is your NP transferrable to the US? Since the UK has socialized medicine, does that cut down on the amount of lawsuits that you have to deal with? Do you have your own malpractice insurance?

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2006

Nurses in the UK tend to join a union and the fees you pay monthly cover your malpractice insurance. People do sue but not to the extent over here in the US.

I too am a midwife and my dissertation for my batchelors degree was 10000 words. I believe in the UK for a masters degree your dissertation is around 25000 words. Even the education is so different

Tanvi Tusti · Nov 15, 2006

TanviTusti - is your NP transferrable to the US? Since the UK has socialized medicine, does that cut down on the amount of lawsuits that you have to deal with? Do you have your own malpractice insurance?

In the UK most nurses belong to a union such as the Royal College of Nursing which offers indemnity insurance. If you work in a hospital most trusts accept vicarious liabilty for negligent acts or omissions of their employee, but there is very little in the way of sueing here in the UK health service. It usually makes the news if a health worker is sued!

And yes, I have a masters degree so in theory I could work as an NP over there, in practice, however I believe I would need experience in general nursing in the USA in order to take on that role. My MSc in nursing involved taking 3 core courses in advanced professional practice, research methods for health care professionals and using evidence in practice and a 40,000 word dissertation, although 30,000 words would have been acceptable. I just like to talk a lot lol.