Are nurses being imported to the UK?

World UK

Published

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10376026/Number-of-foreign-nurses-coming-to-UK-doubled-in-three-years-as-NHS-poaches-workers-from-abroad.htmI

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Are Nurses being imported to the UK?

I do not know if the Telegraph is a reliable newspaper. I find this concerning, the reason being, from what I have read Nurses in the UK are not paid a reasonable wage. If nurses are leaving it probably is that that they can find other positions that pay a living wage.

If the UK is importing nurses from countries other than the UK it is because their wages are lower than the UK which is eroding the UK Nurses power to negotiate higher wages. With Healthcare changing in the US I can see that this could be a way to nursing wages.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

RN's start at band 5 so this will give you an idea on annual pay for nurses and up to employer to decide at what level in band 5 you join and that is after you get your NMC number Pay rates 2014-15 - RCN

Specializes in ER.

24000GBP is probably about right for a new Band 5, more if in London and/or in a specialty. I earn around 31000GBP (pro rata) as an ER bank nurse in London.

American nurses might see that as a pay cut, but you have to put it in context.

Depending on your immigration status, you might get free health care, which is a large saving when we pay so much now for health insurance in the US.

Minimum seven weeks vacation as well.

Paid vacation and sick leave, if you are not on a temporary contract.

A lot of training is free or subsidised.

So although the salary sounds less, the savings balance out.

Yes, the perception of nurses tends to be different, we generally do not get respect as RNs in the same ways as nurses in the US expect it .

We work as a team player alongside our CNAs/HCAs, which means changing wet and poopy beds with them, and taking patients to the bathroom if needed.

We work more closely with patients, and by doing so can provide more appropriate care. If we help feed a patient, for example, we can assess their intake ourselves, instead of asking CNAs to do it. We wash them, so we can assess pressure areas and continence issues.

Personally I find it a lot more rewarding than working in the US, when all I seem to do is pass meds and received orders.

I would rather have a job that is rewarding that one that earns me 'respect'.

Specializes in Critical Care/NICU.

You will find that if you are new to the NHS most trust outside of London will start you in the first starting point of band 5 and this will increase with performance review on a yearly basis. On top of the basic pay we do get unsocial hours payments as well depending on the shifts you work.

Specializes in Transplants, MICU.

Actually, that work sounds very similar to my responsibilities. It depends on the unit to determine how involved you can be with ADLs. When I had 5-6 patients on a regular nursing floor I relied on my techs to assist patients to commodes. Now that I work in an ICU with 2 patients, I just use them as a second set of hands while doing all care.

Thanks for the background on other costs, it does seem more reasonable with health insurance costs taken into consideration. That's really a shame that nurses are not respected more. But with TV reality shows (Scrubbed In) and other media it's hard to change the public's perceptions.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I haven't worked in a hospital in the UK where I wasn't respected by the medical staff, management well that is a different matter. I also worked acute medical for several years and staff ratio was 1 and 1 EN or just 2 RN plus 3 care workers for 28 patients. Work was hard and even harder if you had a urgent event

Specializes in Critical Care/NICU.

I currently work in an intensive care area within the NHS and besides he odd few doctors nurses are very much respected within our roles. After all the doctors would not be able to provide a lot of the treatments if it wasn't for nurses. The doctors where are work are very respectful of workloads and will often help out he nurses with drugs and obs of needed.

I can say I have worked in three different trust and never not been respected by the team you work with.

As silver dragon said management are a different matter but that the same in any job you could work in.

Specializes in ER.

Respect from coworkers is very different from respect from patients!

I guess I was not clear in my earlier post, I was thinking more about the patients and their families.

Yes, I get respect from colleagues, but as an ER nurse in London I rarely get respect from patients, they prefer to rant about the wait, cuss and spit at me.

I know that ERs everywhere have problems with rude patients, but i do find it aggravating when UK patients get all healthcare free and good healthcare at that, and STILL find reasons to complain, while throwing a full urinal at me and demanding an interpreter at 3am!

And I find the relationship between RNs and CNAs to be different too. When I first worked in the US, one CNA cried, she said she had never had an RN help her before or talk kindly to her, because they are all aloof. I've heard that several times since, and when I work with new CNAs, they are always a bit stunned that I talk to them and ask them how they are and how their kids are doing.

I still see the 'them and us' barrier between RNs and CNAs in the US, but not in the UK..

Any one have thoughts on that?

Specializes in Critical Care/NICU.

I have got to say without our support workers it would be a hard job. Our support workers are very much involved in our team and very respected after all without them we wouldn't get full care for the patient. I know what you mean regarding families, we get this on our unit where they are rude and abusive to staff. Although the nhs apparently have a no abuse towards staff management are very reluctant to go down the route to get them removed from the unit.

Specializes in ER.

I worked in the 'Zero Tolerance' NHS for many years and never saw any evidence of it: )

Specializes in Critical Care/NICU.
I worked in the 'Zero Tolerance' NHS for many years and never saw any evidence of it: )
Yeah I am yet to see zero tolerance ;-}
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I guess I must have been lucky as I have seen evidence abet it only the once but a family member was escorted of the premises due to unrespectfully behaviour to nursing staff, saying that I also at that time had a great nurse manager who stood up for her staff.

Otherwise when coming to family I usually ended up walking away telling them I wouldn't stay to be spoken to in that manner, yes it was hard but just not worth it.

Also just to add here in Canada I have seen disrespect to the staff but for most,y experience has been good.

Specializes in Transplants, MICU.

That's good to hear! Thanks!

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