Are UK nurses underpaid and overworked?

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I see this all the time! Is this really true? I heard that 61% of nurses wouldn't recommend their career(in the UK).

Specializes in NICU.

I have never worked in the UK as a nurse (although I have a UK license). Everything I've read from here on AN and on various sites is that it's all true, unfortunately. The salaries are pitiful. Even a nurse practitioner that gets paid at a Band 8a is paid less than I did as a bedside nurse.

What you can't beat (in comparison to a job in the US) are the benefits of healthcare, vacation & sick time, maternity leave, and being able to take part in a pension scheme.

Specializes in NICU.

From the horse's mouth:

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/why-im-leaving-1072030.html

Specializes in ER.

I worked in the UK for 25 years before moving to the US.

The only advantage that I can see in the US is the pay, everything else is better in the UK.

I had 7 weeks vacation a year, and unlimited sick pay if I had needed it. Most of my training was paid for by my employer, including my BS.

I had a far more varied role than I do now, even though technically I do the same job here in the US.

Wound management is a nursing domain that the docs leave, so I was suturing and doing all sorts of wound care that just doesn't happen here, as we only have gauze.

Nurses having babies can get 1 year maternity leave, and their partners can get 3 months.

Requesting vacation time is much easier as seniority is not part of it, and managers go the extra mile to make sure everyone is happy.

Pension starts from the first day in the job, and if you move jobs within the NHS your pension goes with you.

And of course healthcare is free.

BabyNP & Skylark pretty much have it covered - in comparison with the US, UK take-home pay is far less, and is subject to a higher level of taxation.

(Depending which US state you live in, sometimes a far higher level. Moving from NJ to GA was about as big a drop in taxation as moving from Britain to America!)

In all other respects, UK employment benefits and terms of service are far more generous than in the US.

"Overworked" very much depends on your specialty. Front line Ward nurses on critical care units are always going to be under the cosh, wherever you are. I started my career in Accident & Emergency, in Central London. I loved it, but yes, it was crazy busy. However, I reckon that comes with the territory.

"Underpaid", probably - in comparison with other degree-level disciplines, and in regard to the take-home cash amount only.

If you wanted to put a dollar value on the benefits package - leave allowances, training courses and study leave, paid holiday time, maternity and sick leave, healthcare, pension - I think the UK might actually come out ahead of most US nursing contracts.

I should point out that this certainly holds true for employment with the National Health Service.

The UK private healthcare sector is largely subject to the same employment laws and staffing standards - where the private sector differs is in access to training.

Not that it's bad - any reputable British company will make arrangements for you to get your mandatory training at their expense. But the NHS is frankly peerless.

My CPD diary here is embarrassing, and none of it cost me a penny.

One thing to bear in mind is that the "Overworked, Underpaid" nurse is a stock cliche of the British tabloid media.

Fleet Street loves nothing better than an 'NHS in Crisis!' headline. Our press coverage is rarely impartial, and often downright sensationalist.

Another thing to consider is that as a profession, British nursing has always laboured under the impression that - if you want to pursue career development - you have to leave clinical care.

Traditionally, the career development pathways were teaching, or management.

This impression persists, but the situation is way better than it used to be. The development of Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-led services mean that better-paid positions are now available, without having to leave clinical care.

When I worked in the US, I was young, carefree and without attachments. (whatever happened to that guy? He was AWESOME.) The increased cash-in-pocket was a major incentive.

Now, with family, mortgage, and a career plan, I have no doubt that my current terms of employment and benefits package are way better than anything a comparable US position would entail.

I do miss a nice, hot Georgia summer, though...

Well, that most certainly has endeared me to the UK. Mom works at the hospital and has 2 days a month off, and it accumulative. So if she used none for a year, she would get maximum of five weeks of payed leave. Two weeks worth of payed sick leave, certainly not unlimited.

And they would pay for additional education, as well... In the US, I'm looking at 40+k to get a cheap BSN. They can go up to above 200K.

Yes, Britain is looking excellent at the moment.

Specializes in ER.
Well, that most certainly has endeared me to the UK. Mom works at the hospital and has 2 days a month off, and it accumulative. So if she used none for a year, she would get maximum of five weeks of payed leave. Two weeks worth of payed sick leave, certainly not unlimited.

And they would pay for additional education, as well... In the US, I'm looking at 40+k to get a cheap BSN. They can go up to above 200K.

Yes, Britain is looking excellent at the moment.

There seems to be some confusion between days off and vacation leave?

Nobody only gets 2 days a month off, unless they choose to work additional bank, because the 37.5 hour week is standard.

She probably accrues 2 days leave per month, which she can take when she chooses. Only time its a problem is when too many staff want to be off at the same time, (usually school vacations) and then its a case of negotiating with the team to find a solution.

I did my BSc for free and was paid to do it. My week consisted of 2 days supervised practice, 2 days in college and a home study day. I was paid the fulltime salary I had before starting the course, and kept all my pension and vacation rights as well.

British staff nurses earn between £21000 and £28000 per year, (which I believe is around 26000 to 34000 dollars) see NHS pay scales 2

And they would pay for additional education, as well... In the US, I'm looking at 40+k to get a cheap BSN. They can go up to above 200K.

Yes, Britain is looking excellent at the moment.

They've removed the bursary so students will have to take out loans of up to £50,000 to get paid £18,000 after tax, so I don't think the future looks excellent for the NHS

Well, that most certainly has endeared me to the UK. Mom works at the hospital and has 2 days a month off, and it accumulative. So if she used none for a year, she would get maximum of five weeks of payed leave. Two weeks worth of payed sick leave, certainly not unlimited.

And they would pay for additional education, as well... In the US, I'm looking at 40+k to get a cheap BSN. They can go up to above 200K.

Yes, Britain is looking excellent at the moment.

You're totally off your facts here. I'm currently getting an RN nursing degree for under 22k american dollars, the most i've heard for the high end is 65k for a 4 year BSN degree. It almost does not matter what your nursing diploma says as far as schools go, almost all hospitals are willing to hire nurses with a good GPA or a few years experience due to shortages. Benefits of working at a hospital are insanely great, and while not free, when you account for taxes the benefits are cheaper in america putting more money in american nurses pockets.

Also, many hospitals in the US have agreements to pay for schooling. The one I'm working at as a CNA has a tuition reimbursement program which pays back half of the tuition costs at the end of each semester. All you have to do is sign a 2 year contract to work for them after getting an RN.

As far as time off, my hospital has 1.5 shifts a month off. Our standard nursing contracts calls for 3 shifts of work a week (36 hours). Many nurses do 3 shifts sun-mon-tues then dont work again for a week until next week thurs-fri-sat. This allows for vacation without taking paid leave, then taking paid leave for almost a month at the end of a year (18 shifts= 4.5 weeks straight no work).

I got paid more as a waiter at an average restaurant in the US than UK nurses get paid. For the amount of hours, stress and how badly europeans look at nurses its not worth it in the UK. After 2 years (or 1 for some agencies) experience american nurses can travel and travel pay gets up to $55-$85 an hour.

Until nurses in the UK are appreciated more, they should wise up and jump across the pond where they will be better compensated and respected.

Specializes in ER.
You're totally off your facts here. I'm currently getting an RN nursing degree for under 22k american dollars, the most i've heard for the high end is 65k for a 4 year BSN degree.

Until nurses in the UK are appreciated more, they should wise up and jump across the pond where they will be better compensated and respected.

In the UK, we get PAID to do our nursing degrees.

Employers sponsor you and keep your job open at the same time.

I don't really appreciate being told that UK nurses should "wise up".

I worked 25 years in the UK and 6 in the US.

In the UK we have job security and job satisfaction, two components that I have yet to see in the US.

We have better vacation, sick leave, maternity leave and pensions and one heck of a lot more rights that US nurses.

We can move jobs and keep our pension.

We can move around the country without having to keep getting different licenses, and still be within the NHS.

Yes I earn more in the US, but I do not see more respect. I am more of a waitress in the US than I was in the UK, even though my job title is the same.

I'm in a union job so I have relative security, but most nurses do not have that peace of mind. I can think of quite a few friends who have been fired purely because their manager had a friend who needed a job. They were let go, having done nothing wrong, and with no warning.

That would never happen in the UK, as there is a whole process of disciplinary action to work through before anyone gets fired, and of course you have to be doing something wrong in the first place!

So the US nurse earns more, but at what price?

In the UK, we get PAID to do our nursing degrees.

Employers sponsor you and keep your job open at the same time.

I don't really appreciate being told that UK nurses should "wise up".

Yes I earn more in the US, but I do not see more respect. I am more of a waitress in the US than I was in the UK, even though my job title is the same.

I'm in a union job so I have relative security, but most nurses do not have that peace of mind. I can think of quite a few friends who have been fired purely because their manager had a friend who needed a job. They were let go, having done nothing wrong, and with no warning.

That would never happen in the UK, as there is a whole process of disciplinary action to work through before anyone gets fired, and of course you have to be doing something wrong in the first place!

So the US nurse earns more, but at what price?

We get reimbursed and positions held open for us while we school also. I don't know what kind of hospital you work at, but you should leave. A vast majority of hospitals are short nurses and would instantly pick you up. Hostile work environments can happen at any job.

Sounds like your manager is bad. Firing nurses costs money and orienting new ones to replace them is a huge budget discrepancy, perhaps an email to the accountants and CFO of your hospital would shed some light on this issue. They let go a few nurse managers because of this last year and things are always getting better. Best part about the us, you can go job shopping and not everywhere is the underpaying NHS

Nurses in the us have the best job security and mobility so your fears are unfounded.

You could work for the federal VA hospital and get a pension, but me I'd rather stick to a 401(k). Many hospitals offer a matching plan where at retirement they match dollar for dollar what you contributed while you were at that employer.

Details aside, a job is a job and they all have their stressors. But the stress in the US is way less with tens of thousands of dollars in higher pay than the UK.

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