Canadian nurse thinking UK

Hello!

I'm a Canadian RN who wants to get a different experience. I recently posted a question regarding what it is like to work as a nurse in France (pay, scope of practice, and what not), and now I'm thinking a bit broader.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me where I can get more information about Canadian nurses working in the UK. Google hasn't been very helpful...

I'm looking specifically for information regarding how to transfer my credentials, what the working conditions are like (patient load, shift rotations, vacation time), what the scope of practice is (I've heard rumors that it is limited in some places), what the pay and benefits are like, and what cities/countries are neat to work in.

Is there a professional association website where I can go for further information? Are there any popular & reputable recruitment agencies? What about travel nursing?

Any thoughts, suggestions, or information will be VERY appreciated!!

Thank you so much!

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

If you are not a uk/eu national it is highly unlikely that your will get a work permit in the UK.

[alianeco]

Why is that? In North America we have a nursing shortage, so many nurses are recruited from all around the world. Is this not the case in the UK?

[Fiona59]

I think it has to do with employing your own before recruiting from further afield.

The UK has budget problems as well. A while back there were a few threads here about newly graduated nurses being unable to find work due to financial cutbacks in the health service.

Our nursing shortage in Canada is almost government created. In the 1990s there were massive layoffs in some provinces and the staff went abroad. Training places were cut back. Hospital based training programmes were eliminated in the quest for an all degree based profession. Since I graduated at the turn of the century (love being able to use that phrase) roughly 20% of my class has left nursing due to workloads and verbal and emotional abuse from patients and their families. Will also need to meet NMC requirements and do a 20 days program and this will not guarantee work. http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=1685

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

If not from within the EU unless your experience is on the shortage occupation list then very hard to find a employer willing to assist with a work permit. EU require that country employs own citizen first then EU before the rest of the world. If you look at jobs most will say they will not assist with work permit. We have many threads discussing these issues.

[alianeco]

Thank you all! That is great information to know. Perhaps I'll look into some other destinations instead :)

Thank you especially Fiona! The things I didn't even know about my own country's nursing issues...

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

the uk goverment pays about £48,000 to train a person to be a RN who then couldn't get jobs. there was a outcry about international nurses taking jobs.

however i know NZ nurse who has a job as she has an English husband and is a perioperative (about to be a child) nurse which are in demand

[Fiona59]

the uk goverment pays about £48,000 to train a person to be a RN who then couldn't get jobs. there was a outcry about international nurses taking jobs.

however i know NZ nurse who has a job as she has an English husband and is a perioperative (about to be a child) nurse which are in demand

Over here a perioperative nurse is a nurse who works in the operating room. A nurse specializing in children is a pediatrics nurse.

[newnurse10]

Hi

Why not try ireland,its a wonderful place to work in but remember the registration must be done first.good luck

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Hi

Why not try ireland,its a wonderful place to work in but remember the registration must be done first.good luck

Ireland is still within the EU and at the moment most countries from within the EU will look to Europe for thier nurses.

Here are a few links that may be useful

Irish Immigration Service

An Bord Altranais

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

Over here a perioperative nurse is a nurse who works in the operating room. A nurse specializing in children is a pediatrics nurse.

yes she is nz RN with a background in perioperative nursing being trained for childrens periopartive( seconded by her trust to rn child branch training)

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

the uk goverment pays about £48,000 to train a person to be a RN who then couldn't get jobs. there was a outcry about international nurses taking jobs.

however i know NZ nurse who has a job as she has an English husband and is a perioperative (about to be a child) nurse which are in demand

if her husband is a british citizen she may well have a right to work becasue of that rather than work permit ... perioperative nurses are /were on the shortage list ... also if you have a work permit already you can continue to work for thesametrust basically for ever