Going from the USA to the UK

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I'd love some advice from any who are willing to give it;

I am a British citizen who came to live in the USA in 2000. I am an ADN, graduated in 2004. How hard is it to go from the USA to the UK? Reason I ask is that I am currently going through a divorce and am likely to return to the UK in 2011 when my daughter is eighteen. Would it be prudent to undertake my BSN while I am still in the US?

I understand right now that the NHS has undergone huge changes. I never was a nurse in the UK and so have absolutely no experience of the NHS other than being a patient giving birth 13 years ago.

Brits, Americans, anyone who have undergone this situation, please, I'd love some advice.

Also, anyone who has any good web pages, please post them. I am a bit tired of articles from the Daily Mail and Guardian who only seem to report on the fact that MRSA is a big problem is because nurses don't wash their hands.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

May be worth doing you BSN whilst still in the US as NMC may not accept your ADN, all to do with hours. Jobs may improve in 2011 but at the moment jobs are not plenty full although if you gain experience you probably will improve your chances. Would also suggest getting your citizenship before coming back in case you change your mind and want to return to the US

Some websites which may be useful

http://www.nmc-uk.org

http://www.nursingtimes.net

http://www.dh.gov.uk

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk

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Specializes in midwifery, gen surgical, community.

The British press has got a downer on nurses at the moment as everyone knows we:

1. Never wash our hands

2. Demand impossible demands such as having time to actually take a lunch break (we are such selfish people)

3. Do not clean the wards (excuse me, are we cleaners, or are we nurses).

Do we as nurses care what journalists write? I could do most journalists jobs tomorrow, could they do my job?

Are you still a British citizen? That would be the most important bit if you wanted a job in the UK. Also agree with getting your BSN in the USA for getting a nursing job in the UK.

Happy hunting.

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Specializes in Flight RN / ED RN.
Are you still a British citizen? That would be the most important bit if you wanted a job in the UK. Also agree with getting your BSN in the USA for getting a nursing job in the UK.

(S)he will always be a British Citizen, even if she becomes a US citizen.

I too would agree with going forward for the BSN, and US citizenship if poss. Always good to have a plan B.

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Specializes in med/surg.

You will definitely need your BSN as the ADN is not recognised by the NMC because the course is not long enough.

I have to be honest though nursing in many places in the UK is really tough and everything is your fault. Even though doctors come in off the street in their own clothes & go from room to room/pateint to patient without so much as a look at the hand gel etc it's our fault that the HAI rate is soooo high.

I'd stay put personally! :-)

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
You will definitely need your BSN as the ADN is not recognised by the NMC because the course is not long enough.

I have to be honest though nursing in many places in the UK is really tough and everything is your fault. Even though doctors come in off the street in their own clothes & go from room to room/pateint to patient without so much as a look at the hand gel etc it's our fault that the HAI rate is soooo high.

I'd stay put personally! :-)

sound slike nursing in the USA too :lol2:

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Specializes in med/surg.

Yup - it's ALWAYS the nurses fault. At least it sounds like that part of the job won't be a culture shock then:lol2:

What may be a shock to those coming to the UK is that the qualified nurse here can easily be in charge of 12-16 acute patients with maybe a couple of HCA's (CNA to some of you) to help.

Our DON has a husband in one of the UK's top hospitals - a "centre of excellence" but the care he has received has been at times dreadful. The reason for that is that RN has to look over 12 acute cardiac patients & simply cannot be even expected (though s/he is) to keep up with all the docs orders because s/he hasn't time to read all the notes! So what happens is that s/he relies on verbal communications - which, of course, don't always get passed on. The result being that the patient didn't get a much needed blood transfusion among other things!!! Of course it was the nurses fault - not the fact that there are not enough staff!

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Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

Awww Sorry to read you are going through a tough time.

Personally I would not make any decisions until you have time to sit down and really make objective ones.

How long before your child is 18yrs?

Maybe within this time your situation and thoughts on this may change.

What ever you decide I wish you well and I send heaps of strength to you in this little post. Hang in there :)

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Thank you all for answering.

I'll probably try to undertake the BSN anyway, and not to make any rash decisions.

I just get very homesick sometimes even though I go back to the UK once a year. Just can't see myself dying in the USA.

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