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

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michaRN, RN

420 Posts

Hi was reading this post and i find it quite interesting...I am RGN here in UK been here for almost 2years before I came i was in Singapore..anyway, In my opinion there are differences really with UK nursing and US nursing based on my friends stories..Money wise US paid nurses well..

Jdasas

3 Posts

This is so weird that I am reading all of your comments. I am from the U.S. and am attending graduate nursing school at the University of Toledo. My group's cultural project is about this very subject. I found a journal article on this subject by some RNs from Northern Ireland-University of Ulster, Royal College of Nursing Institute, Oxford, UK, Univ. of Manchester, and the London School of Hygiene. The title is Quality of Care-A comparison of Perceptions of Health Professionals in Clinical Areas in the United Kingdom and the United States. Journal of Nursing Care Quality. Vol.21, No.4, pp. 344-351. 2006

Several items found differently from the UK end of nursing is that there is an appropriate skill mix on the ward. Another important item is that there is evidence of adequate resources, equipment, and services on the ward. These two items did not show up on the US scale (how they measured their study).

The items from the US end of nursing that did not have a UK equivalent relate to general attitude of staff toward patients and relatives in terms of courtesy, collaboration with multidisciplinary staff, accessibility of staff, and the attentiveness of staff to relieving patient discomfort. The items related to appearance, attitude, and approach of staff was considered important to U.S. correspondents and not UK because US healthcare is predominately through private healthcare insurance whereas UK healthcare is paid through taxation. The exact wording was "This may indicate an enduring paternalism with respect to the NHS. It also may indicate an assumption by staff that patients do not or should not have high expectations of the service b/c they do not pay for it at the point of delivery, ergo, they should be thankful for what they get-regardless of quality of care."

Seems kind of harsh to me coming from UK Nurse researchers, but a very interesting article. There is so much more to the article. I just picked out the things that I thought were interesting.

So, UK doesn't have LPNs. Do you have nurse aides? Are U.S. RNs called CNAs in UK?

allnurses Guide

XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN

1 Article; 3,017 Posts

Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

So, UK doesn't have LPNs. Do you have nurse aides? Are U.S. RNs called CNAs in UK?

We have health care support workers or nursing assistants, and we don't have CNAs in the UK. A US RN would have to go through the Nursing and Midwifery council registration process and would then be an RN. THis is not an easy process and will be even more difficult now due to job situation in the UK

english_nurse

1,146 Posts

Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.
We have health care support workers or nursing assistants, and we don't have CNAs in the UK. A US RN would have to go through the Nursing and Midwifery council registration process and would then be an RN. THis is not an easy process and will be even more difficult now due to job situation in the UK

yes, no jobs here generally infact my hospital has just banned overtime and bank staff

so in effect the patients will have to look after themselves :chuckle

dino-nurseUK

2 Posts

Hello :specs:

This is the first time I've posted on this messageboard, although I've been reading comments for a while now. I trained in the UK during the 1980s when the system was very different- much more like an apprenticeship. Students were salaried (although very poorly paid) and learnt most of their skills on the wards rather than in college, over 3 years (RN) or 2 years (EN, like the LPNs). We spent around 8 weeks a year actually in college, had 8 weeks paid leave and the rest was on the wards. Most of our studying had to be fitted around our job. Most assignments would be tailored to the area you were working in, so for instance you might have to do an assignment about caring for a patient with cardiac problems whilst working on a medical ward. Hands on care was seen as the "gold standard". Although we worked in teams, the actual staff to patient ratios were quite high due to the different skill mixes. Third year students were able to do nearly everything a qualified nurse could do, bar giving out controlled drugs, IV meds and a few more specialist things. Typical shift would have 2 students, 2 ENs, 2 RNs and a few support workers (HCAs). If no sister/charge nurse was on then one of the RNs would be in charge for the shift. Wards typically had around 32 patients.

Having worked in the US as well as the UK, I feel that both systems have their own merits. As I worked mainly in ICU and A&E (ER) I noticed less differences between the two. Yes, in the US I had more "protocols" to follow but as was previoulsy posted, that is mainly to do with the legal situation. In the UK I had more autonomy most of the time as I became more senior. I originally went to the US with a group of friends in the 1990s and stayed for 5 years. I worked in a variety of hospitals, including County hospitals (think this is what they are still called? Patients can get certain care for free if they have no/basic insurance). I also used to volunteer at a free clinic. Although I enjoyed living in the US, I came back to the Uk because I was finding the insurance-orientated care in the US more and more difficult to cope with. More and more of the patients I saw in the ER were being denied treatment becuase they couldn't afford the meds etc for a variety of reasons. Now I am back in the UK working for the NHS. I am appalled at the state the NHS has been allowed to get into. Staff ratios on the ward are a joke most of the time. The lack of enrolled nurses (similar but not exactly same as LPNs) has had a big impact. Now the good ship NHS seems to be trying to turn support workers into ENs. Joy. Less experience, no accountability....they also seem to be trying to replace junior doctors with RNs. Much as I would love to have the time to give patients basic care, I find myself being buried under more paperwork than I ever thought possible. Think its time to leave the trauma ward and return to ICU.

At least in the UK I can get a decent cup of tea, if nothing else :smilecoffeecup:

blue_red23

5 Posts

Specializes in critical care.

As an ICU nurse here in the UK for 5 years, I guess we are more independent in terms of patient wholistic care. We do everything from ventilators to CVVH.We are very important part of multidisciplinary team.We need to act/think quickly to every changes the patients manifest.We get more annual leaves here.

telc

23 Posts

hi to everyone! just a bit curious..betweeen US and UK, which has a better compensation to nurses..(i mean financially)..ive been asking this to my friends but they dont have any idea how much euro is paid to an entry-level nurse in UK..i know that an entry level nurse in US is paid about 30 to 4o dollars depending on his experience etc.. and a friend told me that in UK, there's a high standard of living..thats why most nurses want to go to US..

i hope UK nurses out there can clear up my querries... thank you for any reply you can impart..:smilecoffeecup:

oreo75

70 Posts

Starting pay for nurses in the UK is £19,166 which is staring band 5 money for a registered nurse, before you get your registeration you get paid at band 3 which is £14,037.

Hope this helps.

telc

23 Posts

hi oreo..are you a filipino? £19,166?? how much will that be in peso? 1£=?

i think thats way too high compared to US nurse's salary..i didnt understand the band 5 and band 3 that you were telling me..

how about the lifestyle in UK?they said its haigh standard..is this true?

blue_red23

5 Posts

Specializes in critical care.

standard of living in the UK is high compared to US.However, quality of life in the UK is better compared to US. Less stressful, more annual leaves(it means for time for yourself and family if u got kids).

Silverdragon102, BSN

1 Article; 39,477 Posts

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Banding is how the UK health sector is paided. Pay is dependant on job and experience. Here is a link which shows pay scales RCN: Agenda for Change - Pay and Conditions - Pay 2006 I know I am on band 6 and ear approx £21,000 a year but when I move to the US I will be paid double. You do get more holidays in the UK than the US but standards of lining varies greatly depending where you live ie big cities (London) the cost is higher than living somewhere a lot smaller and quieter

RGN1

1,700 Posts

Specializes in med/surg.
hi oreo..are you a filipino? £19,166?? how much will that be in peso? 1£=?

i think thats way too high compared to US nurse's salary..i didnt understand the band 5 and band 3 that you were telling me..

how about the lifestyle in UK?they said its haigh standard..is this true?

You have your currency conversions wrong here - it is way too low compared to US nurses!

Lifestyle is expensive - especially here in the capital. Taxes are really high & there's all sorts of "hidden" taxes too. Add to that TV license fee, parking charges, congestion charges, petrol (gas) prices & you're in for a huge dent to your already poor wage packet!

UK nurses are officially the lowest paid of all public sector workers & it's a disgrace! Especially considering the stress of the job, the responsibilities we have & the training we undergo.

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