Leaving the UK for greener pastures

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I am interested in learning why UK nurses are seeking employment overseas--it can be anywhere, although I am especially interested in those coming to the US. It is for an article I am writing, and I do not need to use your names. But I would like to hear your reasons for seeking employment outside of the UK, and if you have already left the UK--if your new overseas job has proven satisfactory/been a disaster/you can't wait to leave/are very happy, etc.

Thanks!

Roxanne

New enviroment has always been a big bonus for me.another reason is the COST of living for me personally .i currently live in London. south west london.one bedroom flat here is normally around £200-250,000 .renting monthly can set you back around £2000.and as you know we british nurses make very little money .train drivers make more than a senior staff nurse.Don't get me wrong i absolutely love London.it is my home ,but far too expensive.this is why i am making this very tedious relocation to California.

Regards

caramel

Specializes in Stroke Rehab, Elderly, Rehab. Ortho.

I am going to Florida (hoping to be there by the end of the year). My family & I love the way of life there (we have been going there 3-4 times a year for 11 yrs now). Obviously we love the weather too! I can earn more money in Florida as an RN than I can being a Nurse Manager in a nursing Home, do less hours and still come out with more money. For me there is less patient ratio - at present it it 25:1 for me where I work - no exceptions. I could go back to the NHS, but I would not be able to get an equivalent position so easily (not that that bothers me too much), so I would have to go back to the NHS as a E grade, possibly as a D grade (doesnt bother me in the slightest:) ) But the drop in pay would! AND THAT DOES BOTHER ME;)

Nurses pay here is rubbish and I dont think it will get that much better in the near future. I know Florida doesnt pay as high as some states but it is way better than what I get now!

So relocation to Florida as far as I can see it has a lot going for it - weather, lifestyle, location.

Originally posted by gyul

New enviroment has always been a big bonus for me.another reason is the COST of living for me personally .i currently live in London. south west london.one bedroom flat here is normally around £200-250,000 .renting monthly can set you back around £2000.and as you know we british nurses make very little money .train drivers make more than a senior staff nurse.Don't get me wrong i absolutely love London.it is my home ,but far too expensive.this is why i am making this very tedious relocation to California.

Regards

caramel

Thank you for writing. But you know, California can be quite expensive as well--especially the San Francisco Bay Area. Where in California are you going?

Originally posted by SueIP

I am going to Florida (hoping to be there by the end of the year). My family & I love the way of life there (we have been going there 3-4 times a year for 11 yrs now). Obviously we love the weather too! I can earn more money in Florida as an RN than I can being a Nurse Manager in a nursing Home, do less hours and still come out with more money. For me there is less patient ratio - at present it it 25:1 for me where I work - no exceptions. I could go back to the NHS, but I would not be able to get an equivalent position so easily (not that that bothers me too much), so I would have to go back to the NHS as a E grade, possibly as a D grade (doesnt bother me in the slightest:) ) But the drop in pay would! AND THAT DOES BOTHER ME;)

Nurses pay here is rubbish and I dont think it will get that much better in the near future. I know Florida doesnt pay as high as some states but it is way better than what I get now!

So relocation to Florida as far as I can see it has a lot going for it - weather, lifestyle, location.

Hi SueIP,

Can you explain your system a little bit...I'm not sure what E and D grade as compared to what you are earning now. Are you working outside the NHS in a private facility? Also, with that large nurse/patient ratio, I am assuming that you are working in long term care rather than a hospital?

Thanks,

Roxanne

Specializes in Stroke Rehab, Elderly, Rehab. Ortho.
Originally posted by roxannekkb

Hi SueIP,

Can you explain your system a little bit...I'm not sure what E and D grade as compared to what you are earning now. Are you working outside the NHS in a private facility? Also, with that large nurse/patient ratio, I am assuming that you are working in long term care rather than a hospital?

Thanks,

Roxanne

Hi Roxanne, go to this thread to see about the grading system in the UK.

https://allnurses.com/t53279.html

I am a Manager of a Nursing Home, thats why there is a large nurse/patient ratio:o and because I have been out of the NHS for 10 yrs all I could hope to get is a D grade which pays a lot less than what I am earning now, I would possibly get an E grade if the Nurse Manager felt generous - but I would still be earning less. the job offer I have had in Florida is willing to pay me equivalent to £2.50 an hour more than what I get now without the enhancements added in...:D

I am going to work in UCLA.i know it is expensive. but i can not see it being more expensive than london. my contract is 2yrs ,so maybe after 2yrs i might venture out to a different state.

Thanks caramel

Originally posted by caramel

I am going to work in UCLA.i know it is expensive. but i can not see it being more expensive than london. my contract is 2yrs ,so maybe after 2yrs i might venture out to a different state.

Thanks caramel

Well LA is less expensive than San francisco, so that is a plus. And it probably is cheaper to live than London. But you will need a car, as there is no public transportation to speak of. If you want to get out and do stuff, having a car is the only way in LA.

I actually worked at UCLA, but it was a while ago. What unit will you be working on?

i will be working in the pediatric unit.i am not sure what to expect,is it really a rough place to live in .i am currently learning how to drive, cos i live in inner london, public transport is great.i guess i don't mind getting a car once i relocate what did u make of ucla, when were u there.they r doing huge recruitment here in london,which makes me wonder why are there not able to retain their staffs. worrying

regards

caramel

Originally posted by caramel

i will be working in the pediatric unit.i am not sure what to expect,is it really a rough place to live in .i am currently learning how to drive, cos i live in inner london, public transport is great.i guess i don't mind getting a car once i relocate what did u make of ucla, when were u there.they r doing huge recruitment here in london,which makes me wonder why are there not able to retain their staffs. worrying

regards

caramel

UCLA is located in a really nice area, Westwood. It is next door to Beverly Hills, Brentwood--two very expensive and fancy neighborhoods, and not very far from the beach. The area is quite expensive, though, but maybe not more so than London.

I worked there per diem quite a while ago, in 1988, so the pay would be very different. I have no idea what it was. I worked in many of the hospitals in LA, both through the registry and per diem. The absolute worst was Cedar's Sinai. UCLA was very busy and hectic, and I worked NICU and sometimes PICU. The NICU was fine, but the PICU was awful Mostly because of the staff and also the workload was too much. I left UCLA after only a few months. I would have stayed if I could just do NICU, but no, they wanted us to float.

I don't know what working conditions are like now, but they weren't the best when I was there. It may have improved, I don't know. Sorry, I don't know anyone there anymore.

Heavy recruitment in the UK doesn't mean its a bad place--California passed a law with mandatory nurse/patient ratios, so hospitals have to hire more staff to comply, or else shut beds. So I imagine that may be one reason why UCLA is being so agressive. California is our most populous state, and is also suffering badly from a nursing shortage, so again, this all factors into why they are recruiting.

Hope this helps. You can check with the California Nurses Association to see if they can give you more info about UCLA

http://www.calnurse.org/oldmainindex.html

The California nurses association represents nurses in many hospitals, but I don't know if UCLA is unionized or not. Anyway, check out the CNA and see if they can at least tell you if there are labor problems at UCLA, or if they're unionized, or whatever.

I work in Cali right now, I just hate to see nurses getting locked in to two year contracts to come over here. It just seems like too long to obligated when one is not sure what the working conditions are.

Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

I work in Paris and leaving the UK was the best thing I ever did.

If you're an RGN and an EU passport holder it's easy to get your French equivalent IDE (Infirmier Diplômé d'Etat). You register in person in your locality by taking along a French translation of your UK certificates, stamped by an official translator, with the originals. Your French has to be up to scratch, and as you register in person there's no blagging that one. I know a Danish nurse who was refused because she didn't speak French well enough, which is only reasonable.

Nursing in French public hospitals is variable; they think they have a crisis here but it's still paradise compared to the NHS. I've done the rounds as an Intérimaire (agency nurse) and my experiences have generally been positive. Private clinics tend to be dire, as unlike in the UK they really skimp on staff to try to maximise their profit.

Nurses here can set up as independent practitioners (Infirmier Libéral). The system here is that if you need anything like an injection or a dressing, you go to one these nurses offices to get it done. They also give homecare very much like a British district nurse.

In Paris there are opportunities for bi-lingual nurses in large International organisations and companies. For example I'm an Occy Health nurse in a large NGO, and bi-lingual posts always pay better.

French wages are low, and taxes are high, yet the quality of life here is 1000% better than in the UK. Don't come here to get rich, but if you want to find sanity, a cultured way of life, good food and wine and the best lovers in the world, this is the place.

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