Looking for a friend in the UK

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2005

Hi,

I am a lot older than you but i have a lot of younger nurses and students working with me and I will pass on you name and this webb site i am sure they would love to help you out and it would be good for you to compare working environments, guidelines and knowledge.

Of course if there is any advice I can help you with just ask.

Kay the other 1 (there are 2 of us on here)

lsunurse · Feb 13, 2005

Hi,
I'm a female nursing student in America and I want to work in London when I graduate. I want some life experience and an adventure. I'm single and have no children, so I have nothing keeping me in New Orleans. I am a bit nervous about moving because I know absolutely no one in England. I am looking for someone to chat with about England, nursing and anything else. Here is some information about myself: I'm 22 years old, I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I want to work in pediatrics when I graduate (May 2006).
Thanks to anyone who responds, I really appreciate it.

Hi Kay,

Thank you so much for your help. I would love to chat with anyone.

Jen.

expatnurse · Mar 27, 2005

Hi,
I'm a female nursing student in America and I want to work in London when I graduate. I want some life experience and an adventure. I'm single and have no children, so I have nothing keeping me in New Orleans. I am a bit nervous about moving because I know absolutely no one in England. I am looking for someone to chat with about England, nursing and anything else. Here is some information about myself: I'm 22 years old, I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I want to work in pediatrics when I graduate (May 2006).
Thanks to anyone who responds, I really appreciate it.

Hi, I am an American living in London. I am a thrid year student nurse in England. I hope you enjoy England as much as I do. It is very different nursing here than in the states I believe. If you have any questions that I can answer let me know. I have lived in England since 1997. I will be getting citizenship later in the year. Look forward to hearing from you. I am 29 years old and also have no children. What hopsital do you want to work at? The big Children's hopsital is Great Ormand Street. I am from south carolina. expatnurse

lsunurse · Mar 28, 2005

Hi, I am an American living in London. I am a thrid year student nurse in England. I hope you enjoy England as much as I do. It is very different nursing here than in the states I believe. If you have any questions that I can answer let me know. I have lived in England since 1997. I will be getting citizenship later in the year. Look forward to hearing from you. I am 29 years old and also have no children. What hopsital do you want to work at? The big Children's hopsital is Great Ormand Street. I am from south carolina. expatnurse

Hi,

Thank you so much for replying I really appreciate it. I will graduate next may and I will need to work in the states for a few years before I can be cleared to work in London by the NMC. I have a bunch of questions I would like to ask you so please bear with me.

1) What is the cost of living in London ( I know it's expensive)?

2) How is nursing different in the UK different from the states?

3) What area of nursing do you work in?

4) What is the average nurse patient ratio?

5) What made you want to move to London?

6) Did you find it difficult to adust to a new city and culture?

7) Are the nurses and other staff accepting of American nurses?

Thanks,

Jen.

P.S. I didn't catch your name

expatnurse · Mar 29, 2005

Hi,
Thank you so much for replying I really appreciate it. I will graduate next may and I will need to work in the states for a few years before I can be cleared to work in London by the NMC. I have a bunch of questions I would like to ask you so please bear with me.
1) What is the cost of living in London ( I know it's expensive)?
2) How is nursing different in the UK different from the states?
3) What area of nursing do you work in?
4) What is the average nurse patient ratio?
5) What made you want to move to London?
6) Did you find it difficult to adust to a new city and culture?
7) Are the nurses and other staff accepting of American nurses?
Thanks,
Jen.
P.S. I didn't catch your name

Jen,

My name is alexis,

The cost of living is VERY high, aboout £700/$1300 per month for a one bedroom apartment and £5/$9.50 for a sandwich and coffee. Even a bedsit where you get say one bedroom of a three bedroom apartment and share the living room bathroom etc. is going to run ~£400/$720 per month. Most trusts have staff accommadation that is a little lower than surrounding area but not by much. Average salary starting out is ~£20,000/year with a bring home of ~£1500/month.

The UK training is very different than at home. First of all everyone is your patient. Also, alomost all training over here is on the job. Out of 3 years training , 20 months have been on the wards. At the moment since it is my last placement I have to manage the entire ward!! For example tonight I was in charge the ward with 28 clients total. Each nurse takes half of the ward for a patient ratio of 14:1 for this ward. Be ready to scrub tiolets, mop floors, or make beds as necessary. It is much more hands on than in the US. Nurses over here are not 'mini doctors'. You can not order investigative tests such as blood work, x-rays, etc. until the doctor says so. In certain areas there is more autonomy, for example if you are a midwife, community nurse (district nurse) , or practice nurse.

I came to london to go to school. My husbands job is what brought us here.

I think that as long as you have an open mind and remember that you are a guest in their country and do not expect everything to be the way it is at home you will get on just fine. I think that the nurses over here are very accepting of USA nurses.

Now I need to ask you a few questions! I will eventually have to come home to care for my family. I am very worried about taking the NCLEX. Do you have any tips? Any help you could give me to help me get up to speed in tthe USA would be helpful, for example what is the patient/nurse ratio on an average US ward? and what is nurse training in US like? :)

Queen2u · Mar 30, 2005

Hi, I am an American living in London. I am a thrid year student nurse in England. I hope you enjoy England as much as I do. It is very different nursing here than in the states I believe. If you have any questions that I can answer let me know. I have lived in England since 1997. I will be getting citizenship later in the year. Look forward to hearing from you. I am 29 years old and also have no children. What hopsital do you want to work at? The big Children's hopsital is Great Ormand Street. I am from south carolina. expatnurse

Hi. I am also an American citizen. I just earned my bachelos in science in nursing and plan to earn my graduate degree in midwifery somewhere in the UK. Can you offer some advice? If so, please reply! Thanks!

expatnurse · Mar 31, 2005

Hi. I am also an American citizen. I just earned my
bachelos in science in nursing and plan to earn my graduate degree in midwifery somewhere in the UK. Can you offer some advice? If so, please reply! Thanks!

Hi, its nice to meet you. Please tell me about your training. First question are you currently living in the USA or UK? As this will depend on the advice given. Look forward to hearing from you. Was the NCLEX as awful as the trauma stories rumored? :)

lsunurse · Apr 1, 2005

Hi Alexis,

I haven't taken the NCLEX yet, but I do hear it is pretty rough. I recommend buying an NCLEX review book. I have Lippincott's NCLEX review book and it has questions in all areas of nursing and provides rationales for both the right and wrong answers. I also saw a website that offered a review course for foreign trained nurses who were going to take the NCLEX. I have to search around for it and get back to you, but I'm pretty sure they taught a course in England. Also if you are coming to the states before you take the NCLEX I highly recomend taking a review course called the Hurst Review. A former nurse teaches the review and everyone I know who has taken her review passed the NCLEX the first time. I don't know if she teaches the couse nation wide or just in the south. It cost $350 and you are allowed to take the couse twice before you take the NCLEX and if you don't pass the first time she will refund your money or tutor you, but like i said I don't know anyone who took this review that hasn't passed

As for nurse patient ratios all the hospitals I have done clinicals at have pretty good ratios on average 5:1 or 6:1 for the nurses who work the day shift. the nurses that work the night shift have more patients but they also get paid more, about $4-8 more an hour depending on the hospital.

I hope school isn't stessing you out too much. Write back if you want to know anything else or just to chat.

Have a great day.

Jen

Queen2u · Apr 1, 2005

Hello. Thanks for replying. I have just earned my BSN from a school in southern California. The NCLEX was dreadful, and unfortunately I did not pass when I took it the first time! I plan on passing next time! How about you?

expatnurse · Apr 1, 2005

Hi Alexis,
I haven't taken the NCLEX yet, but I do hear it is pretty rough. I recommend buying an NCLEX review book. I have Lippincott's NCLEX review book and it has questions in all areas of nursing and provides rationales for both the right and wrong answers. I also saw a website that offered a review course for foreign trained nurses who were going to take the NCLEX. I have to search around for it and get back to you, but I'm pretty sure they taught a course in England. Also if you are coming to the states before you take the NCLEX I highly recomend taking a review course called the Hurst Review. A former nurse teaches the review and everyone I know who has taken her review passed the NCLEX the first time. I don't know if she teaches the couse nation wide or just in the south. It cost $350 and you are allowed to take the couse twice before you take the NCLEX and if you don't pass the first time she will refund your money or tutor you, but like i said I don't know anyone who took this review that hasn't passed
As for nurse patient ratios all the hospitals I have done clinicals at have pretty good ratios on average 5:1 or 6:1 for the nurses who work the day shift. the nurses that work the night shift have more patients but they also get paid more, about $4-8 more an hour depending on the hospital.
I hope school isn't stessing you out too much. Write back if you want to know anything else or just to chat.
Have a great day.
Jen

Hi Jen,

Thanks for the information. At the moment I am in a pretty low mood because yesterday I had the worst day at placement in my whole 3 years. The good news is no one died but some of my so called mentors are real witches!! One of my main worries is that I will not be up to the USA standard in theory knowledge. For example we are not taught to ausuclate the lungs/heart/ bowel sounds. How is this taught to you all in the USA system? Despite UK training being very hands on most of the theory is self directed study and there are no quizes etc. to let you know if you have understood the information correctly. Furthermore how were you taught pharmology and how did you learn to write care plans? Did they give a hx. of a patient and then have you all go away to write about it? I will travel where ever in the south to take a review class. Do you know what part?

Hope you are having a great day. On an off note I really miss sweat tea. Alexis :rolleyes:

expatnurse · Apr 1, 2005

Hello. Thanks for replying. I have just earned my BSN from a school in southern California. The NCLEX was dreadful, and unfortunately I did not pass when I took it the first time! I plan on passing next time! How about you?

Now for my 2 cents worth. If I were you I would get practice over there as a nurse. Then look to coming over here. I do know that since I have considered becoming a midwife once If am the nurse some trusts will pay for me to return and do the 18 month conversion. This means I will be paid as a staff nurse it also means I would be getting years towards my retirement with the NHS that is a final salary pension. Hope this helps.