Looking for RN job options in England

World International

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Hello --

Not sure if anyone can help with this, but I'll give it a go anyway.

I'm graduating next year from nursing school, and I'll have a bachelor's degree in Psychology as well as Nursing. I have lived abroad and love it, so I'd be thrilled to nurse in England for a few years. Does anyone know if the license will transfer over or would I need to re-certify? Also, I'd be happier knowing I had a job waiting for me before I moved...is anyone aware of an agency that helps with international nurse recruitment, or should I just move there and wing it? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Allison (South Dakota, USA)

Specializes in ER, Surgery.

Another UK nurse here, and I can only reinforce what others have said. My hospital is currently closing wards and making some nurses apply for jobs elsewhere or face unemployment. There are jobs advertised in the various websites but for each job you will find that there are 20 plus British nurses who will be applying for them. My sister has just finished her nurse training and half of her group have not found jobs.

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Specializes in Clinical Case Management; A&E.

To everyone, thank you so much for the valuable input you have provided. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we appreciate the time you spend to answer questions and give advice. It really is very odd that a lot of agencies here are actually advertising that they are in need of nurses for the UK. Some agencies like Drake International, and a few more have NHS hospitals coming here every month for interviews. Do you think that this nursing shortage might be present in some other parts of the UK? Like maybe the provinces?

To Stormforce, Sharrie and other UK based nurses in this forum: Where are you working as of the moment? Are u in big cities? or in the provinces/suburbs?

Thank you so much for your advise guys.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

I live in a very rural area, we have a small local hospital but it's impossible to get work there so I travel 40 minutes to a big city to work, even in this big hospital we have closed wards and jobs are scarce. I understand some areas in Scotland occasionally struggle to recruit, in particular in private care homes but these jobs are not shortage occupation so not sure if it's possible to get a visa.

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Specializes in Clinical Case Management; A&E.

Thanks... This is so unfornate. I just paid the 150 pounds needed for my registration eligibility assessment for the UK.

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What you could have to lose is the money that an agency could ask for as well as a "cancellation" fee if you were to try and get out of any contract signed. Why would you encourage someone to ignore Silverdrgaons advice and firsthand knowledge on this subject?

As to your question, I have a first hand experience, that is why.:idea:

No agency fees and cancellation fees for me. That's my basis when I said, "What have you got to lose?"

And so to the previous poster, Don't lose hope! Be persistent.:) Go for that "small window" of opportunity while the agencies in your country are still hiring for nurses.

If I have lose hope before, I won't be here. Get my point? You are only limited by what you think. Good luck :)

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Thanks... This is so unfornate. I just paid the 150 pounds needed for my registration eligibility assessment for the UK.

Unfortunate?... What others have just said, may not necessarily be your reality.

Taking risk is a part of life.:) If you'll lose some, you'll win some. If you don't risk anything, you will lose all.

Keep up the spirit.

Good Luck!

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Specializes in Clinical Case Management; A&E.

Thanks for the reply. :D I'm hoping my agency will be able to find me an employer soon. :) They seem like a very reputable agency with a valid POEA license and does not charge any placement fee. They only require me to pay for my registration as of the moment. They say when I am hired by an employer my ONP expenses will be sponsored by the employer.

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and I find it amazing that employers are going over sees when immigration is UK then EU before rest of the world and only a couple of nurse job experiences are on the shortage occupation list for work permit.

Before I left the UK I saw job adverts for nurses decrease due to 'saving money' staffing was on the limited side of things and many trusts was downscaling jobs and many senior nurses where finding they had to reapply for their job and in some cases have to justify their pay

that is why i said i find it odd..

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Really and have you been offered work?

Are these UK agencies or are they NHS hospitals?

I am not sure why you would be suspicious both Ayla and myself are UK nurses, we have nothing to gain from saying things that are not true.

It's not just us that are saying that it is hard to get a nurses job in the UK, take a look at the UK borders website, where UK immigration is policed, nursing is no longer a shortage occupation, these employers must demonstrate that they are not able to recruit from the UK and EU if they are going to recruit from areas other than this.

To be honest if you believe us or not is irrelevant, at the end of the day you will find out yourself how difficult it can be to get work in the UK

i don't know how you could think that i am suspicious of you two. ofcourse i think that you are telling the truth. if i am ever 'suspicious' (in your words) that would be of the uk employers coming here to recruit nurses.

and to your questions, they are nhs hospitals. i have checked nhs.uk and their websites to see if they are really existing and if they do have vacancies and surprisingly they are and they have. one is even in the top 40 nhs in the uk and in the 75 best places to work in the uk.

and yes i have received a job offer and many who already have their decision letter from the nmc have already flown to the uk. so i think that they are pretty authentic.

what is odd to me is how they can do this if they have to recruit first in the uk and EU. now i am not questioning your claim here. i am questioning the employers.

ok. peace out! the truth is, i really appreciate the information you've given.

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I live in a large city and work in a large teaching hospital i know the department of health requires us to shut surgical beds this year.

I fear our students wont get jobs and staff are worried that natural redundancy will not absorb all the job cuts.

what worse is my hospital has been known to create jobs in the past to hire newly qualified RN as its a foundation trust, but now it needs to cut jobs so its scary the reversa in staffing.

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i don't know how you could think that i am suspicious of you two. ofcourse i think that you are telling the truth. if i am ever 'suspicious' (in your words) that would be of the uk employers coming here to recruit nurses.

and to your questions, they are nhs hospitals. i have checked nhs.uk and their websites to see if they are really existing and if they do have vacancies and surprisingly they are and they have. one is even in the top 40 nhs in the uk and in the 75 best places to work in the uk.

and yes i have received a job offer and many who already have their decision letter from the nmc have already flown to the uk. so i think that they are pretty authentic.

what is odd to me is how they can do this if they have to recruit first in the uk and EU. now i am not questioning your claim here. i am questioning the employers.

ok. peace out! the truth is, i really appreciate the information you've given.

which agency are connected with for your UK application?

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Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.

if you read the news you will see that the NHS is actually cuting nursing jobs so there will be less job vacancies rather than more, in my health board alone it has been announced there will be approx 500 jobs lost, most of which will be nursing. They will not make us redundant but they will streamline and not replace staff who leave or retire. I know of several students who have qualified and have been up against 60 or 70 other applicants for a job. Every week our jobs bulletin maybe only has 1 or 2 new vacancies for nurses.

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