nursing in England

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I have been a Registered nurse for >3yrs in the USA, working in ECU/trauma center. I am moving to England, close to Cambridge and Bury, and want to work over there as a RN, I've been Considering obtaining the Highly Skilled Immigrant Work Permit (which allows me to go to an employer w/a work permit already), which is very expensive, but worth it to me if i can get a job easier, but i am unsure if i really need it or not? Do you recommend it? Will i have any problems finding an employer to sponsor me for a work permit if i don't obtain this highly skilled permit? Any recommended employers to check out near Cambridge or Bury that will employ me? Thank you in advance so much for any info you can provide me with!! :uhoh3:

Plenty of jobs here in Ireland!

I think the pay scales are slightly better than the UK and we're getting the 37.5 hour working week soon too!

Hey what do you mean by you are getting the 37.5 hr work week soon? How many hours a week are you working now? And do you have the internet address for your Board of nursing?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hey what do you mean by you are getting the 37.5 hr work week soon? How many hours a week are you working now? And do you have the internet address for your Board of nursing?

http://www.nursingboard.ie/en/homepage.aspx

Think Ireland is working 40 hour week

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Specializes in medical/surgical.

39 hour week at the minute! We were fighting for a 35 hour week but have settled for 37.5... for now :devil:

Starting pay for a newly qualified nurse is a little over 30,000 Euro, so about £20,000 sterling.

Conditions aren't too bad either depending on where you work!

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Specializes in gastroentestinal and vascular surgery.

i have to agree with what has been said above, nursing jobs here in the uk are getting harder to come by, they are making redundancies all over my NHS trust, many student nurses out of work in my area, or only getting temporary contracts, its crazy because we still use agency nurses all the time where i work its a nightmare and doesn't seen to make much financial sense to me (from where i am standing anyhow) the permit may give u an added advantage but u are not guaranteed to get work over here Good luck

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Specializes in Multiple.

Sorry to add another word of warning - if you obtain registration with the UK Nursing and MIdwifery Council and then decide to work as a health care assistant / auxiliary or aide, if you make an error, the NMC will treat you as a registered nurse, with the possibility of losing your nurse registration in the UK - because even though you may not be employed as a registered nurse, you will have the knowledge of one as you act - just something worth thinking about before you start working here....

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yeah i know of newly qualifieds who delayed getiing there pin so that they could work as a hca for a while sonot be accoutable.

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Specializes in med/surg.

My instincts tell me that it would take them more than 6 months to sort things out. The ONP program is so severely over subscribed that you probably wouldn't get a place on it and the program lasts a year anyway so you wouldn't finish it.

Don't think you would be able to work as a nurse on the highly skilled visa because I'm sure you would still have to jump through the NMC hoops. It would be like us being able to work temporarily as a nurse in the USA without having our credentials checked by your authorities. I'm sure that would strike you as big a no-no as it does me.

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My instincts tell me that it would take them more than 6 months to sort things out. The ONP program is so severely over subscribed that you probably wouldn't get a place on it and the program lasts a year anyway so you wouldn't finish it.

Don't think you would be able to work as a nurse on the highly skilled visa because I'm sure you would still have to jump through the NMC hoops. It would be like us being able to work temporarily as a nurse in the USA without having our credentials checked by your authorities. I'm sure that would strike you as big a no-no as it does me.

Hi, I'm an old American diploma RN who just finished the ONP this week and just wanted to say that the course itself is only 20 days long, but if the NMC requires a supervised placement of you then the course lasts as long as they say. Mine was 3 months (inclusive of the 20 days). I think that a one year program is probably rare. Most of my classmates from India and Africa had 6 month requirements.

I was required to do the 3 month period because I hadn't had *general* adult nursing in many years. I'd been in Obstetrics for my last 25 years prior to taking early retirement, so I could come over here and I'm thrilled to be here! Also hadn't finished degree work.

If anyone wants to ask any questions of me regarding my (looong) process of getting here and the ONP, just write and ask. It's my Excellent Big Adventure now that the kids are grown and I've tired of only visiting here for the last 11 years. England is (literally) in my blood.

Now I'm up against the job market and getting hired. I am, in fact, open to living anywhere in the UK or Ireland, and have also just heard the hiring might be better in Scotland. Looking forward to more responses on this thread!

:balloons:

Gail, on last couple of days in Sunderland (then back to Kent)

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Hi, I'm an old American diploma RN who just finished the ONP this week and just wanted to say that the course itself is only 20 days long, but if the NMC requires a supervised placement of you then the course lasts as long as they say. Mine was 3 months (inclusive of the 20 days). I think that a one year program is probably rare. Most of my classmates from India and Africa had 6 month requirements.

I was required to do the 3 month period because I hadn't had *general* adult nursing in many years. I'd been in Obstetrics for my last 25 years prior to taking early retirement, so I could come over here and I'm thrilled to be here! Also hadn't finished degree work.

If anyone wants to ask any questions of me regarding my (looong) process of getting here and the ONP, just write and ask. It's my Excellent Big Adventure now that the kids are grown and I've tired of only visiting here for the last 11 years. England is (literally) in my blood.

Now I'm up against the job market and getting hired. I am, in fact, open to living anywhere in the UK or Ireland, and have also just heard the hiring might be better in Scotland. Looking forward to more responses on this thread!

:balloons:

Gail, on last couple of days in Sunderland (then back to Kent)

Congratulations and good luck in finding a job. I am sure your story will inspire the US nurses who are hoping to travel to the Uk to work

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Specializes in med/surg.

I based my time line on the Indian nurses who were on the ONP at the NHS hospital where I worked. Maybe they were making it last longer so they could have cheap labour! At 1st they had to work 6 months at "B" grade plus attend study days etc, then it became 9 months. Just before I left they were saying it was going to be 12 months - hence why I suggested it might be that long.

I think the problem now is more due to the fact that hospitals will not be granted work permit applications for any non-EU staff unless they can totally prove that they are unable to staff the post from the UK or EU.

It will change - eventually - I'm sure.

Well done Gail though - let us know when you find a job!

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what is currently in demand in paris at this time, or for that matter france, currently in america nursing is one of the most in demand positions right now.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
what is currently in demand in paris at this time, or for that matter france, currently in america nursing is one of the most in demand positions right now.

try posting this in the international forum. Very hard if not from the EU to get a work permit, also need to speak the language fluently. There is a thread in the international forum on working in France

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