nursing issues in the UK

Fonenurse · Feb 2, 2006

Hi

If you go to the RCN website - www.rcn.org.uk you will find a lot of informaion there - salary scales etc.

To find out about education programmes I suggest you try any University and look at their courses. All training here is RN level. Try www.ucsm.ac.uk or www.uclan.ac.uk or www.exeter.ac.uk and also http://www.nursingnetuk.com/courses_index.php?fs9001=81cc652c4e2d0a6a66a751273f5db9b7

For recruitment and retention try:

http://www.nhsemployers.org/

http://www.london.nhs.uk/modernising/recruitmentandretention.htm

As far as the general issues are concerned - there seem to be a lot of similarities between the UK and USA.

Anything specific you want to know about?

cheena · Feb 4, 2006

What area of nursing are you working in. In your opinion, what are some nursing issues you are faced with. In the US we have various levels of nursing. What if any are the different levels of nursing in the UK.

cheena · Feb 4, 2006

I've viewed the RCN website and I am interested to know about the bullying campaign and the 2 per cent pay award.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 4, 2006

In the US we have various levels of nursing. What if any are the different levels of nursing in the UK.

In the UK we generally have RN's although there are still some excellant enrolled nurses (equal to your LPN's)

We have lots of different roles with a lot of nurses specialising in certain areas and they work totally different to the US

For example. Midwives here in the UK have full autonomy and are responsible for delivery of the newborn and would only call a doctor if there was a problem, therefore most births in the UK are done without a doctor present.

We do have nurse aids which start at basic care who if they want can go on courses and be trained to perform various other procedures and assist the RN in their work.

Fonenurse · Feb 4, 2006

What area of nursing are you working in. In your opinion, what are some nursing issues you are faced with. In the US we have various levels of nursing. What if any are the different levels of nursing in the UK.

Hi Cheena

I work in telephone triage, and I believe from reading th forums here a lot of the issues we face are very similar, in a lot of the different fields.

Compared to the US we don't have a lot of levels of nursing - you are either an RN or you're not. If you're not, then you work as a health care assistant or nursing auxiliary. We used to have enrolled nurses (LPN equivalent) but this training was phased out some years ago now, although there are a few folk with this qualification still practising.

Fonenurse · Feb 4, 2006

I've viewed the RCN website and I am interested to know about the bullying campaign and the 2 per cent pay award.

The bullyinh campaign information is on the RCN website. The 2% pay award is what the government are trying to offer us this year - neither the RCN or other health related unions will accept this though - watch the RCN pages over coming months to see what happens...

cheena · Feb 5, 2006

in the US we have several degrees of RNs. there are the nurses who obtained a 2 year degree from a junior college, and there are those who obtained a degree from a 4 year university. There is not a large difference in the pay. Then there in the master's prepared nurses. Do you have these differences?

So, the government determines what your raise will be, not the facility you work for? Is this for all nurses? Do you have private hospitals that are independent from the government? Are all the hospitals under one union?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 5, 2006

in the US we have several degrees of RNs. there are the nurses who obtained a 2 year degree from a junior college, and there are those who obtained a degree from a 4 year university. There is not a large difference in the pay. Then there in the master's prepared nurses. Do you have these differences?
So, the government determines what your raise will be, not the facility you work for? Is this for all nurses? Do you have private hospitals that are independent from the government? Are all the hospitals under one union?

All nurse training in the UK is 3 years. The first part of the course is a foundation. This is where everyone on the course does the same work. It then splits into specialist and you go into the groups doing whatever speciality you have chosen. Mental health, paeds, general or midwifery

Although we do have private hospitals and they probably decide their staff payments majority of hospitals are government run so pay is decided by them.

Unions, there are a couple which will support nurses and you can join either of them whichout being penalised by your employer or government.

cheena · Feb 6, 2006

What happens if one specialized in peds and worked in that area for a couple of years then wanted to work in emergency room. Do they have to go back to school? Are there a fair amount of nurses going for their masters degree.

Is it better to work in a government or private hospital?

Do most facilities offer good benifits such as, health insurance, life insurance, retirement benifits, tuition reimburstment, sick leave maternity leave, vacation time

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 6, 2006

What happens if one specialized in peds and worked in that area for a couple of years then wanted to work in emergency room. Do they have to go back to school? Are there a fair amount of nurses going for their masters degree.
Is it better to work in a government or private hospital?
Do most facilities offer good benifits such as, health insurance, life insurance, retirement benifits, tuition reimburstment, sick leave maternity leave, vacation time

Private health insurance and life insurance can be taken out but usually privately. There is an option to add to your retirement with a super ann plan, this is where both you and your employer pays a bit into it. If you opt out before you retire and it isn't due to ill health it is usually frozen until you reach retirement. Sick leave varies depending where you work but most hospitals offer between 3-6 months full pay and 3-6 months 1/2 pay (Depends on time served) I work in the community and only get 6 weeks full and 6 weeks 1/2. Maternity I am not sure. Vacation time averages 25 days plus public holidays (I know this has changed a bit recently but not sure on the recent figures)

Fonenurse · Feb 6, 2006

What happens if one specialized in peds and worked in that area for a couple of years then wanted to work in emergency room. Do they have to go back to school? Are there a fair amount of nurses going for their masters degree.

This depends - sometimes you can ask for a transfer and go in as an entry level nurse in the new specialism. You will be expected to study and acquire skills all through any job - it's called the knowledge and skills framework http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4090843&chk=dyrb/a

Studying to masters level is now becoming more common in the UK, but I wouldn't say a lot of people to it as a matter of course yet.

Do most facilities offer good benifits such as, health insurance, life insurance, retirement benifits, tuition reimburstment, sick leave maternity leave, vacation time

Again the Agenda for Change project has changed all that. In NHS hospitals we all have the following:

Annual leave:

On appointment 27 days + 8 days

After 5 years service 29 days + 8 days

After 10 years service 33 days + 8 days

Sickness absence

during the first year of service - one month’s full pay and two

months’ half pay;

- during the second year of service - two months’ full pay and two

months’ half pay;

- during the third year of service – four months’ full pay and four

months’ half pay;

- during the fourth and fifth years of service – five months’ full pay

and five months’ half pay;

- after completing five years of service – six months’ full pay

and six months’ half pay.

Maternity leave is a little more complex - you can get the details from http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HumanResourcesAndTraining/ModernisingPay/AgendaForChange/fs/en