Nursing in the UK....hummmm....

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hello all!

since i will be have my bsn by 2006 i am currently considering the location of where i want to work and live. i'll be fresh out of college with no serious responsibilities (like kids) to deal with. i'm thinking this will be one of the few times in life that i will be able to make a big decision like this. i've been playing with the idea of leaving texas and the us. i mean i've never seen the world outside of north america before... since i can't just hop in a bus to go to the uk, i wanted some opinions and advice from the people who live there. i know this is pretty general...but what do you think of nursing in the uk? have you ever considered nursing away from home? and also...can you provide me with links to the various hospitals and clinics in the uk? i'd like to do some research of my own too! i'm doing a lot of reading on the culture and life there to get a feel of what it would be like living so far from home...but of course nothing is better than to hear stories from real people instead of just out of books!:specs:

-babyrn

Specializes in family planning, midwifery, community.
I know my sister here in the UK works in the public service sector and only gets 4 weeks annual leave.

although in the public sector most people only get 4 or 5 eeks they also get around 8 to 10 days public holiday son top which works out roughly the same as nurses. we just have the added advantage of choosing when to take these holidays... usually :D
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although in the public sector most people only get 4 or 5 eeks they also get around 8 to 10 days public holiday son top which works out roughly the same as nurses. we just have the added advantage of choosing when to take these holidays... usually :D

Well in that respect were lucky then!!!!!

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Yeah we are lucky with the annual leave, I think you need that much annual leave when you work the crazy hours nurses in the UK work. When I worked in the US a nurse was either all day shifts, all evening shifts, or all night shifts. There was very little mixing around at the facilities I was aware of there. Here in the UK I did a week of nights last week then this week I am mixing between days and evenings. I will do that for two more weeks than Im back on a week of nights, then it starts over again. What the hell is up with that??? :angryfire I would prefer permanent days, evenings or nights 40-50 hours a week with no annual leave rather than all of this mixing crap. But that is just me. :coollook:

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Yeah we are lucky with the annual leave, I think you need that much annual leave when you work the crazy hours nurses in the UK work. When I worked in the US a nurse was either all day shifts, all evening shifts, or all night shifts. There was very little mixing around at the facilities I was aware of there. Here in the UK I did a week of nights last week then this week I am mixing between days and evenings. I will do that for two more weeks than Im back on a week of nights, then it starts over again. What the hell is up with that??? :angryfire I would prefer permanent days, evenings or nights 40-50 hours a week with no annual leave rather than all of this mixing crap. But that is just me. :coollook:

Yep, it's individuality. Personally I could not work all day shifts or all evening shifts, getting up 3 days on the run for an early shift just about does me in!!! so I enjoy the mixture of lates and earlies. As for wokring 40-50 hours, I couldn't do that either, 37.5 is enough for me. As said before that's just my personal choice though.

I guess I'm lucky I don't rotate onto nights to often as we have staff who prefer permanent nights.

I think sometimes it's a case of the grass is greener on the other side. Yes we moan, even like moaning, (I know I like to have a good old moan sometimes!), if we didn't moan we wouldn't be human, but we must like the job just a tiny little bit otherwise we wouldn't do it!!!!!

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See i hate earlies and lates. i just can't stnd the idea of having to go in for five out of seven days! Much prefer long days and i love nights!!!!

And yes we all know that the US and Canada have long working weeks, however i feel that some things such as rate of pay, status and work environment is insome ways better. i really do think that nice wards have agood effect on everyone and in the NHS even at Guy's and St Thomas' many of the wards are ugly, dilapidated etc. But i mean it isnt all doom and gloom. t least we dont have mandatory overtime! :rotfl: :) :chuckle

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Yeah no offense to anyone but the better rates of pay and the better conditions of the hospital facilities are a better incentive to me than holiday time. The facilities at the hospitals I have been to in the UK are pretty bad. I will however miss the 7 weeks paid vacation when I return to the US. I'll buy myself a heck of a new car to make up for it, one that I couldnt afford in England. :rotfl:

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Right on!!!! :chuckle :balloons:

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hey Karen, I never realised that you were living in such a dangerous place, i'm so grateful i live in Glasgow, I think the safest thing for you to do would be to move yourselve and Calum up here, the only thing that you have to worry bout is the colour of your shirt, blue or green, cant do anything bout reducing your hours workload would be just the same up here

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Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.
hey Karen, I never realised that you were living in such a dangerous place, i'm so grateful i live in Glasgow, I think the safest thing for you to do would be to move yourselve and Calum up here, the only thing that you have to worry bout is the colour of your shirt, blue or green, cant do anything bout reducing your hours workload would be just the same up here

ah Chris.......I'd be closer to the hills as well but the weather.. I might freeze to death in the winter!!! My shirt- hmmm might have to be green! as for the workload... would have to find a job first!! :rotfl:

Karen

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ah Chris.......I'd be closer to the hills as well but the weather.. I might freeze to death in the winter!!! My shirt- hmmm might have to be green! as for the workload... would have to find a job first!! :rotfl:

Karen

aargh your a hoop fan no.........................

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Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.
aargh your a hoop fan no.........................

did I pick the wrong colour then........but it matches my eyes :roll Its fitball missus................ I'm a rugby fan remember???? what do I know about 'fitball?? :chuckle

Karen

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