Pros & Cons: Working as a U.K. Staff Nurse in the Hospital and Nursing Home

GrumpyRN, NP · Mar 26, 2015

You do not say where you are from, if you are from USA then nursing homes in UK are different. They tend to be (depending on type) full of elderly people who are not sick. They just need help and care. Sick residents are sent to hospital although some do manage to be allowed to die in peace in their own beds in the nursing home. Nursing homes tend to be private and they have their own pay scales. Pay and conditions are usually less than NHS. A few years ago I looked into moving into management in a nursing home - I turned it down as I would have lost too much money and at that time I was a staff nurse.

Hospital nursing comes under NHS (again unless you choose private) NHS conditions and pay scales can be found on the RCN website and are much better than private.

If it was me, I would not hesitate to move into an NHS hospital but then I am biased. :yes:

pandabear_19 · Mar 29, 2015

I am from the Philippines. â˜ºï¸

thank you for that info..

allnurses Guide · Mar 29, 2015

I am from the Philippines. â˜ºï¸
thank you for that info..

If you've got an offer for the NHS the I would advise you take that, adapting to nursing in the UK is generally far easier in a hospital environment due to the variety and differing standards you find in nursing homes.

It'll give you more career options and give you far more in terms of transferable skills

pandabear_19 · Mar 29, 2015

Thank you. â˜ºï¸

Most of my friends who are already working in UK are actually convincing me to work in the hosp. And yes, it is an NHS offer.. Home care's offer though is quite tempting at Â£11.5 per hour (minimum) í ½í¸

Silverdragon102, BSN · Mar 29, 2015

Thank you. â˜ºï¸
Home care's offer though is quite tempting at Â£11.5 per hour (minimum) ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½

That really isn't a lot when looking at living costs in the UK. I too would agree NHS is a better option plus you will have a better support system than working in home care

pandabear_19 · Mar 29, 2015

Will be taking all of your advices guys.. :)

Thank you so much!

GrumpyRN, NP · Mar 30, 2015

Â£11.50 is bottom of the Band 5 grade for newly qualified nurses. In NHS you would expect to move up an increment every year (Davis Cameron not withstanding). In nursing home you will earn that for the rest of your career. Conditions are better in NHS and as XB9S said, you should find it easier in the NHS hospital to settle.

For salary scales go to Pay rates 2014-15 - NHS Agenda for Change - RCN

Working week is 37.5 hours although actual hours worked may vary week to week it should average 150 hours over 4 weeks.

GrumpyRN, NP · Mar 30, 2015

Â£11.50 is bottom of the Band 5 grade for newly qualified nurses. In NHS you would expect to move up an increment every year (Davis Cameron not withstanding).

Sorry, should have been DAVID Cameron.

pandabear_19 · Mar 31, 2015

I was actually under the impression that the salary for nurses working in home cares also increase on a yearly basis. It was a really helpful info. I'll be checking on the link.

Thank you. :)

Winnbonface · Apr 21, 2017

A few things to consider:

1) Nursing homes in the UK are very different to nursing homes in the Philippines. It is more like working in a hospital setting only less stressful and much more personable (see links below)

2) NHS pay band 5 nurses roughly Â£11 an hour, whereas nursing homes pay between Â£14-Â£16 an hour and as pandabear mentioned will also increase on a yearly basis (this could be a the discretion of the manager).

3) A nursing home is a good stepping stone if you want to eventually move to a hospital setting. In other words, it is a good place to start. NHS is better if your primary motivation is career progression.

Have a read of these two articles. They highlight the benefits of working in private homes. An increasing number of nurses are starting to see the advantages of working in nursing homes.

A nurse reveals why she would rather work in a care home, than for the NHS

Izzyloveslife · Nov 15, 2017

Ahhh oh my gosh this has made me feel ten times better! Thank you!! I have literally bookmarked this page already! Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to be a nurse (actually I'm lying - technically I wanted to be a princess for a few years) but I've just heard so much negativity about working the in the health sector lately that it actually put me off a bit - so it's really great to come across this! My faith and my goals are renewed! I've actually recently just completed my first nursing course so I'm ready to start applying for jobs! In fact I've actually got an interview next week so I'm really happy I read this as I'm feeling much more positive about everything now! I'm normally pretty terrible at interviews at the best of times because I panic and just start mumbling and blurting out really stupid things, so this is actually going to be a massive comfort, so thank you for writing this! As a general question, does anyone know if nursing interviews are generally quite stressful and difficult? Can I expect to be thoroughly grilled (I just want to make sure that I'm prepared!) Any tips or helpful stories would also be massively appreciated haha. Also (sorry I know I'm waffling) but on the likely off chance that this interview doesn't go well - does anyone know any sites or companies that I could look through to find some jobs? My nurse friend sent me this link to a company called HCL, has anyone used them? Are they good to go through? I mean I do completely trust my friend and all - but it's still good to get a second opinion! It would definitely be a massive help to get some suggestions or recommendations of good nursing job sites/recruiters. Thanks so much everyone! I really appreciate the help.