Thinking of moving to UK

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Hi! I'm obviously new here. My DH and I have been discussing a move to the south UK for some time. We currently live in Northern California. His parents are from Liverpool and Manchester. We have family all over Britain.

I'm just wondering how I go about getting licensed to work in the UK. I've done 5 1/2 years neonatal intensive care at a very well known hospital here.

Where do I start?

Thanks for any info.

L

I'm American RN who has been working in an NHS hospital (north of england)for the last 5 years.

As soon as my British husband's visa comes through and our house sells we are going to the USA at lightening speed.

My acute medical ward, which also takes a high number of elderly care patients, is now staffing us with 1RN and 1 HCA to 21 patients on a weekday early shift. Our ward clerk left well over a year ago and they won't pay to replace her so it's a nightmare with the phone ringing non-stop. The patient's relatives are constantly abusive because their loved ones are not getting their hands held all day.

Yeah, I'm getting the hell out of here and it's a shame because I love the UK. Would definitely stay if I wasn't a nurse.

Oh yeah we have a few modern matrons at our hospital but I've never seen them.

On Monday when I had 3 patients on insulin drips, one with chest pain, and one with a GI bleed plus 17 others with dementia who were wandering around crapping on the floors and there was only myself and an HCA; I really thought that this would finally be the day a Matron showed up to help. Wrong.

But I'm sure that if I made an error due to being rushed off my feet and overwhelmed (and goddamn hungry after 12 hours non-stop) matrons would have been on my ass like flies to shite.

The thing is that we are all trapped where we are due to the recruitment freeze.

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

1rn and 1hca?

what have your union said about this?

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A union was contacted but haven't heard anything back.

The 1 staff nurse and 1 hca is starting to happen way too much. It's supposed to be at least 2 and 3 for that ward. But if there are people off sick or on leave they don't get replaced.

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Specializes in med/surg.

Looks like your "modern matron" (on double your pay) was just as good as the ones I was working with!!:lol2:

I hot footed it to the private sector. I get 5 patients max per shift. I get all the study days I want & plenty that I don't want :D. I don't get any better pay mind you but I do get better working conditions & enough staff to cope!

I don't feel I owe the NHS squat - they treated me like c*** & I voted with my feet! I don't regret moving one bit, in fact I would recommend it! Not to mention I now have free health cover (£100 excess but that's nothing -although I admit I already had BUPA anyhow), free annual health screen, bonus pay, & the all important free hot drinks (as much as I can get in a shift) & free toast & condiments before 11am. Oh & we got M&S vouchers for Xmas, an Easter egg for that holiday, a free staff Xmas kids party, a summer BBQ coming up plus plenty of other "nice" stuff, I feel valued & appreciated - now if ONLY the pay could catch up!

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being a nurse both sides of the atlantic has both ups and downs, as a uk nurse who has been here 3 years and has lived and travelled here, i feel that my experiences are unique to me. i have worked my 18 month contract with ogp worked 4 travel assignments and have now started as a permanent member of staff at another hospital.

i didnt rely on my nhs wage back home, i had my own business, so only remained as a lowly paid d grade working 32 hour a week contract. if you come here as a 2 nurse working family then you are better off, as you were better off back home. good luck to everyone who comes here and works in any way that suits them, we have had good and bad placements, i have worked in horrendous conditions over here, and had really good conditions in the nhs.

we are in the middle of health insurance hassles but we have just moved into a large house with our own pool, something that wouldnt have happened in the uk. but the choices we make are our own, if someone wants to work and survive then its up to them.

we have survived with one wage more or less since we came here, mostly through choice, now because of health issues.

but our lifestyle is still good. i wouldnt change it for anything.

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being a nurse both sides of the atlantic has both ups and downs, as a uk nurse who has been here 3 years and has lived and travelled here, i feel that my experiences are unique to me. i have worked my 18 month contract with ogp worked 4 travel assignments and have now started as a permanent member of staff at another hospital.

i didnt rely on my nhs wage back home, i had my own business, so only remained as a lowly paid d grade working 32 hour a week contract. if you come here as a 2 nurse working family then you are better off, as you were better off back home. good luck to everyone who comes here and works in any way that suits them, we have had good and bad placements, i have worked in horrendous conditions over here, and had really good conditions in the nhs.

we are in the middle of health insurance hassles but we have just moved into a large house with our own pool, something that wouldnt have happened in the uk. but the choices we make are our own, if someone wants to work and survive then its up to them.

we have survived with one wage more or less since we came here, mostly through choice, now because of health issues.

but our lifestyle is still good. i wouldnt change it for anything.

cariad- what ever life puts you through you always remain positive you are the sort of person who would do well where ever you work in the world - your glass is always half full.

as lots of people have said there is good and bad both sides of the pond- if we return to the uk i can not say hand on heart that i would return to nursing or midwifery as i was really burnt out over my last few years working in the uk.- truthfully our choice to travel to the usa was not money baised it was more about the oppotunity to travel and experience new things.

since being here in the states i have began to love my job again- its very different from the uk. so for me that has been great but i am well awear that not everyone has the same experience- just as my experience in the uk was different from other peoples.

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I have recived a BSN from a university in USA. I fell in love with a Romanian girl and we decided it is better for us to be in the United Kingdom. I was wondering if there arenurse anaesthetists programs in England and how much do they get paid. I know i can earn a salary of 70,000 pounds here in the US if i do my CRNA here. Anyone would like to give me suggestions. I would truly appreciate it.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I have recived a BSN from a university in USA. I fell in love with a Romanian girl and we decided it is better for us to be in the United Kingdom. I was wondering if there arenurse anaesthetists programs in England and how much do they get paid. I know i can earn a salary of 70,000 pounds here in the US if i do my CRNA here. Anyone would like to give me suggestions. I would truly appreciate it.

Are you married or have been cohabitting for I think it is 2 years? The reason being as you may have problems otherwise getting a work permit. She should be OK as she is a member from the EU but very hard if you can't get a work permit through her as requirements is employers have to employ from the UK then EU before the rest of the world and have to prove that they could not fill it from EU first. Also you have to go through the NMC and meet their requirements first before you can look for an employer and apply for work permit and the NMC process can take several months plus you have to complete a recognised ONP course which not enough places for everyone. All requirements are here http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=1653

Also to add many hospitals have a staff freeze due to many suffering financial problems. The best thing would be check nursing times website and see what jobs are advertised or approach hospitals in the areas you want to live and see if they are employing anaesthatic nurses, what the pay is like and if they have a job would they be willing to help you with work permit.

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Specializes in med/surg.

Well you won't earn that here! Right now it's nigh on impossible to get a job as a nurse if you're from outside the EU, or inside the UK for that matter!!

There are a few anaesthetic nurses dotted around but for the most part another group of specially trained personnel - namely the ODA (operating department assistant) - works with the anaesthatists here in the UK. They certainly don't command premium pay though - either the nurses or the ODA's!

Honestly I think you're best off where you are. That would hold true, in my opinion, even if it was easier to get here.

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Specializes in med/surg.

Hi SD!! Looks like we're posting at the same time...........AGAIN!:lol2:

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hi SD!! Looks like we're posting at the same time...........AGAIN!:lol2:

well you know they say 2 minds :rotfl:

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Specializes in med/surg.
:D may catch you in the chat room one time if we UK nurses ever get ourselves organised!
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