themadscotsman

Well in kids we still have RSCNs (Registered Sick Children's Nurse) but I'm technically an RN©, you'll find there seems to be about two and half thousand different qualifications people have in practice but we all do the same thing :chuckle Congratulations as well, and you're right, it took me about 10 months post-registration to actually begin to feel like a grown up nurse rather than a student one - the course gives you the skills to learn and consolidate what you need and that's all people should expect from you - I've worked with countless managers on various projects and that's what they all say!

This page has contacts for the various application services in the four countries so maybe could help http://www.rcn.org.uk/resources/becomenurse.php It also has the NHS careers contact for each so they should be able to advise on what sort of support is available. The RCNs International Office may be able to help, there's lots of info about coming to the UK on this page http://www.rcn.org.uk/resources/international/ and there's also contact details, I've found them to be great in the past

And/Or the local nurse banks which have always supplied for me when I've needed

Don't know if you're familiar with the system in the UK but you're making a good case for the NHS! I, like the majority of people in health in the UK work for the National Health Service although we're seeing more and more private sector enterprises creeping in. I have to say I'm of the opinion that as soon as you start to make a buck out of sick people then patient care is always gonna be secondary

I heard they were still offering golden handshakes (can't remember what the amount of money was) but they still couldn't get enough to sign up!

Actually your PIN will be assigned by the time uni get it, it's pre-printed. One way you could find out is as soon as you are added you'll be able to find yourself on it by "searching the register" on the NMCs website If you're getting jumpy!

They can sleep because of the hours where I work too, if one never answered their bleep though I'd be escalating it so (and I know you guys in the US prob have different grades so impose whichever levels of doctor are appropriate!) if the SHO failed to answer a couple of bleeps I'd page the Registrar, if that failed I'd get the consultant. When they've had their backsides kicked by a consultant they'll make sure they answer

:chuckle lmao! I do a mixture but spend the majority of my time of nights and I have to say I love it

Have you read the actual document rather than just being told the code? May help to, not sure if this link will work but fingers crossed (it displays ina frame so may misbehave, if it does just go to nmc-uk.org and choose code of conduct) http://www.nmc-uk.org/aFramedisplay.aspx?documentID=201 be warned though, may be subject to change in the next few years as there's a consultation going on about it!

I don't have any problems working nights, I quite enjoy it to be honest, some people can take to it others just find it disagrees with them I moved from Electrical Engineering with Specialisation in Computer Science (so somewhat IT related and slightly freaked out by this thread!) to retrain and work in kid's nursing, I couldn't see me doing anything else, I'm in the only job I've ever had where a day at work can turn a bad day into a good one!

Wikipedia tells you everything you need to know! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_day

You will if you make it! I don't buy for a second "I don't have time for my patients" - I've worked in quiet and extremely busy areas and always made time for my patients :)

We're in Bournemouth this year, back to Harrogate next year :chuckle It would be especially relevant as this years theme is "Nursing the World" http://www.rcn.org.uk/congress

People love to slag off the training but it's 50% in uni and 50% in practice so half the blame of an issue with the training goes back on to the practice areas moaning about it! The biggest danger to training is bored, disinterested mentors who don't know what they are talking about - and there's a fair few of them. Out of date knowledge, which is combatted by Evidence Based Learning is dangerous, no doubt, and it's what led to EBL being introudced because people where making stupid mistakes by not reading the available material to implement best practice. Ine very nursing intake, under every system of training, there's been good and bad nurses - just the same as any course. :) Nicky - the first 3 years just kit you out to start learning properly when you become a staff nurse, I learnt loooooooaaaaaadddds as a student, but nothing compared to what I learned in my first 6 months of being qualified :chuckle

Certainly we (a child branch intake) had students go to London (GOSH), Northern Ireland, Birmingham and several other hospital outside our area (Edinburgh and the Lothians) - most are fairly receptive if you ask them early enough and even better if you have a contact. In light of recent "global instability" university insurance is often not covering going abroad now as it used to so check what your uni's policy is :)