Still shortage of nurses in UK?

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Hi there,

Im a nursing student in Canada and have one more year to go until I graduate. Recently I have been reading news about NHS troubles and how they're in debt, and how nursing students may have troubles finding jobs? I would love to work in the UK once I graduate, but was wondering what my prospects were of finding a job once I get there? particularly in the north up where Newcastle is. Is there a shortage in the UK for nurses?

Thankyou kindly,

mmullin

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hi there,

Im a nursing student in Canada and have one more year to go until I graduate. Recently I have been reading news about NHS troubles and how they're in debt, and how nursing students may have troubles finding jobs? I would love to work in the UK once I graduate, but was wondering what my prospects were of finding a job once I get there? particularly in the north up where Newcastle is. Is there a shortage in the UK for nurses?

Thankyou kindly,

mmullin

There will always be a shortage of nurses but the problems is with financial difficulties is whether trusts will hire or hold back. As usual it will be the front runners ie the ward staff and patients who will suffer.

By the time you qualify and go through NMC things may have changed but I also believe in the tooth fairly :eek:

But I do wish you luck on your journey

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There is no shortage of nurses, just a shortage of nurses willing to work in hospitals and there is a shortage of hospitals willing to hire them. There are enough qualified nurses in existence to care for all of the people who need them.

I honestly don't see things getting better. I hate to be negative. It's my opinion that things are in crisis mode. I am in shock at the minute. The powers that be seem to have no interest whatsoever in seeing that the wards are staffed anywhere near what they should be. There is no one in a position of power that is making this as any kind of a priority. A lot of this is down to politics and money, the government does not really give the trust managers a leg to stand on. I cannot believe how many nurses they are getting rid of from my unit. We are lucky if we have 2 nurses to 25 medical patients on a day shift and yet they are getting rid of them.

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There is no shortage of nurses, just a shortage of nurses willing to work in hospitals and there is a shortage of hospitals willing to hire them. There are enough qualified nurses in existence to care for all of the people who need them.

I honestly don't see things getting better. I hate to be negative. It's my opinion that things are in crisis mode. I am in shock at the minute. The powers that be seem to have no interest whatsoever in seeing that the wards are staffed anywhere near what they should be. There is no one in a position of power that is making this as any kind of a priority. A lot of this is down to politics and money, the government does not really give the trust managers a leg to stand on. I cannot believe how many nurses they are getting rid of from my unit. We are lucky if we have 2 nurses to 25 medical patients on a day shift and yet they are getting rid of them.

I was recently in Hospital in the UK and the day I was ready to go home, I didnt even see a nurse until she discharged me. Who would want to work in a hospital? I mean I have worked in a few countrys and the nurses have the similar attitudes. They should feel lucky they have jobs , they let the stress get to them and they take it out on their fellow coworkers and patients. If the NHS was that poor , they should abolish the whole system. If they did abolish it, the doctors would be out of jobs, trust managers would be out of jobs, so they wont abolish the system. They pick on the nurses because there are many of them and think they could do with a few less. But they will see that eventually it will not work.

Who would the doctors prescribe medication too? Can you imagine how much money they would loose? The questions could go on and on.............

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Who would the doctors prescribe medication too?

Patients?

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Specializes in L&D, Inpatient OB, Certified.

Hello from Sunny Florida!

I've read your posts and certainly sounds a lot like sentiments concerning nursing shortage here in the USA. I've been an RN for over 24 years and have seen a lot of things happening in nursing in that time.

Many things are cyclic, including nursing shortages and pay/benefit scales. I think that 1990's were some of the best times for nursing, but (as I believe in the tooth fairy, too, haha) I think nurses everywhere will be due for another GOOD cycle in about 5 years.

I am also interested in working in the UK; I'm a labour & Delivery nurse but having a hard time finding out about that specialty other than midwifery there. Anyone have any info for me on it? I'm getting all my things together for NMC certification; boy what a process!

Take care everyone,

Kate in Pensacola

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Specializes in Multiple.

Hi Kate

We have very few nurses who work in labour and delilvery as our midwives are autonomous practitioners in this field - it is very different in the UK - normal birth is the domain of the midwife and not the doctor, so we don't have a real need for obstetric nurses in hospital. It's a different culture I guess.

You may find obstetric nurses more in the private sector hospitals, and also working as maternity nurses with wealthy families etc

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Hello from Sunny Florida!

I've read your posts and certainly sounds a lot like sentiments concerning nursing shortage here in the USA. I've been an RN for over 24 years and have seen a lot of things happening in nursing in that time.

Many things are cyclic, including nursing shortages and pay/benefit scales. I think that 1990's were some of the best times for nursing, but (as I believe in the tooth fairy, too, haha) I think nurses everywhere will be due for another GOOD cycle in about 5 years.

I am also interested in working in the UK; I'm a labour & Delivery nurse but having a hard time finding out about that specialty other than midwifery there. Anyone have any info for me on it? I'm getting all my things together for NMC certification; boy what a process!

Take care everyone,

Kate in Pensacola

Hi Kate,

I think you may find that your experience may well get you a job in gynae, but unfortunatly you have to be a qualified/ registered midwife to practice midwifery in the UK. There isn't any such job as an ob's nurse in the UK. Midwives are practictioners in their own right, and they are fierce in their protection of their profession. You can upgrade your qualifications and go back and be a student for 18months.

I was midwife in the UK but couldnt get work in the US as one.

Good luck and if there is anything I can do to help you just ask

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is the NMC qualification process a long and grinding process? how so?

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