U.K. husband and a U.S. nursing degree

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I am a nursing student from the U.S. I love how nursing is in the states and am excited to graduate in 5 months. However my husband is from the U.K. and is working towards moving back for law school and work after I finish my degree in nursing. We have debated about what to do with my nursing career when we move back, because I have not heard very great things about nursing in the U.K. (salary, how you are treated, etc.) I guess my question is what options have many of you seen. We have talked about the possibility of me staying in the states and working for a year to get my feet on the ground, and possibly working in Switzerland and commuting from England, but that might get tiresome after a while. I do know basic German and have been working to become more fluent. I just thought I would put my situation out there and see if anyone had any advice on what my options are.

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I have no advice for you really. Just saw your post and sounds like an awesome problem to have. I would also add that long distance relationships can be wonderful and awful. Wondering about what nursing program you're in, assuming it'd be best to go with the full BSN...

I do know that applying to the NMC in the UK sounds like a lengthy process for a non-UK citizen with a lot of paperwork. Unsure if you'd need to work in the US first to gain nursing experience, so best to take a look at the application requirements now. It's amusing to me that I think you'll still have to take the English language requirements.

Trained outside the EU/EEA

I also assume that once you're in their system it'd be easier to work in the Commonwealth, but I don't really have anything to back that up.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

you do require so post graduation experience for the NMC, the link above should explain it all. Whether you get treated different from the US I can't say because I haven't worked in the US but prior to working in Canada I had over 20 years in the UK and had no real issues with patients or visitors. Pay starting point is Band 5 so do a search for RCN pay scale 2017-18 and check out band 5. NMC process is not cheap and is long winded but at least when working in the NHS you will get holidays separate to sick time and as a new grad probably get more than what you would expect to see in the US

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Bring your husband to USA as it is an easy transition for him instead of you doing all this RN transition. As a UK nurse, pay is not good even though I was in Band6/7 pay and workload was tremendous although you will get good holidays/sick benefits. Now that I am in TX, my salary has tripled and bought my own family home.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical Nursing.

Finish your nursing degree first, and pass NCLEX. Then the best decision that I can suggest is... bring your husband here in the U.S. This country has a lot of good law schools. Many to mention. I don't know if this suggestion can raise some brainstorming decisions for you and your husband to decide to really settle in the UK. Because reading your post seems so problematic: migration, transferring of license to other country, and long distance relationship for the aforementioned country like Switzerland and speaking German... and the only solution that I can think of is bringing your husband here. Good luck.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Worth pointing out also that NMC registration requires at least one year work experience as an RN. So, you would still have to work for at least a year in the US even before starting the NMC registration application process. That in itself will probably take you at least another year! I am a UK citizen and RN trained in the US. I have been an RN since 2013 and have worked in acute care, pediatric home health, long term care, and school nursing.

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