UK Nursing Salaries

Noahm · Feb 11, 2005

I really don't want to offend anyone here, but don't you feel angry at the low nursing pay in the UK? Here in the US, nurses make really good money. REALLY good money compared to most jobs. Why is it that the pay is so low in the UK?

It is something that bothers me at times but UK nurses also get a lot of benefits that US nurses don't.

I think that people in general do not realize what it is exactly that nurses do. They think to be a a qualified nurse takes a few weeks of training and all that we do is take temps, give baths, take grandma to the toilet and anything more complex than that gets sorted by the doctor. :chuckle

The reality of course is that nursing requires a huge amount of education at university level and a thorough understanding of math, science, etc. Majoring in nursing at university is a hell of a lot more challenging than most other majors. I know, I have a degree in chemistry, then went back to nursing school. Nursing school was ten times harder. I'll be damned if the general public ever figures that one out. If they don't realize that their lives are literally in the hands of nurses and that nurses are highly educated people, they are going to piss and moan if their taxes get raised to pay us more.

If you work in the US (and I have) you are looking at a 40-50 hour work week if you want good health insurance coverage. You will not be entitled to any annual leave or paid time off at all whatsoever your first year working for an employer. After that you will be lucky to get 1-2 weeks paid holiday time a year. Maternity leave is 6-12 weeks probably unpaid (I think) and you will work up until you deliver. You will have to pay out for malpractice insurance to CYA.

I feel like Im better off in the UK even though the pay is low becuase I have a young family. I have 7 weeks paid vacation a year and Im currently on maternity for 26 weeks or so. I left work at 35 weeks. If one of my kids gets sick I can get time off without a problem. I also am able to self rota around my kids schedules.

Better pay and better recognition by the public would be good but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Sorry if I rambled rather than answering your post :rolleyes:

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2005

I get 8 weeks 3 days holiday leave, if you change that into money it will amount to 2 months full pay. I get six months full pay if I am off sick and 6 months half pay. If I want to do studying I may get all course paid for and time off given to attend courses.

We do 37.5 day week. So in monatary terms this adds up to fair amount.

Kay :)

fergus51 · Feb 11, 2005

Noahm, none of those things are true as far as benefits go at my facility or any facility I have worked at. Health insurance and paid time off start after three months and we work a 36 hour week. In our first year of working we get about 4 weeks off and that increases with seniority. No nurse I know buys their own malpractice insurance. Maternity leave starts when the nurse wants it to. It's paid for 6 weeks and then they can take more time off unpaid. We self schedule, so it's fairly easy to plan around family activities as well. My current employer is very good about tuition reimbursement as well, though I can't imagine them paying for someone to take an 18 month course as some UK employers apparently do. You must have worked in a not so nice kind of place when you were in the US. I am very interested in moving to the UK for a couple of years, but the money issue will keep me here for a little while longer. I didn't pay off my student loans while working in Canada, but I should be able to do it here within the next 6 months or so.

Noahm · Feb 12, 2005

Wow Fergus it sounds like you work at a nice facility. I left the US in 1998 so maybe things have improved a bit over there.

fergus51 · Feb 12, 2005

I think there is a lot of variation in the US, Noahm. What's standard in one state could be completely unheard of in another.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 12, 2005

Fergus

A quick question, will hopefully move to AZ sometime this year and the hospital sponsering me has told me that for the first year I only get 10 days holiday. Is that about the norm for starting work in hospitals?

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2005

I am getting none from OGP until I complete my contract then I get hols and a bonus, which will pay for a holiday

Kay the other one :)

fergus51 · Feb 12, 2005

Fergus
A quick question, will hopefully move to AZ sometime this year and the hospital sponsering me has told me that for the first year I only get 10 days holiday. Is that about the norm for starting work in hospitals?

Are you working 8 or 12 hour shifts? If you are working 12s, then those 10 shifts off amount to over three weeks and it's pretty good. If you are working 8s, then it's only 2 weeks off and that's kind of the minimum that's acceptable. It isn't great, but you aren't being screwed either.

I've noticed the contracts foreign nurses sign are often stricter with certain provisions like time off. It's one of the reasons I like being a staff member at my union hospital. There was no agency contract involved.

Nesher, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2005

I agree with Fergus that everything in the US isn't quite as black and white as the OP stated.

I get full insurance coverage - that started on the day I started, plus I only have to work 50% to obtain thie benefit.

My graduate degree tutition was paid for by my employer - all of it.

When nurses first start they receive 8 hours of vacation a month ( this is based on a % so it willbe less if you don't work 100%), plus 13 paid holidays a year - this works out to 5 weeks for a new employee, which they can begin using after 3 months.

We self schedule so one can arrange long periods of time off if desired.

My whole unit works 12 hour shifts, which is great for report - only twice a day.

We don't have to wear strange same colored uniforms.

We receive compensation for certification however not for level of education.

I can't comment on maternity leave, that I am sure the UK and all of Europe is more generous with.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 13, 2005

Are you working 8 or 12 hour shifts? If you are working 12s, then those 10 shifts off amount to over three weeks and it's pretty good. If you are working 8s, then it's only 2 weeks off and that's kind of the minimum that's acceptable. It isn't great, but you aren't being screwed either.
I've noticed the contracts foreign nurses sign are often stricter with certain provisions like time off. It's one of the reasons I like being a staff member at my union hospital. There was no agency contract involved.

Thanks fergus, I think the plan is 12 hour shifts, but wont know more til I move out to AZ and get ready to start work

trbelch · Feb 16, 2005

I really don't want to offend anyone here, but don't you feel angry at the low nursing pay in the UK? Here in the US, nurses make really good money. REALLY good money compared to most jobs. Why is it that the pay is so low in the UK?

I have been doing research on working in the UK and found the salaries to be comparative to the southeast US, where I work. I realize that in the southeast nurses are paid less than elsewhere in the states. I worked in the northeast US as a travel nurse and was paid less than the regular staff nurses! I have been quoted around 22,000 - 26,000 GBP for E grade nurses in the UK which is about $41,000 - 55,000. This seems reasonable to me. If anyone disagrees or finds these quotes inaccurate please let me know.

Also, has anyone tried to access an application on the web site of the Irish board of nursing. There are detailed instructions on filling out the application but I cannot, for the life of me, find the link to download the application :uhoh3: . I e-mailed them but haven't heard anything. Any help is greatly appreciated.

T