US RN to work in Scotland

Fiona59 · Jul 5, 2017

Main employer is NHS Scotland.

Like anywhere there are good places to live and work. Only you know what is good for you.

Will your spouse's trades qualifications transfer? Was he fully apprenticed?

Living there is very different from taking a holiday there. I was born there and won't be moving back.

GrumpyRN, NP · Jul 5, 2017

Lots of information on this site about exactly that. Just need to look for it. Will not be easy and remember that your RN is very generalist. In UK we now go for adult, paediatric, maternity, psyche as all separate and different qualifications. See what the NMC say you need to have.

Pay is pay, we think (know) we are underpaid for what we do. Medical insurance? Don't need it, it is part of your deductions from salary - Tax and NI. See RCN site for details of salary - you will be bottom of band 5 if/when you are allowed to work. Approximately 1/3 of your salary goes to deductions.

Housing and schooling depend on where you live. Edinburgh and Aberdeen can be expensive. Schools are run by state so you pay for them through council tax.

Pensions you pay into that as an NHS employee - the rules have recently changed so again you would need to look into that. Retirement pension from the state - you get out if you have paid in - I think you need 30 - 40 years of contributions (don't hold me to that as it is not my area of expertise).

If the only step you have taken is to contact the Guild then you really need to get on the ball and find out what you need to do and what moving to Scotland entails.

Also (because I have a background in the building industry) will your husband be able to work here? Regulations will be different for building and are his qualifications transferable?

Fiona..... What's wrong with us:cry: come back. :up:

winterblew84 · Jul 5, 2017

I believe his trade qualifications will transfer, but there is an additional certification (do not recall what it is named) he must receive (may have to take a test online?) before he can work in Scotland. He IS fully apprenticed. He has a Journeyman's license (4 years of school and on the job training). I completely understand holiday vs living. But that can be said just about anywhere you go...I lived in Florida and people always told me I must have just LOVED it---hated it! Ha!

winterblew84 · Jul 5, 2017

Thank you GrumpyRN for your blunt honesty :) And I do not mean that sarcastically. I have done LOTS and LOTS of research on my own already, but as far as agency nursing goes, that was the first inquiry I've made. I HAVE already looked into the Band pay as well some time ago. 1/3 of salary goes to deductions? Sounds like the US as well. I've had a pension plan since the age of 22 here, so I guess I need to look into seeing if it is transferable over there. Nurses are underpaid here as well--especially the smaller (not so populated) states. When I moved from FL to AR, my paycheck was cut in half! I've heard that an RN's scope of practice is not as broad in Scotland as it is here. Is this true? I've had to handle a pretty heavy load of responsibilities here...

winterblew84 · Jul 6, 2017

Lots of information on this site about exactly that. Just need to look for it. Will not be easy and remember that your RN is very generalist. In UK we now go for adult, paediatric, maternity, psyche as all separate and different qualifications. See what the NMC say you need to have.
Pay is pay, we think (know) we are underpaid for what we do. Medical insurance? Don't need it, it is part of your deductions from salary - Tax and NI. See RCN site for details of salary - you will be bottom of band 5 if/when you are allowed to work. Approximately 1/3 of your salary goes to deductions.
Housing and schooling depend on where you live. Edinburgh and Aberdeen can be expensive. Schools are run by state so you pay for them through council tax.
Pensions you pay into that as an NHS employee - the rules have recently changed so again you would need to look into that. Retirement pension from the state - you get out if you have paid in - I think you need 30 - 40 years of contributions (don't hold me to that as it is not my area of expertise).
If the only step you have taken is to contact the Guild then you really need to get on the ball and find out what you need to do and what moving to Scotland entails.
Also (because I have a background in the building industry) will your husband be able to work here? Regulations will be different for building and are his qualifications transferable?
Fiona..... What's wrong with us:cry: come back.

I've just been through the PDF file of the NMC's guidelines for getting your RN licensure transferred/accepted in the UK. Can I cry now??? It's like you don't want us over there You can't do A until you do B, but you can't do B until you do C, but you can't do C until you do D, etc etc...Brain exploding in 5...4...3...2...

GrumpyRN, NP · Jul 7, 2017

Yeah, sorry about that, that's what I was trying to warn you about.

If you go through the whole of the World Nursing forum on this site you will find lots of people in exactly the same position.

It's not that we don't want you, but you have to have the correct qualification and experience. As you have probably now discovered the Scottish Nursing Guild can't use you without a PIN number from the NMC unless you are willing to work as a health care assistant. Even they will probably be looking for SVQ's. Nursing/care homes may take you but again, only as untrained minimum wage.

Good luck with your plans.

I can't comment on scope of practice in America as I don't know the difference. I was an ENP and I was an autonomous practitioner. I saw the patient from attendance to discharge including investigations and prescribing without seeing medical staff.

I can say that, as an example, a nurse does not use a stethoscope in the UK unless they are in a specialist area eg. ED, ICU etc.

Fiona59 · Jul 7, 2017

And that is why I won't be back.

My qualifications wouldn't be recognized. LPN in a speciality service. I do my full scope and have additional education to work in theatre and on dialysis units.

And to put the icing on the cake, last time I entered the UK, the passport control welcomed me "home" and then stamped my passport to say "not eligible to work, receive healthcare, public benefits, etc". Not very welcoming. Diid the same to my spouse who was born in the EU.

We were thinking of retiring to his birth country at the time. But the Fatherland isn't what he remembered.

winterblew84 · Jul 7, 2017

Yeah, sorry about that, that's what I was trying to warn you about.
If you go through the whole of the World Nursing forum on this site you will find lots of people in exactly the same position.
It's not that we don't want you, but you have to have the correct qualification and experience. As you have probably now discovered the Scottish Nursing Guild can't use you without a PIN number from the NMC unless you are willing to work as a health care assistant. Even they will probably be looking for SVQ's. Nursing/care homes may take you but again, only as untrained minimum wage.
Good luck with your plans.
I can't comment on scope of practice in America as I don't know the difference. I was an ENP and I was an autonomous practitioner. I saw the patient from attendance to discharge including investigations and prescribing without seeing medical staff.
I can say that, as an example, a nurse does not use a stethoscope in the UK unless they are in a specialist area eg. ED, ICU etc.

I am definitely not wiling to work as a health care assistant, when I know what I am capable of as a registered nurse with 11 years wide range of experience. I run an entire department at a clinic at a major university-and that's not even the most "stressful" job I've had! I have to be paid enough to feed a family of four, so that's not something I'm willing to budge on...you know?

Leedeedee · Sep 17, 2017

A lot of the NHS Trusts have Overseas nursing programmes, where they'll take you on as an HCA but they'll also give you dedicated time during the paid work day to train you up to take the OSCE and they'll pay for your attempt. Afterwards you'd pretty much be guaranteed an RN job.

For example

Band 3 Overseas Nursing Programme