Wanting To Know What I Need To Know

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Specializes in Re-hab, hospice, long-tem care.

Hello.

A few years ago I finally fulfilled a lifetime wish and was able to visit London. I was only able to spend 6 days, but they were wonderful. I decided then and there that I would find a way to live in Great Britain at least for a while. Because I'm just an average person, making an average salary, I know the only way to accomplish my goal was to work in GB.

A little about me: I'm 53 years old, single, I have my BS in Management. I went though several lay-offs (redundancies) and decided to become a nurse because of the job security. I've been an LPN for four years now. I work for a large corporation that has rehab, home nursing, long-term care, assisted living and hospice facilities in most states. My facility has long-term care, rehab and hospice services.

I am currently in a LPN to RN bridge program and will have completed my RN in 1.5 years. Going back to school is depressing, but with my London goal in mind, I can almost stomach it.

In my reading I know that I'll be more placeable in the UK if I have some kind of specialization. How much will my age go against me? I'll probably be 55 or 56 before I will have the credentials needed. My health is good. I just have the usual American middle-aged illnesses - my cholesterol is controlled with drugs, my thyroid gets some help as well.

Help me! Tell me your secrets. What sort of experience and training would a Band 6 nurse posess?

Linda

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hello.

A few years ago I finally fulfilled a lifetime wish and was able to visit London. I was only able to spend 6 days, but they were wonderful. I decided then and there that I would find a way to live in Great Britain at least for a while. Because I'm just an average person, making an average salary, I know the only way to accomplish my goal was to work in GB.

A little about me: I'm 53 years old, single, I have my BS in Management. I went though several lay-offs (redundancies) and decided to become a nurse because of the job security. I've been an LPN for four years now. I work for a large corporation that has rehab, home nursing, long-term care, assisted living and hospice facilities in most states. My facility has long-term care, rehab and hospice services.

I am currently in a LPN to RN bridge program and will have completed my RN in 1.5 years. Going back to school is depressing, but with my London goal in mind, I can almost stomach it.

In my reading I know that I'll be more placeable in the UK if I have some kind of specialization. How much will my age go against me? I'll probably be 55 or 56 before I will have the credentials needed. My health is good. I just have the usual American middle-aged illnesses - my cholesterol is controlled with drugs, my thyroid gets some help as well.

Help me! Tell me your secrets. What sort of experience and training would a Band 6 nurse posess?

Linda

Hi and welcome to the forum :)

Your age will not go against you but there are a few factors at the moment which I feel may go against you. 1) Jobs are really hard to find at the moment 2) immigration changes make it very hard for someone outside the EU get a work permit as hospitals have to justify to why they went outside UK/EU.

Specialised nurse roles are usually more than band 6 and if looking you need to check out what NMC will accept regarding training even specialised. You will need to complete all requirements for overseas nurse with NMC including language exam and ONP before you get a PIN which enables you to work in the UK as a RN but does not guarantee work or work permit

I know it probably isn't what you want to see but things may change in the future but I can't see if happening soon

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

just thought, check out this site for nursing jobs may give you some ideas on what is available http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/

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Specializes in Re-hab, hospice, long-tem care.

Thanks so much for your reply. I've been watching your Royal Nursing Association news and realize that as a new RN that I would be difficult to place because you have been successful in getting more new RN's in the pipeline. My thought is that I would probably need to work a year or two and what kind of experience would make me most valuable. If I were to work in cardiac step-down for two years, or oncology for two years.

The way I am reading the rules is that jobs go to GB citizens and EU first. You have new nurses in the pipeline. What jobs are going to be the ones that can't be filled as older nurses retire? Is the fact that I have a Bachelors in Mgmt a good

I've tried to become as knowledgeable about your NHS as I can and understand that there have been many changes with the closing of beds replaced with one-day surgery, etc. This has changed the current need for nurses. We've always been through that and the motivation was profit for our mostly privately held facilities and our profit-driven insurance companies who are the ones who set caps on days covered, etc. The Free Market in Action (for the few).

I want to work in the NHS because I am so negative about our system. I'm curious about the differences and want to know what would make me a more valuable candidate.

Also, I'm open about where I would live AND would be willing to relocate as necessary.

I'm pretty knowledgeable about the boxes that I have to check, the money I have to send and the tests I have to take.

What I need to know is what can I do in the next three years to make myself ATTRACTIVE to the NHS?

(Maybe Gordon Brown will bring changes? (I don't think so. HAHA). I watch Commons Questions Time every week. Please direct me in all things English!!. I'm even working on my English spelling!!)

Thanks for all replies

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Specializes in Multiple.

As Anna has already said, unless you come from Europe it is difficult for overseas nurses to get jobs here.

Sadly even experienced UK nurses are having problems - I know this as lots of my colleagues have been made redundant and getting new jobs isn't easy - and they were all born and trained here. One of my friends daughters qualified 7 months ago and still hasn't managed to secure a nursing job.

Sorry to disappoint, but what you are trying to do is a very difficult task - good luck in your attempt.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

have to agree with Fonenurse, just checked out a couple of jobs and they comment that they will unlikely look at application if requiring work permit

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Specializes in med/surg.

Have you considered Scotland? They have a different approach - I posted in another thread on here details from an advert in the Nursing times. I know you're too early on at the moment to actually apply but you could check it out. Also you could try Ireland as a gateway, they too have a different approach & belong to the EU.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Welcome to the Uk forum Linda- sorry I have not replied before, but I have had visitors fromt he UK and have been awol. It is difficult to find work in the UK at the moment but I imagine it will not remain that way. If you are determind enough to go the distance then I am sure you will find away. When I started the emigration process 7 years ago I lost heart because I was frightened I wouldnt pass NCLEX so I decided to forget about the whole thing-I have wanted to live here in the US for all my life-so forgetting about it just never happened.

We decided to go for it and hang the consequences because I live by the rule You never regret what you've done only what you've never done. So go for it and you can say you tried- Good Luck

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