is any job better than no job?

[WhatInTheWorld76]

I've had eighteen months off work from problems with my liver function. I am overwhelmed with the idea of going back to my old career which was a specialist children's nurse in a busy local ward. I'm out of practice due to time off. Do I gradually work my way back up to that post by taking a home care or care assistant post whilst increasing hours or do I try to go back to nursing straight away?

Would it be better to get any job to get my CV back on track or shall I try to go back to nursing?

Nursing is the only thing I can do.

[lljkk]

Not really only thing... you could pick strawberries or clean a school (not that I expect you want to).
If it was me, I would want to build up responsibility, not try to leap back in.

[hownottofuckup]

What do you want to do?

[lilydaisyrose]

Have you still got your nursing registration? I'm not sure how it works but can you just go back straight into nursing?

[TheoriginalLEM]

any job is better than no job. a gap on your cv is a red flag.

[Xmasbaby11]

What would you feel comfortable doing?

If I was trained as a specialist nurse I don't think I'd want to work at a lower level job. I'm not sure how being a care assistant would help you.

If you can go part time that would help while you're not 100%.

[flumpybear]

Donyou live near a university hospital!! Research nursing is often better hours and focuses on projects rather than wards of patients

[Lucked]

Personally I would go back to nursing, I was daunted to going back to work after a years maternity but it is depressing how quickly you feel like you have never been away.


I think you need a nurse for advice as I am not sure how you would ease yourself back in. Does the Royal College of Nursing have advice for retraining?

[MadisonMontgomery]

I generally think any job is better than no job - it shows your work ethic. Maybe speak to the RCN and see what advice they have for getting back into practice.

[WhatInTheWorld76]

Thanks! I think I'll contact RCN and the University Hospital. Together they may know the best solution.

[flumpybear]

Check jobs.ac.uk as sometimes they also advertise research nurse roles as well as NHS jobs website

[lougle]

If you are still registered as a nurse you can't work as a care assistant because you still have the accountabilities that come with your registration and you can't give those up voluntarily (I looked into this when I became a SAHM after having the children). 18 months is no time at all. You could join a nurse bank, or simply approach your local hospital and ask to do some shifts to familiarise yourself with the hospital again before working there.