Fellow nurses - what can I do to bump up my practice hours?

[InTheCludgie]

I've been a qualified nurse for over a decade but have worked in another healthcare post for much of that time. I normally do bank shifts to meet the revalidation requirements for practice hours however the last year has been awful, a family illness and subsequent bereavement means I haven't done a shift for a while and have fallen behind with my hours. I'm due to revalidate in January. I will on occasion give a nursing related presentation to my colleagues who are therapists but can anyone offer suggestions to what else I could do? I'm not caring too much about it being paid. Thank you

If you've got time to do unpaid work then surely you've got time to do agency shifts? They're fairly easy to come by, and you may as well be paid for your time rather than doing something for free.

How many hours have you got left to make up before January? Have you done any of the required hours in the past 2 years?

Its February now. When do you need to submit your revalidation. Do you mean Jan next year. Is it clinical hours you need to make up or study hours.

Is your current role nursing related? As in, do you need to be a qualified nurse to undertake the position?

Thanks for the replies. I think I have a bit of anxiety over going back on a ward and having responsibility for patients, hence why I want to see if there's anything else out there. I have 300 hours to make up by the end of January 2021 and the thought of cramming all those ward-based hours in, along with my main job, is stressing me out.

I feel like I need to work back up to it slowly but time wont allow it. I debated just giving up my registration but I would regret it I think.

Lucie, no my current role is a HCSW in therapies.

I would do some agency shifts. The rcn have a website about how to revalidate if youre in a non clinical role.

Join an agency and do a few hours in Nursing homes. You'd only need something like a 5 hour shift each week. Or a couple of 12 hour ones each month. We have a bank nurse who works once a week.

Seen your update. Do you want to.continue being a rn. If your current job doesnt need the qualification.

volunteer for St Johns Ambulance?

Thanks for the suggestions. My current job suits for childcare, pays the bills and is less stressful than doing solely ward nursing. I keep the nursing going because I live in hope that by the time my DCs dont need childcare any more, I can go back to it but in a non-ward environment. I can handle the required amount of ward shifts to keep my hand in, but too many wears me down (which is why I'm looking at something else to get me through this revalidation). My current post is ok but I dont want to be doing it forever.

Have you tried contacting some of the agencies to see if they have bank shifts for non-ward based roles?

The only other thing I can think off is 111 - the nurse advisor role. It's definitely not in a ward, based in a call centre and they offer flexible hours.

Good luck

Any teaching you do counts. How many hours have you done in the last three years?

Two years I mean.

I'd say about 15 teaching hours. I'm capable of doing a bit more though. As well as the presenting, I also give advice to my therapist colleagues on nursing related things as we are acute-based. The nurse bank in the neighbouring trust is looking for community bank staff - not necessarily with community experience but am unsure if I would be out of my depth. 111 is out as they need weekend commitment and my DH works at least one 12 hour shift every weekend.

What about contacting GP surgeries to see if they need any bank Treatment Room nurses. The work is more task orientated so possibly less pressured than a ward.

Check with your trust revalidation person, they should be best placed to help/support you. It may be that as you are still working within healthcare that your role still offers a good chunk to those hours. Otherwise you may just have to cram in the ward hours then in the next cycle prepare for something else. I work in the community, it's definitely not easier than acute now but probably less stressful (depending on what stresses you) but that's probably longer term so you feel comfortable and confident to worn on your own.

Could you do bank afternoon or evening work? For half shifts? Might be easier than a morning shift with ward rounds etc. Just so you can get a feel of a place, it's daunting going to a place you don't know.