Any mental health nurses?

[Holdingtherope]

I have been qualified 20 years and in the same role for 12 years. My role is pretty specialised (addictions third sector ) and I have lost experience in more acute and crisis settings.

Up until the last 2 years I have lived my job and career and have been really motivated and loved the role. Over the past 2 years, my role has changed dramatically, people have been made redundant and I have responsibility for more and more stuff, all health and safety stuff And stuff like management of housekeepers and catering staff.

People have left and I have been asked to do other roles without being interviewed And for the most part I have been happy. I know feel burnt out, out of my depth, almost corporate and away from patient contact much more than I would like.

I don't feel excited or inspired by my role.

I have just been offered a band 5 nursing role in NHS. In a new city, 8 month placements in different settings. I feel really motivated by this. Excited about getting to know a new city (is that really sad) getting to know brand new hospitals. I just feel resparked by the thought if it.

But am I jumping from the fire into the fireplace (or whatever that saying is)

It will be more travelling, £5k pay drop and I'm also worried about job security in first 2 years.

Shameless bump

If it's a step back to gain experience and widen skills to step up again, and if it's what you want, that's ok. Great idea. They will be lucky to get you.

Check out the new NHS trust on Glassdoor to see what people say about working for them. (Read with a pinch of salt as reviews on there can be overly harsh). Where will you live? Can you afford the rent?

Take up as much training as possible on each rotation and start applying for band 6 roles as soon as you are able.

I realised with a sense of doom last night that I still have 26 years to work! Maybe it's time to get out!

Any Rmns gone and done something g different

Yes ..ex RMN ...Addictions specialist too...went into charity sector and it nearly killed me. I'm ..I was ..a good clinical practitioner in a sector with a very high failure rate in terms of positive outcomes , and I also coped (as all staff did) with the inherent psycho dynamics of addiction therapy .I was a senior member of a team that set up innovative therapies in the face of much resistance and criticism from clients and staff wedded to traditional AA , so used to challenges and streses of getting a job done.
THEN I got co opted onto senior management and while still having to oversee 25 clients and a dry house and a re hab unit also had to take on more and more non clinical duties , deal.with never ending staff behavioural and disciplinary issues and deal with nasty ofice politics . After two years of that I was done ..three months stress leave...two days back at work I said nope cant do this ..left with no job to go to , let my registration lapse and walked away from a career I loved most of the time .
And then dear reader had lots of ups and downs but ended up back in the nhs as bum wiper general..low stress , minimal responsibility above and beyond care of patients, poor money but I make more on the side with creative stuff...anyway long story but taking on the extra managerial shit was a disaster for me and Ive seen that repeated often enough ..good nurses do not often make good managers ..management is a skill and needs a certain mindset and is a seperate discipline of it's own . Sorry long ramble ..but take the lower paid job and keep your sanity.

When @ginandbearit I am so inspired by your bravery.

Have you any regrets?

I keep thinking, maybe I should retrain then think what's the point for three years of hassle for same money

Absolutely I would go for this. It will get you out of your current situation, give you more options for the future, and also give you self belief and motivation to have more control to change your career path.

My DH is an RMN, went into management and now runs the endoscopy and general surgery unit at our local district hospital. Loves it.

Hello
Iv been qualified 20 years ... iv done posts up to a band 7.

Its really taken its toll on my mental & physical health.

I no longer want the stress ( or the ongoing risk of covid ) so last week i applied for a band 5 job which I would love.

Go for it ... value your health , your wellbeing & your future.

But please dont go into acute ... thats where im trying to leave.

Its hell . Half of our mental health inpatient staff are now scoring highly for PTSD as a result of vicarious trauma.

I think I'd do it if it gets you back into something you feel excited about. Can you negotiate about which increment you start on due to your experience? I have a colleague who did something similar and quite rapidly moved into a more senior job. There are shortages everywhere, and yiur huge amount if experience will be transferable.

The only issue I see is that rotational roles don't always end up rotating. The first area ends up short so don't want to release you.

I have two years to go before I can retire at 55, started at 18 and one of the last to have mental health officer status. I am so looking forward to retirement,I am currently a band 7 and hate the management I have been pushed into. My post was originally a clinical band 7 but as the team expanded it changed.If it wasn't for my pension I would downgrade.I would say that the NHS remains more beneficial than the private sector having briefly dabbled in this a few years ago. I doubt you 'need ' a rotational post, most areas are short and you could get a band 6 post. I am in liaison where there is a big government push to extend Services to 'core 24' and a real need for substance misuse experience. I totally get the feeling burnt out and staff crap which comes with a higher band but don't pitch yourself too low, band 5 nurses are often in charge on acute inpatient wards where in my local hospital the wards are mostly full of people with personality disorders as many very ill people are tried to be home treated.

I'm a general nurse working in acute medicine. Qualified last year. I'm desperate to get funding to allow me to retrain as RMN. I love acute but it's just so pressurised and I just feel drawn to the MH patients.

I'd have to give up my job as I'm not sure I can do this as it's physically exhausting and retrain for 2 years. However as I can't get funding it's a moot point.

Do what makes you happy. 26 years being in an area that makes you unhappy is not a good place to be.

@BryanAdamsLeftAnkle I would love to do my general. RMN is quite limiting on working abroad. I would love to work on a cruise ship! 😂

The ceasing of funded conversion courses is another example of a lack of investment in developing nurses. About 25 years ago I did my RGN conversion from RMN ,fully funded by the trust I worked for. Dual trained nurses benefit whatever area they are based.

@dottycat123 yes I would love to do the conversion

Go for another job in your current place so no trial period and keep job security?