Anyone a practice nurse?

[ThePontiacBandit]

I’ve been a qualified nurse for a long time (14 years) and I’ve worked at the same trust I trained at the whole time. I have a variety of experience including elderly care and Endoscopy. I’ve found the culture where I work challenging. I am Autistic, I find this has pros and cons in work. I feel like work is a battle a lot of the time. I feel ready for a change but leaving the trust after so long is a big leap.

Recently I’ve been considering doing my practice nurse training. I think the work would be interesting - interested in lots of aspect such as care of patients with long term conditions (from previous elderly care). I can do it locally part time (really appeals because I could pick up shifts around the training), immunisation, the hours appeal (and no on calls!). But I’m sure there’s aspects I’ve not thought about. My thoughts are to attend the open day at the uni that does the training, and see if my local practice would let me do a couple of insight days. I did do a placement as a student nurse with a local practice but that was obviously a long time ago!

I would love to know anyone’s real life experience of this field! Pros and cons? Things I won’t have thought about. Thanks in advance!

Me! Well for the next few months as I’ve just got a job in community nursing.

I like being a PN most of the time, work load is varied depending on your practice population, I do a lot of diabetes and wound care.
It’s very tick box-y, all about getting enough points for funding which I don’t like.

Thanks for replying. Where I live, I’d be vying for a local practice around the outskirts of the city with lots of village. The tick boxing doesn’t sound too appealing but we already do quite a lot of that where I work.

Look into it properly as I don’t think most practice nurses are part of agenda for change as they are employed by the practice not an nhs trust....therefore dire net pay scales, holidays, sick entitlement...and definately look into what will happen with your pension...,what about community nurse role with the DNS then you could apply for secondment to do your SPQ training to be a DN

Kitkat that’s useful to know, thanks.

I’ve gone for community nursing jobs in the past and not been successful none to apply for at the moment.

@Kitkat151

Look into it properly as I don’t think most practice nurses are part of agenda for change as they are employed by the practice not an nhs trust....therefore dire net pay scales, holidays, sick entitlement...and definately look into what will happen with your pension...,what about community nurse role with the DNS then you could apply for secondment to do your SPQ training to be a DN

This is a big consideration. Unfortunately, packages for practice nurses are often terrible because GP partners can set their own terms and are aware that the position is attractive because of the family friendly hours. It is almost always below AfC banding rates (with no enhancements), SSP, you’ll lose your long service NHS annual leave entitlement.

Yeah the AFC is a big thing. We don’t have it at my practice so we get the minimum holiday/sick/maternity benefits but I get a decent hourly wage and have room to negotiate that.

GP land is incredibly short staffed at the minute and we’re getting a lot of flack from patients (rightly or wrongly) I had a close call the other day and nearly set off my panic button as I though a relative was going to go for me.

If you’re on Facebook there’s a ‘general practice nurse UK’ group which you can search through for posts from other nurses in your shoes.

I have been qualified for 23 years this year and have been in the community for all of that. Was a DN for 15 years and now have a more specialist role. I have worked within the same Trust for all of that time and for me community has been perfect for my life ie one weekend a month, no shift pattern, flexible working, training. I have recently relocated 40 miles away and need to find a role closer to home. Have thought about PN but for reasons stated by pp I would not move forward with it. I would also add in your pension and try and stay in the NHS for that. Also consider your annual leave - we get 8 weeks and year which is pretty good going. Keep looking for community roles, although it can be very very busy it can be a very rewarding role.

I was a DN for 13 years and have been a PN for the last ten.
I took a pay cut and less annual leave when I moved, but it's been more than worth it to see my DC every weekend, Xmas day, Easter etc etc and never work before 8am or after 6pm. I've had regular pay rises since and now earn pretty well.
Agree, there is an awful lot of box ticking to meet targets., and although very busy, the stress is nothing like working on the wards.
Patients have unrealistic expectations though, and having read many threads were the perception is we've been shut for the past 18 months, it's a very frustrating job at the moment. You have to be super organised and work accurately at speed, or no lunch break for you!
No two days are the same, I can be doing smears, baby vaccinations, chronic disease management, travel, dressings, contraception etc all in the same day. So it's a steed learning curve.
Five years and I'm out at 55, as are many PN's I know so this is definitely another area where there will be shortages in the near future.

Note, have kept the NHS pension. Wouldn't have moved if that wasn't possible.

@cptartapp

Note, have kept the NHS pension. Wouldn't have moved if that wasn't possible.

Thats interesting I did not realise you could keep your pension going. I absolutely hear you though with patients, I had a well over due smear test during COVID and the Practice nurses was saying just how busy they were.

Another thing about practice nursing is the opportunities for learning and development. I'm a PN of 3 years and am currently being sponsored locally to train at Master's level to become an Advanced Clinical Practitioner.

Yeah I kept my NHS pension too.
There is a lot of scope for training (in your own time generally). Agree about being organised, but that’s all nursing I think.
All GP surgeries are different, they’re all run differently with completely different feels, my surgery is bloody brilliant most of the time, we’re not micromanaged and I feel the GP’s and the nurses rub along quite nicely, in other surgeries there is very much a separation between the two.
I’m moving to community nursing shortly, I have two small children and childcare fees are horrific so I’ll be working twiglight shifts, opposite to DP.

Thanks for everyone who has replied. Definitely food for thought. I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay where I am…I think I will at least do the open day.

What about health visiting....they ( HVs) are leaving in droves...
Anywhere near you taking on student HVs ( you would get band 5 wages whilst training):

kitkat151 I did consider HV but two things put me off - firstly, I think I’d struggle with the safeguarding aspect of the role (I’m not made of stern stuff) and also the very fact that people are leaving in droves! Why are they all leaving? I’m not sure I’d be much better off!

Ive just got a job in PN and start at the end of next month. As I havent started working yet I cant give the practicalities of that side of things, but I can talk about finding a job and what to look for etc.

The differences between practices are vast. You get a feel of good ones and bad ones. One I interviewed at were happy for me to treat and diagnose patients (I have extended quals) but wouldnt fund a prescribers course because I could just "knock on a Drs door and ask for the meds I needed". They wanted a nurse practitioner on the cheap. The practice I accepted a job at have given me a long term training plan and ive been enrolled on 3 courses before even starting. I would say really research the practice, and ask questions in the interview. Most offer a visit to the practice before interview where you can also ask questions. Id really recommend that because its less formal.

Pay has been spoken about.

I will say that when I spoke to the lead nurse in one practice I interviewed for, she said there were a load of applicants for PN positions atm. People seem to want to move from hospital based care after COVID.