To say that if you're a nurse and are having children, NEVER let your registration lapse.

I completely agree.
I took 12 years out and had to go back to university and retrain in my early 40s when my youngest was 1 year old. It was really tough. I don't regret it because I retrained in a completely new field which meant I could get a senior post in a job that didn't involve weekends or nights, but it was long, hard and expensive.

It would have been so much easier just to do a few nights or weekends each year.

Wow. I'm not a nurse so not relevant to me but as an outside this seems so disjointed and ill-thought-through. If they really think that 20 weeks of study plus essay plus supervised placement is necessary to reregister then the minimum requirement to maintain registration should be higher (e.g. 48 shifts per year plus 1 certified cpd activity per 24 months).
If they genuinely think someone can maintain their skill level in practice with 20x7.5hrs per year then reregistration should take no more than 8 weeks.

Fish - there is also a minimum requirement for personal development that has to be done in your own time. This would be attending educational events and courses, reading, writing up learning experiences - it is called revalidation and is overseen by your employer. This is compulsory for all nurses in employment.

The point about not working the minimum number of shifts is that you would not then have access to the compulsory revalidation system.

I still have to go to evening meetings and lectures, read educational materials, attend compulsory training - all in my own time - in order to maintain my registration. Every lecture or meeting I attend has a certain number of CPD points and I have to maintain a log of everything.

Besides - in my job, if I don't keep up to date, I could easily kill someone, so I wouldn't risk not doing so.

Too late! I'm doing RTP in September, wish me luck! Looks like a bit of a slog but at least it'll make me more confident about going back and doing a decent job!

Good luck!
I've recently completed RTP and am struggling to get a job because my closest DGH will only recruit if you can do 12 hour shifts and rotate onto nights. No flexibility whatsoever. I can't manage long shifts or nights as carer to two very elderly parents. I'm happy to work days and weekends, no problem.
Also have to return to the lowest Staff Nurse grade as been out of DN for 4 years! Apparently previous (extensive and highly specialist) experience counts for zilch. Really wish I hadn't bothered especially as had to do minimum 120 hours virtually unpaid (£250 bursary), drive 28 mile round trip and was treated very badly. The hospital did apologise but the damage was done.

I work as a clinical nurse specialist in a very small team in the community.

I was a midwife for many years before DC, but couldn't cope with compulsory nights and weekends and small children. Also - in those days, if you were part time, you still had to do nights and weekends, but on first year staff nurse pay regardless of what your pre-child grade had been.

I still think NHS staff in hospital are treated quite badly TBH.

Nonnainglese - where do you live?

My registration has lapsed (dismissed on ill health 4 years ago) and I won't be fit to go back for a good while yet. But I am wondering, I was RSCN at top band 5, can I do the health visitor course in lieu of retraining in peads? Thanks in advance.

I think you would have to contact the NMC and ask, littleprincess.
I know there has recently been a recruitment drive to get people to train as HVs. I got a letter asking me if I would consider going back to health visiting - but I am close to retirement and wouldn't consider moving now.

May I ask if anyone has done the return to practice course while working fulltime? I'm keen to do it and I've downloaded all the forms but I need to work as can't afford to study full time.Thanks for any advice.

Thanks 3littlefrogs. I might wait till I am better to do that, then I will know what I can manage. I doubt I will ever manage to go back to busy ward work, plus I have to eat little and often and always will (no stomach now) so I think community nursing or out patients might be more suited as I may be able to snack throughout the day between visits. I guess I am a long way off being well enough though.

Between Yeovil and Taunton 3littlefrogs

I think it's all very well the government saying recruit and retain nurses but reality is very different. Local DGH apparently recruited 65 Portugese nurses a year ago but only 8 still there. I don't think they'll encourage nurses to return to work until they adopt flexible hours. Bank nursing was, I thought, an option but same rules applied - 12 hour shifts ' to include x nights every three months '

Marylou2 - some girls on the course were working as well but having to use their annual leave to attend the 7 study days and fit the practical hours, as not allowed to only do them at weekends. I think they found it incredibly hard to manage. Even a few working part time struggled.

A lot of GP practices are employing HCAs now and training them up to do immunisations, dressings,stop smoking clinics, phlebotomy, basic health checks. I think it sounds like a lovely job TBH.
I have HCAs in my team and they are brilliant - we couldn't manage without them, but we trained them ourselves and we all work together well.

Why don't you have a look and see if there are any jobs like that near you, littleprincess?

Nonnainglese - that is a shame.
We are desperately looking for staff, but you are hundreds of miles too far away.

Yes - the local hospital close to me recruited loads of Portuguese nurses, but they don't speak English and find it too stressful and don't stay.

Why the NHS can't sort out decent terms and conditions for bank nurses trained and based in the UK who are looking for secure, part time work, I cannot fathom. The NHS is wasting millions on agency staff instead of creating good working conditions for bank and part time staff on their own books.

It is mad.

I'm doing RTP starting November. I lapsed for 8 years. Qualified way back in the early 80's.
So not looking forward to having to write essays.
I have to do 12 weeks Uni with 150 hours minimum supervised student time.
I'll had in my notice for it, I'm a HCSW, working full time. I've applied to the bank to be able to earn money.
Where I am we get a non means tested bursary, small but a nice surprise.
My biggest worry is getting a job after I'm finished.
I really don't like the way that you have to do the revalidation and keep track of what you have done. It seems a bit haphazard to me, nice when you have senior nurse friends who can sign to say you have done anything you say. It would be better to allow access to certified classes, online or by book at home and give a set number of hours training each year. Each class being worth a set amount of hours. That way we can all be responsible for doing it in our time slowly or in a mad rush however you like to work.

I'm going back to Uni in September to do my RTP (lapsed 12 years ago). Working as an HCA at the moment and beginning to wonder why I thought it would be a good idea :/

Do you mean the HCA job is a bad idea or the RTP course?

WHAT?!
I thought it was 2 weeks college and 120 hours. How can anyone be arsed with all that college? That has really put me off actually, might just have that 4th DC....

Littleprincess - you need a current RN, RSCN, RMHN, or RM to be a health visitor. You cannot practice with this qualification alone. That said, watch this space as the registration rules are changing I think so there may be some change with that.

Registration rules are changing? What have you heard MrsPatrickDempsey

I meant the RTP :)
I was doing almost as much as the trained staff but being paid less as an HCA. I thought I might as well RTP so I had more options (eg better hours, maybe go part-time...) It seemed such a waste of 3 years training not to do it IYSWIM.
I went through all the hoops to get this job, complete with sponsorship for the RTP and then have had to go through them all again to apply to Uni. No-one really knows what to do with me, where my boundaries are etc. The team is short-staffed and need a 'pair of hands', not someone who needs baby-sitting while they do the course. It is rather stressful!