AIBU to leave the NHS for the private sector?

[FlorenceNightshade]

I’m a nurse with years of acute experience but feeling totally fed up with the NHS and all the stress that comes with working for it.

I’ve an interview for a promoted post in the private sector (care home) this week. AIBU to go for it? Yes the NHS is a shit show just now but it’s also so precious and I’ve always been proud to work there.

Any fellow nurses made the change and have any insight?

@WeaningNewbiiee have you? What sort of role did you have? Very interested in people’s experience

[quote Spudina]@Mumofgirl1 you sound awesome. Well done for turning the care around. I can only imagine how difficult that was.[/quote]
@Spudina thank-you it took a lot of hard work, stress and a lot of premature grey hair but it was worth it in the end. I've been lucky I've had some great role models over the years who taught me the right way of doing things.

OP my mum is not a registered nurse, however she was the senior night shift carer in a care home for 10 years. I cannot even begin to tell you the level of stress she had on her day to day.

I know all care home providers are different and some are WAY better than others but when she used to call me at 8.30 am in tears because she had lost 2 residents and had 20 residents to wash and help to bed because of the terrible staffing levels I would never recommend anyone to work in that environment.

At a minimum I would suggest you investigate and read the most recent CQC reports for the cafe home you are thinking of going to x

@cricketmum84 thank you I’d forgotten about the endless conveyer belt of patients to be washed and toileted. Some shifts it felt like that’s all you did. Not that it’s not important but there is so much more you want to do with your patients. The best places have smaller ratios of staff to patient to try and combat that but sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day right?

[quote FlorenceNightshade]@cricketmum84 thank you I’d forgotten about the endless conveyer belt of patients to be washed and toileted. Some shifts it felt like that’s all you did. Not that it’s not important but there is so much more you want to do with your patients. The best places have smaller ratios of staff to patient to try and combat that but sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day right?[/quote]
Oh totally. I did it for a short time years ago and was totally beaten down by that constant timing of right on to the next one attitude when actually I wanted to actually care for them! Which meant getting a cup of tea for them and talking to the residents. There never seemed to be time for that. It was sad :(

@cricketmum84 do you think activity organisers and the like make a difference? So if the care staff are busy meeting hygiene needs patients are getting social interaction and attention from others?

[quote FlorenceNightshade]@Mumofgirl1 yea that’s exactly what it looks like. Just can’t imagine how horrible it must have been for care homes to lose multiple residents during the first waves. The impact on staff must have been something else. In hospitals yes we had high numbers of fatalities but not usually with the emotional connection or relationship. Just heartbreaking[/quote]
Covid had a massive impact on care homes despite what bojo and friends like to tell people there was never a protective bubble around us, we was sent 1 pack of 300 out of date mask nothing else. I
Must admit we was one of the lucky homes that didn't get it. I locked down way before Boris decided to tell us too. We also didn't have any empty rooms so wasnt in a position to admit anyone, even with the slightest cold staff where told to isolate purely because I didn't want anyone bringing it into the residents I was also pregnant and absolutely terrified of the effects it could have on the baby. My heart broke for all those homes that got it, I'm on a managers group on Facebook and watching home after home come down with it and loose residents was just awful. CQC continued to put pressure on all homes ringing round expecting us to fill out ridiculous forms that no one had the time or man power to fill in. Sorry I've ranted abit. Maybe you could join that, it might help you abit more with your decision it's called the outstanding managers group it's for both nursing and residential homes.

I retrained as an NHS podiatrist 15 years ago as I had a back I jury. I absolutely love my job and its 9 to 5 with weekends and Bank Holidays off.

@Mumofgirl1 that sounds so rough! I don’t imagine you come out the other side of something like that unchanged. I keep saying that it will only be once the dust settles that the enormity of how covid has affected so many area will really come to light

[quote FlorenceNightshade]@cricketmum84 do you think activity organisers and the like make a difference? So if the care staff are busy meeting hygiene needs patients are getting social interaction and attention from others?[/quote]
It's hard to comment as there were no activity organisers where I worked and my mum worked nights so we haven't seen them. I know at the home my mum worked at they did have an activity organiser up until the pandemic and we went along to a few of the garden parties and summer fetes. The residents loved seeing everyone children running around and would sit the younger ones with them and talk to them about "old times". I think that was one of the most enriching activities we saw. My eldest was so interested! Such a shame that hasn't been able to happen for so long.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky ooh that’s interesting! I always wondered what kind of people dream of becoming podiatrists and chiropodists! In all seriousness though switching to another AHP isn’t a realistic option for me due to funding etc but thank you for your experience. I can’t wait to say I love my job again just wish I knew how to get there!!

I left the NHS for a care home. No regrets. We also all caught Covid, every resident and all but one nurse (who we think may have had a very mild dose at some point) Treated horrendously by local healthboard they wanted us to admit untested people straight from hospital. They constantly changed the goalposts, and made up rules as they went along.
All but 4 of our residents pulled though covid and are fine.
Acute experience is always needed. We have 1/2 and 1/2 RGN's and RMN's as we are EMI home.

OP, I know absolutely nothing about nursing, but if you’re going to make a move to the private sector, please make sure you have a firm grasp on what pension provision you’ll be getting in your private sector job.

There is a world of difference between a direct benefit pension (which your nhs one will be) and direct contribution (which your private sector one would probably be). The difference would make any salary increase look completely negligible.

@cricketmum84 ugh the effects of covid are so long reaching aren’t they? Awful to think of people trapped on the inside and others trapped on the outside

@FedUpAtHomeTroels What an awful loss I’m so sorry. Not having clear guidance must have made everything so much harder. If you don’t mind me asking did you notice a huge difference in your pay when you switched?

@TheKeatingFive thank you for your input. Not ashamed to admit that pensions and benefits make my eyes glaze over so I will definitely make an effort to get some figures and discuss it with my family

[quote FlorenceNightshade]@Mumofgirl1 that sounds so rough! I don’t imagine you come out the other side of something like that unchanged. I keep saying that it will only be once the dust settles that the enormity of how covid has affected so many area will really come to light[/quote]
It was horrendous. But i
Also understand the impact you nurses had it at the hospitals it must of been horrendous having to deal with it first hand. I think your right once the dust has settled and we're all able to take a massive breath we will start seeing the long term impact it's had on both care home, hospital, ambulance staff's mental health.

Find an NHS nursing job off the wards- practice nurse (largely office hours, set workload, time to actually get to know regular patients a bit etc), school vaccinator, community, health education, 111 clinical advisor...

@Mumofgirl1 you’re so right! I think the enormity of what we’ve all dealt with in our own areas is yet to hit fully

@Noteshook all excellent suggestions thank you! Unfortunately no suitable vacancies in these areas in my trust at present. I don’t know wether I should go for it or tread water a bit longer and try not to drown

[quote FlorenceNightshade]@Noteshook all excellent suggestions thank you! Unfortunately no suitable vacancies in these areas in my trust at present. I don’t know wether I should go for it or tread water a bit longer and try not to drown[/quote]
I mean the thing to remember is that even if you leave you will always be able to return to the NHS as a nurse as they're so short, albeit might not have the pick of dream jobs, so leaving is less of a leap of faith than for some other professions. I would say that it's unlikely the additional benefits are as good in the private sector, and although stressors are unlikely to be the same, it will still be stressful. If you need some time away from ward nursing (understandable..) maybe take it and then keep an eye for jobs that suit you when they arise? The alternative would be to be signed off for a bit I guess, but wouldn't actually solve anything.

Id recommend you negotiate terms and conditions.
My local private area pays more but offers less holiday, and zero sick pay. I know of 3 nurses who have completely screwed by the sick pay when one got cancer, another broke a leg.

Pension is worth considering too

@Noteshook wise words thank you. The NHS will always need nurses and if I leave my full time post and just pick up the odd bank shift I’m keeping the door open.
Ooh to have a crystal ball and know what the right thing to do is

@Oldandcobwebbed Jesus that sounds awful and so unsupportive! I didn’t know you could offer no sick pay at all. Definitely need to ask some specific questions at interview

I am a nurse and am now a registered manager of a care home although we care for more complex residents, not the elderly or for those with dementia. There are obviously pros and cons to both. The pay is much better in the private sector, however you will lose the sick pay, maternity pay and the NHS pension. Management in a nursing or care home is massively stressful with CQC always determined to make things as difficult as possible. However, it is really rewarding and i can honestly say that due to the complexity of our residents, I have learnt skills that are normally only used in ICU. Of course, this may not be the same in an elderly care home so I think it is worth looking at what homes are in your area and the people they care for. Personally, I think it is unlikely that I would leave my current role to go back into the NHS. I think something to consider if you are thinking of taking a management role in a nursing home is that the buck for things like covering shifts if someone is off sick will fall to you and ultimately the manager, that in itself can be stressful. It would be a good idea to ask what oncall system they have in place. I am happy to answer any questions you might have although I am sure others have probably already answered lots of questions, sorry I have not rtft.