To go into nursing

[Freshstarts22]

I know the NHS is in a bad state (I’m already in the nhs) but would I be crazy to complete a nursing degree with the end goal of becoming a health visitor?

I would really love to hear from people that have done it recently. What’s the workload like and how often are you on placement? I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a degree in either social work, teaching or nursing for the last 5 years but instead focused on training and work experience. If I’m going to do it it’s now or never as I’d really like it to be before I’m 40 or it doesn’t seem ‘worth it’ (silly I know)

Im a single parent and what worries me the most is how I’d manage placements with childcare. How many days would I be in uni? The actual coursework doesn’t scare me, it’s hard, but I can be at home at least. But I need to know how many weeks/how often/ placements run for.

I’m in London so band 6 starts at £40,000. I didn’t realise there was such a difference.
mom not on loads less than £33k now as a band 4!

I earn more now than a band 5 nurse outside of London would. That’s shocking.

It's poorly paid and not flexible around childcare while you are a student.

I'd really think through the impact on your family life of the stress, high likelihood of being assaulted in some areas, the burn out.

I get by being a senior nurse, but there isn't enough money to pay me to be a junior nurse again.

Yup, I'm top band 6 working 30 hours and my annual salary is £32000. That's working as a nurse practitioner assessing, diagnosing and treating patients

I'm mid band 6, not London, and my pay is around 35k...

Just checked agenda for change pay bands:

<2 years' experience
£33,706
2-5 years
£35,572
5+ years
£40,588

Top band 6 is 40k outside London.
32k is top of band 5.

NPs are only band 7 and above at my Trust.

Thing with the salary is it depends how many nights, weekends you work and if you're able/want to pick up bank or agency shifts. Before I had children I would work as much as I could and was clearing a decent salary, now I don't want to spend as much time at work so I actually work part time for the NHS and am registered with an agency so I get the best of both worlds. I've only been able to do this though because I live between 2 trusts more or less (some if not all don't let you do agency work with the trust you have employment with). Not that we should have to but there are ways to make a reasonable salary.

OP the degree is intense and largely placements are really relentless, as you know you don't want to be a nurse but are using it as a step stone as there's no other way to be a HV I do worry you'll find it really hard to stay focused. But on the flip side I'm sure you can make it work if it's what you really want- plenty of people do! I'd see if there are blended courses near you as it'll mean less time having to travel to uni aside from skills days. Be aware though your placements can be ages away- 2 hours each way was deemed as okay and reasonable when I trained. How big the placement zones are depends on the uni though, most have maps on their websites.

@Reterpabbit 9 our trust gets you by calling you a Junior nurse practitioner. The only difference in the job is that I do less management. They bulk our team out as JNP and a few SNPs to oversea mini teams.
I bulk my pay out with nights, weekends etc but as a health visitor they are on flat rates.

I am really thinking about it. Been on lots of forums ect. I don’t know if I can mentally cope with the workload/placements. I don’t know if I could realistically ask that of my one and only (aging) source of childcare. It’s a big commitment for them.
Ive been looking at social work degrees too but I don’t know if the workload is any easier. At least the placement side would be I suppose.
I think I’ll try and do an access course and see how I go anyway. I think the access to nursing course should still be enough to get me on a social work degree if that’s what I ended up deciding.

Maybe I should just stick to it with my band 4 and have an easy life. I’ll be on just over £31k once I get to 3 years. But then that’ll be it for me.

As you're in England you could try the nursing accociate route?
They don't have it where I am in Wales but they described it as being a 1 year training to be the step between a nurse and a HCA

I might be wrong but I think that would be even harder in terms of childcare. At least placements only run for 6-10 weeks at a time.

I think I’m going to look at social work degrees. I just don’t think realistically I could manage childcare around placements on a nursing degree, especially when the end goal isn’t actually to be a nurse. I’m not sure how much I’d be able to focus on the course content. It’s take me 5 years to be a HV with an access course too.
I know social work is demanding too but the degree and and placement seems more family friendly.

You should be able to get this kind of info from the course details blurb on university websites, by contacting the admissions tutors, or by going to nursing course open days at the universities you are interested in and asking the question. The NMC standards are what they are and pre-reg nursing courses must meet them but every university designs their courses slightly differently and so it’s best to find out directly.

Have you thought about OT or SLT? Lots more opportunities for 9-5 jobs & placements. Not so much take home safeguarding stress. Opportunities to go into private practice. If I had my time again paeds SLT would be where I would go.

Yeah I was going to say this, I did an OT degree when my daughter was a baby and my placements were all 8-4 or 9-5, so much easier to manage with nursery. They are generally very supportive with that sort of thing too as OT is all about “occupational balance”! You can work in paediatrics but you’ll be surprised at what you end up loving- stroke rehab was my favourite placement.

I also think being a band 6 OT is generally an easier jump and less stressful than being a band 6 nurse, as usually it just means you’re more specialised vs having to cope with the drama of ward rotas and staffing as a band 6 nurse. OTs work in smaller teams as well which I think gives less opportunities for cliques and bitchiness (although of course then if you don’t like your team there’s nowhere to hide!)

Im pleased you are rethinking OP.

Out of 13 nurses we have 8 off sick.

Morale is at an all time low and we literally sacrifice our own health for the health of others. x

I'll add to my experiences OP. I'm still out on placement, Everytime I go in I feel sick and anxious. Today it resulted in a massive panic attack at the hospital, I was outside the ward doors and just couldn't go in. I basically ran away, managed to drive ten mins to the nearest supermarket where I had another in the car park, then drive 10 mins to my mums where I had yet another big one. I feel like shit now, I'm exhausted and mentally drained. I can feel the panic just under the surface at the thought of going back.
I wish I never started nursing.

Christ, our social workers aren't that much better off! They are on their knees in our county 😩

I went back to do a nursing degree as a mature student. I don't know if my age was a factor, but I have never experienced a more toxic working environment. I was attracted to the career change as I had a terrible experience as a long term patient with a life-altering condition, and I was keen to use my shitty experience to give proper patient-centred care. Like a PP, I had panic attacks (perhaps linked to my own experiences) and my mental health was down the pan. I was pregnant for a bit of it (which didn't help), went of maternity leave and kicked the door shut behind me. Ten years on and I'm sure the short staffing and underfunding have made it even more toxic.

That said I had a great mental health placement, working closely with social workers, charities, psychologists and psychiatrists - would that be something that would interest you?

Blimey. Hope you are OK.

Is this all from the stress of the job.
What is the worst aspect which has led to this.