Leave Nursing ?

[ohsotired2022]

I’m 47.
I’ve been a Nurse for over 20 years.
I’ve worked in hospital settings. Community. Health Visiting and School Nursing.

On my Pension Statement it says my Normal Pension Age is 60 as I stated before May 2006.

I’m staying so that I can retire somewhere between 55-60.

I hate it though but worry if I leave I will regret that I walked away from a good pension.

I also don’t know what else I could do.

I have applied for other jobs outwith the NHS and never get an Interview

I even applied for one of the PIP assessor jobs although I hear mixed things but got knocked back.

Would I be Unreasonable to stay for the Pension?

Hi op I’m the same age, qualified in 2003.

Where are you working now? I’ve gone into a specialist nurse post and am really happy in this role.

As a side note, how do you look at your pension pot? I probably should check mine out 😬

Our local trust has just started a digital health visiting team so it's 1 day a month in practice doing visits and the rest wfh attending meetings and dealing with queries

Might be worth casting a wider net as I know some areas really need HVs

Remember you can only take your 1995 and 2008, not the 2015. If you take the 2008 before you’re 65 you will get a reduced amount. I did a flexible retirement last year and took my 1995 section. It was the best thing I did, I now work part time but was allowed to remain in my senior sister post, not all trusts allow this though!

Thanks @Birch101I do often just put Health Visiting in the Search and there is always posts for Glasgow and other parts of Scotland. It’s only Edinburgh that hasn’t advertised since 2023, just taking on their SCPHN students.
I lost my parents within 8 weeks and walked away from Health Visiting. I now realise it was probably a knee jerk reaction and I probably should have went part time not walked away .

@Girliefriendlikespuppies I’m currently in Camhs which is ok.

il not sure how to search outside of Scotland but in Scotland you go to SPPA and it’s really easy to find your Pension Statement.
there is a good Facebook Group, think called Pen-Gage Ltd. A woman called Laura runs it and she will let you know where to search for your statements

@LoudTealHareI think under the McCloud Judgment you can choose to have your 2015 rolled back to 2008?
I think, I’d have to go and read up on it all again. I know when I spoke to Laura at Pen-Gage she explained it well and I think it meant it would work out better for me if I wanted to retire at 60.

If you’re in Scotland what about NHS 24 roles?

@MSJ14I have thought about teaching a few times. A few girls who I know did the SCPHN topped up their Qualifications to Masters to enable them to teach. I always felt I was too old but maybe I should look into this again.

@Amie30I will have a look at the Job Description. I do these posts often come up but think because I’m not Adult Trained that I don’t have the right Qualification

I'm a childrens nurse, left ward work 10yrs ago, did school nursing, then immunising, and have been working in CAMHS for 18 months. I find it soul destroying! Refreshing NHS jobs every 15 mins or so . There isn't anything! I'm old, so I only have the diploma which is a bit limiting, I'm lucky to have a band 6. Also RSCN is so limiting! I wish I'd done adult nursing sometimes. Cannot wait to retire.

@Bugsy73sorry to hear that things are hard.
I feel I’ve worked my way down and back where I started 20 years ago. Although it feels harder than it used to but that’s maybe because I’m 20 years older now.
I’m the same as you in that I’m constantly looking for jobs but there is a real shortage. I wish I had the guts to leave but then to go where. And if the pay is worse ? And I regret losing my pension 🤯

I feel my skill set is quite niche although I am also MH trained as well as Paeds but I’ve never worked on Paeds ward as went straight to Camhs and I have very limited experience as MH Nurse outside of Camhs, just a couple of placements.

Were you not interested in doing the SCPHN Course when you were a School Nurse ?

@Bugsy73I was a Band 6 Camhs Nurse in an Outpatient Team (several times 🙈) and now Band 5.
I think I must be one of the only nurses who works their way down the Bands 🤦‍♀️

Your definitely far from the only one that is still in their public sector job for the pension!

Where i am many people take partial retirement as early as possible. Maybe reducing your hours will make it more tolerable?

I'm not keen on safeguarding so never fancied the SCPHN, I really liked immunising, but I wanted a band 6 and CAMHS were desperate enough to give me one! To be fair, they are a lovely service to work for, I just find mental health demoralising, I miss nursing, but don't want the shifts...I'm difficult to please apparently. I would like to work in a clinic, sleep/allergy/continence, something along those lines.
Currently just trying to keep my eye on the prize. If I can get to 60 (8 more yrs), maybe a change of direction, and as part time as I can.

@Bugsy73I think I’m also looking for a job that doesn’t exist or a combination of previous roles. They all have elements that I like and also don’t like.
I found School Nursing at Band 5 quite autonomous and feel this was the one that got away and maybe I should have stayed altho the money with being term time wasn’t great.
The Child Protection (safeguarding) was worse in Heath Visiting as it fell onto you. I did feel in School Nursing there were others such as named person so not all on the School Nurse. 🤷🏼‍♀️
I hope you find the role that feels the right fit to see you to retiring at 60.

What about care experienced (previously looked after) nursing or through care nursing? your qualifications look quite relevant for that

The job situation for nurses in England is dire in some areas. Lots of recruitment freezes. I’ve left after 25 years and retraining in something completely new. It’s a scary prospect but I needed a change. Still get a government pension in my new job. My NHS pension can either stay where it is or I have a year to move it to my new pension. Not unreasonable to stay for the pension but you need to think about where you’ll be happier.

I’m not a nurse/clinical, but I see NHS24 advertised often and I think there are various clinical roles, I’ve used it for my kids various times. Worth looking into. Otherwise, what about other public sector roles which also have decent pensions - civil service, local government. I have worked with quite a few ex-nurses who had great management skills that transferred into public sector roles unrelated to health.

If you think you might want to take the leap
from the NHS, but not sure where else to look, have you considered a school nurse post in an independent school? That’s what I did - MH trained, worked as a camhs nurse, then SCPHN and worked as a HV, then made the move into independent school
nursing. I love my job!

@brunetteorblondeI have applied twice to Care Experienced and then withdrawn as F/T and I’m currently 30 hours. Will be keeping an eye out for these roles coming up again…hopefully!

@MatronPomfrey Sorry that the Job Situation is so dire where you and 25 years is such a long time to stay in Nursing. Well done finding something else that works! What is your role now?

@Amie30Will have a read of the Job Description when one next comes up and see if it would work for me.

@Twoweeksandcountingyour experience skills and skills sounds similar to me.
Well done finding a role that works and making the move.
I have thought about independent (private) schools a few times but don’t often see these roles coming up.
I’ll keep looking.
Good Luck

I’m a nurse lecturer. Do you enjoy teaching?

advice- don’t give up your registration. You may feel like it now but it’s worth hanging onto if you are somewhere you can revalidate.

Have you considered teaching in FE? You do your teaching qualification part time while working.

Every college offers at lest one Health and Social Care course but they are short of people who can teach the Anatomy and Physiology units.

Another option would be to look at the care sector, could you manage a care home?

Go in to the private sector, worse benefits but better pay.