Do you have any questions about returning to nursing? NHS experts have answered questions

[EllieMumsnet]

Becoming a parent is one of the most fulfilling jobs that most will ever encounter; it is an amazing time for all. It can also mean that parents may seek a new career path after their parental leave or decide they'd prefer to go back to what they were doing before. If you've been a nurse in the past and would like to get back into it, the NHS would love to answer any questions you may have. Raych is a returnee nurse and Joy is from Health Education England. They can answer your questions about training and support.

Here is what the NHS has to say: “Your nursing skills and experience are needed more than ever before. There has never been a better time to return to nursing and it is easier than you might think. We have fully funded return to practice courses across England; your course will be paid for, and you'll receive at least £500 to help with travel, childcare and book costs. Mentors and tutors will be available throughout your course to build your confidence and get you ready to come back. The length of your course will depend on how long you've been out of practice but wont take longer than 12 months.”

Here is some more information on Raych: Raych qualified as a nurse in 1996 and worked at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford, then moved overseas and began a family. She left the profession in 2010 to focus on juggling her family's busy commitments. As her circumstances gradually changed she investigated a return to nursing, then last July, everything came together and she was able to do the Return to Practice course whilst working at the Royal Papworth Hospital. Following this her PIN was reactivated in March 2019 and she is now back in the career she loves.

Here is some information on Joy: Joy has been in the NHS for more than 30 years and is a nurse by background. She is passionate about encouraging nurses to return to practice and has extensive experience of supporting them to successfully return to the nursing workforce. Ask her your questions!

Maybe you’d like to know some more information on how to get into nursing? Would you like to know exactly what the job entails and if any flexible working is available? Are you an ex-nurse wanting to return and have a few questions on exactly how to go about doing this? Or maybe you have questions about the application and training process?

Whatever questions you have about nursing (whether it’s returning to or wanting to start), ask them on the thread below and we will choose approximately 10 for Raych and Joy to answer. Everyone who posts their questions will be entered into a prize draw where 3 MNers will win a £100 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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Are you considering returning to nursing? It's easier than you think. Sign up now to get your step-by-step email guide that includes a course finder, financial support and work placement information.

Copperpan ,despite there being an acute shortage of nurses the NHS makes NO effort to encourage anyone into nursing.With bursaries gone we have lost most mature applicants.Most are 18.The university drop out is very high,many qualify and don't take up employment ,even more drop out after a couple of years or when they have children and can't work shifts.
I'm near retirement and can't wait to leave.I used to love nursing but care is too compromised and no concessions made as we get older either.
The return to nursing courses are totally inflexible to reflect nursing in the NHS.

The glossy advert at the bottom of this thread does little to inspire.
The overwhelming message posted by the shop floor, experienced nurses is don’t put yourself through it.

I interviewed to work on a department that I love. I turn up for work and am routinely moved to another ward caring for 30 plus patients, handed a big bunch of keys and told to get on with the medicine round, give controlled drugs, restricted drugs, iv Antibiotics due for 10pm, not given until 1am, obs including bm ‘s, on 13-18 acutely unwell patients.
The only other qualified is an agency nurse or single nurse moved from their usual ward as the ward nurse hasn’t turned in.
I am responsible for signing skin inspection charts and fluid balances that have been filled in by the HCA’s on patients who I haven’t seen their skin as I’ve been busy doing the above list..... only to be informed that if I DONT countersign these legal documents, I will be taken into the office in the morning and questioned why.
Bring it on. Not that it will make ANY difference AT ALL.
Informing the matron of my safety concerns makes ZERO difference.
Formulating a critical incident, which incidentally is our only tool for change makes ZERO difference.

This is the return to nursing that you can all expect.
It is dire, unsafe, uncaring, unsupported and utterly utterly demoralising.

I don’t understand how you can pedal that it is any different from how numerous people have described the reality of nursing OP.
You can’t pretty this up in any way.
I’m sorry to say it but you can’t.

@crosser62 when I raised concerns with seniors about safety i was remonstrated for "making it look like they were doing a bad job".

Bullying in the NHS is rife.

I was a nurse lecturer following a career as an ICU nurse. How do I get back? What grade would I be paid?

Depends on where you apply.
London I believe pay ICUnurses at a band 6, up north you would be a band 5.

Unless you applied for a b6 as a management position of course.

There are a fair few questions on here about getting into nursing. This is a Q&A thread about returning to practice for qualified nurses who have let their professional registration lapse. The answers won’t be helpful for prospective pre-reg nursing students

Sorry, to clarify, the ‘official’ answers from the Q&A won’t be helpful. The responses from some of us might be...

@dogsandboysmeanmud why don't you go back to lecturing? Got to be better as well as more money?

Nicoandtheniners because without recent clinical practice I have no credibility to return to lecturing.

we usually keep these Q&A threads open for two to three weeks

So why are there no answers three and a half wells later?

Wells = weeks

Dogs you could bench, that way you can choose your hours.

Again it’s one of those situations where you will be moved sometimes several times into your shift and be handed that dreaded bunch of keys and told to crack on..

If you read again the Q&A is about getting into as well as returning to nursing.
Only answering 10 questions will be very unhelpful and we could probably make up some generic answers now.
Nursing is on it's knees and there's a drive down with more being asked of band 5s and apprentice nurses(not that many)being used as a cheap trained workforce.
We also hear that more nurses are registering but that does not tell you how many are full time or where they are working NHS,Private or agency.The government want to reduce agency but as it is the only way to work around children and most nurses are women this will not happen.What is more worrying are agency staff being given the keys on wards they haven't worked on before as the shortage of permanent staff bites.

Ah, apologies re the new applicants. You are correct, I didn’t read it properly.

How long 'out of the profession' would you consider too long before having to retrain fully - I have been 15 years from leaving nursing, would I need to retrain, and over how long ?

can you sum up the incentives to return for me ? Childcare allowances, what are the benefits compared with private nursing ? Something needs to change to turnaround the culture of the NHS to make it a place we would want to work in - do you think this will happen ? Some of the above posts make me so sad about our NHS and nursing.

It seems that no one is going to return and answer any of the questions doesn’t it.

The incentives I would say are that when you are able and allowed to do your job the rewards are immeasurable.
The pleasure found in actively making a difference to someone who is vulnerable and frightened, in pain and distressed is just the best job satisfaction to be had.

Child care benefits are not worth anything unfortunately. From my bitter experience, I had to leave my beloved job of 23 years because the cost of childcare was twice the sum of my mortgage each month.
My manager refused point blank to negotiate my hours so that I could cut down this cost.
I’m afraid that “family friendly hours” is a myth, does not exist and the hours of work are not compatible with parenting unless you have robust home support and a very understanding partner.

Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are an expected shift that you will have little control over. You will have to work them.. children or not at home.
You can request off duty all you want but there is absolutely no guarantee that you will be granted the time off or hours to suit.

I’m struggling to think of any positives or incentives and yet I turn up day after day for my shifts.
I feel a huge sense of loyalty to my beloved NHS and to the nursing that has made me mostly happy for the last 30 years.
It has changed.

My PIN is due to run out in October. I'm not currently in a Nursing role and don't see realistically how I can revalidate when I'm not currently doing any nursing work although I have done enough practice hours over the past few years. If I let my registration lapse in October, how easy will it be for me to return to practice or am I making a huge mistake letting it lapse. Thirty years of Nursing has left me emotionally exhausted and on the brink of burn out which is why I have changed career.

Yes, I’ll answer the family friendly hours question... nope. There are a few areas (once qualified) where you find it but then you end up completely stuck in them. I have a job with family friendly hours but am totally stuck as I had to fight tooth and nail for them and will never get them anywhere else.

I looked into changing branch and was told I would need to do at least 2 years of shift work which would be unpredictable as I’d (rightly) have to see a variety of hours.

Seriously, just don’t do it people.

I couldn't in all conscience encourage anyone to return to nursing.

There are so many excellent, compassionate, skilled nurses reduced to tears both at and after work on a regular basis I couldn't possibly be responsible for luring anyone else in.

I have worked for the NHS for over 20 years and given the best years of my life (plus my health) to long shifts and nights. I regularly don't see my children for 2-3 days due to shift working. I have no say over my working days despite them being verbally agreed. I pay for childcare I then can't use, and am regularly expected to pull non existant child care out of a hat to attend shifts I have repeatedly asked not to be given. I'm not allowed to have a parking permit so have to add hours of childcare on to cover the extra time needed to use public transport, or to cycle to work (no showers or secure bike storage available when you get to work) or pay full day rates to park in the public car parks. This added to childcare costs is more than I earn. I regularly experience violence, agression and verbal abuse at work. I often witness people's worst moments and have no time to recover, to process or to support my colleagues.

Why would anyone come back? Why does anyone stay?

What would Raych and joy ask if the tables were turned i wonder cause all I've read so far made me forget what i was going to ask!

a variety of areas not hours. I’ve done enough shifts to last a lifetime .

I could have written your post @DialANumber

I think this post and lack of any responses shows the reality of the total lack of respect for returning nurses. I’m a qualified nurse whose registration expired some years ago. Given this thread I would never now consider returning