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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QueenEnid

You will probably have to work whilst studying. Most student nurses do, even when the course fees were subsidised. Most work as HCA’s on the bank (NHSP or smaller local nursing agencies) to try to keep up with living and travel costs (which is obviously tricky if every hour you work costs you twice as much in childcare, not to mention petrol/parking or public transport costs). You don’t get a bursary any more, it is expected to be funded completely via student loans now, as I understand. IfOnly is right, you sacrifice everything to the Service from the get-go.

The Return to Nursing course I was considering on,y want those returning to registered nursing ....either adult, child or mental health.

They don’t want health visitors (and many of my HV friends have told me not to bother coming back as Virgin Care are appalling).

They don’t want Midwives.

They don’t want those whose only speciality is Learning Disability which is telling given the state of care for those with additional needs....just check out that Panorama programme.

They want you to do a minimum of 25hrs to 30 hrs clinical practice a week plus a day in Uni. Not great for me as my son is autistic and needs me around more than that.

One possibility appears to be a placement in a GP practice for the clinical practice side.
To find a placement I need to contact each practice manager locally to see if they have a space for me and a nurse who is able to sign off competencies .

So current plan is to look at practice nursing and make plans for next year.

I really can't believe there's no response to any of these questions as promised. My daughter has been trying to get into nursing and has battled to find out the information she needs. This thread supports everything she's experienced in her search for information 😡.

@RollsEyes I'm a nursing lecturer, if your daughter wants to get into nursing and wants information, her best bet is to attend an open day at the university/universities she is interested in studying at and speak to the nursing faculty about the entry requirements. There are usually existing students on hand at those too who can answer questions about what the course is actually like and logistics etc.

Thanks @happychickmama but she needs to take the apprenticeship route. It's impossible to find out how to get a place though - the apprenticeship website says there are no places available nationally at all!

@RollsEyes ah, the apprenticeships are provided by the NHS trusts. Is she registered on NHS Jobs? They are usually advertised on there or on the trust's own website. Unfortunately, apprenticeship vacancies are few and far between and competition for them is high amongst existing staff.

Ah, thanks, I'll tell her to register then. At last, an answer! Much appreciated 😀

@RollsEyes no problem. She can set up a jobs by email alert that will tell her if a post is advertised that fits her parameters. I had a quick look and Norfolk are advertising at the moment, not sure if that's any good to you?

Thanks, we're in the South East but will keep looking.

Someone recently was asking about preceptorship for RTN. One of my colleagues did her RTN placement on my ward and then got a job there. She had mentors during the placement just the same as the other students who were there at the time. Once she joined us as a qualified nurse, she had preceptors just the same as the other newly qualified nurses. There was some confusion about aspects of it, like did she have to do the newly qualified nurses programme of study days etc, plenty of small issues that no one in the trust seemed to know about or have thought about in relation to nurses who had returned to nursing about a break. I have no idea if this is usual practice though or just how things are done in my Trust.

how as a single mum, am I meant to work “free on the ward” for 12.5 hours while studying full time, with no money coming in?

What help do you offer for mortgage and or rent payments?
What help do you offer for single parents for childcare for night shifts?
What about help with childcare on Xmas/weekends for 12.5 hours?
How am I supposed to feed my children if the grant is gone? a loan you say, for a single mum????

I have GCSEs in English, maths, and science, as well as level 3 course. I was laughed as my qualifications were too old. What is not old?

My registration runs out in August this year. I have been working part time for 3 years in a non clinical role at a children’s centre since I had my son. Am I able to use any of my experience there to revalidate or will I have to do a RTN course? If RTN how long do the courses take to complete part time?

Bunty,have you been employed as a nurse?You need the hours to revalidate,it doesn't matter that it is not clinical but itust have been as an RGN

I'm not returning to nursing unless big changes happen. It's never going to happen.

@Crosser62 I concur with everything you have said. This IS the reality of nursing and it's never going to change.

Browsing thru these posts I am struck by the weird expectations some people have of how "The NHS" is going to fund them for a degree course, pay their childcare, possibly their rent or mortgage, maybe car-parking charges and also put food on the table for the children?! There is clearly a huge gap between some people's perceptions of nurse training/funding and the tough reality, which involves hard slog, commitment, resilience and frequently taking on a p/t job alongside placement/study (usually as a HCA) to fund oneself. Why on earth would the NHS, which as we know is on its knees right now, pay or even partly fund a prospective student who will benefit personallyfrom a degree qualification but may or may not even choose to work for the NHS. The days of the bursary and free university are long gone so prospective nursing students (NOT RtP nurses) please stop thinking the NHS somehow owes you and your family a living - it doesn't!

Nuffalready, the NHS doesn’t necessarily owe me anything (I am qualified and practising anyway but not specifically as a frontline nurse).

However the NHS, and this thread in particular, was asking what questions people have about returning to nursing. People have questions about pay, surviving financially, and fitting work around children.

Student / returning to practice nurses are different from other students as they are working to help the NHS, even if officially supernumerary. We all know they plug the gaps.

There is a critical shortage of registered nurses. The NHS claims to want more nurse. If people cannot put food on the table as it is not realistic to train, or in this case, come back then they won’t.

Above applies to prospective students too IMO. If they are unwilling to improve the awful conditions which would improve retention then they will have to focus on recruitment. To do that they need to make training more appealing, not that I would advise anyone to go anywhere near it anyway.

Still no reply from OP I see.

It’s a shame because I am genuinely interested to find out how they aim to “sell” RTN.
They must have a positive outlook and truly believe what it is that they are promoting and I am looking for some form of sunlight in a dark situation.

I did the RTP last year, it was a nightmare. I had left midwifery in 2014 and couldn’t decide to return to Nursing or midwifery, picked midwifery, then realised that narrows down the university’s which offer the course. I didn’t have fees to pay but had to cover transport and parking costs for clinical hours. I was working part time so undertook the course alongside my job. The course included a block week in university followed by 5 further days. There was a maths exam and assignment to complete along with a practice document. The competition for clinical places was horrendous and all local hospitals had too many of their own students, had to find my own placement and then undertake all 150 hours in one month along with with my job and looking after 2 children. Submitted work in May, took 10 weeks to get results which I didn’t know, then took 3 more weeks to re register. Started course in Feb and was back on register mid August. Then found that there are no policies on payment. I left as a top band 6 and have been offered posts between bottom 5 and mid 6.

I left nursing 20 years ago and went off to train to be a podiatrist and worked as an NHS podiatrist for 15 years.
I had to leave NHS podiatry due to illness at the end of last year. Im now better after an operation but there are no jobs out there right now. I've applied for several.
I have been thinking of doing a back to nursing course but can't face wards any more, there is no way I'm doing a 12 hour shift again, that's why I left in the first place.
If I did a back to nursing course how long would it take me to train as a health visitor or as a community nurse? And would I be guaranteed to get either of these jobs?

I trained 30 + years ago. To contemplate returning, I would need reassurance that I would be able to do my job well.

I would need to know that the time I spend with patients is valued.

I would need to know that I would have time to deliver holistic, personalised care.

I would want to be supported to learn about new therapies and technology, and helped to use them to optimise the outcomes and experience for patients.

I would want reassurance that the care package the patient is discharged with will a) be in place and b) be effective.

I would like to work in a team able to support my colleagues and to receive support from them should I need it.

I would like to be safe. In regard to my mental health and emotional wellbeing as well as physically safe.

I would want appropriate remuneration in recognition of for my specialist skills and masters qualifications.

I would want to know that my existing pension arrangements won't be worsened by re-joining the later scheme.

Actually, I'd justo want to know what would be the benefits to me?

That last sentence wasn't quite what I wanted to say, but honestly what are the benefits?

This thread shows a good number of experienced nurses who would potentially like to RTP, just as long as they could do their job properly and can work with family commitments.

Right now, I don't think the incentives are there for us.

What are you doing to facilitate new entry into the career? People are paying thousands for the privilege of training to become a vital but relatively low paid, highly worked employee.

@madcatladyforever I can answer that one for you seeing as it doesn't look like these questions will be answered. It takes a year for a practicing nurse to complete health visitor or specialist community training. You have to apply for a post as a student HV, it's a year long course which is very intense and then you would need to apply again for a job once qualified. The competition for training posts is huge and you'd probably struggle to get one immediately after returning to practice. You could potentially do return to practice and apply for a community post and then look for a student HV post once you'd gained some more recent experience?