is any job better than no job?

[WhatInTheWorld76]

I've had eighteen months off work from problems with my liver function. I am overwhelmed with the idea of going back to my old career which was a specialist children's nurse in a busy local ward. I'm out of practice due to time off. Do I gradually work my way back up to that post by taking a home care or care assistant post whilst increasing hours or do I try to go back to nursing straight away?

Would it be better to get any job to get my CV back on track or shall I try to go back to nursing?

Nursing is the only thing I can do.

Not really only thing... you could pick strawberries or clean a school (not that I expect you want to).
If it was me, I would want to build up responsibility, not try to leap back in.

What do you want to do?

Have you still got your nursing registration? I'm not sure how it works but can you just go back straight into nursing?

any job is better than no job. a gap on your cv is a red flag.

What would you feel comfortable doing?

If I was trained as a specialist nurse I don't think I'd want to work at a lower level job. I'm not sure how being a care assistant would help you.

If you can go part time that would help while you're not 100%.

Donyou live near a university hospital!! Research nursing is often better hours and focuses on projects rather than wards of patients

Personally I would go back to nursing, I was daunted to going back to work after a years maternity but it is depressing how quickly you feel like you have never been away.

I think you need a nurse for advice as I am not sure how you would ease yourself back in. Does the Royal College of Nursing have advice for retraining?

I generally think any job is better than no job - it shows your work ethic. Maybe speak to the RCN and see what advice they have for getting back into practice.

Thanks! I think I'll contact RCN and the University Hospital. Together they may know the best solution.

Check jobs.ac.uk as sometimes they also advertise research nurse roles as well as NHS jobs website

If you are still registered as a nurse you can't work as a care assistant because you still have the accountabilities that come with your registration and you can't give those up voluntarily (I looked into this when I became a SAHM after having the children). 18 months is no time at all. You could join a nurse bank, or simply approach your local hospital and ask to do some shifts to familiarise yourself with the hospital again before working there.