regular hours in Nursing

[3LoveHeartsAndNoMore]

HI,
am at the moment trying to decide what to do...am looking into the possibility of becoming a Occupational Therapist, but on the other hand am wondering should I just do the return to Nursing course...which would be the easier option.
But I can't face working on the wards and shifts again....so, what sort of avenues are there for Nurses over here to have a regular hours job?
The idea of working with teh elderly in a day Hospital setting is somehting that would really appeal to me, but are there many of those Jobs?
Also, one day I would love to become a Health Visitor, but owuld of course need first to return to Nursing and regain some experience anyway...
what other avenues are there as a Nurse then?
And, considering that they do not fund the return to Nursing course anymore, is that a sign that indeed they don't actually really need nurses, well, or aren't able to employ nurses, (as it probably would be)....!
At the moment I am working as Bank Residential Support worker with children from difficult backgrounds and with challenging behaviour, and obviously I could go the NVQ line of Helath and Social care for working with children...but, as much as I do enjoy my shifts, I somehow don't think it's a job I could do fulltime one day without being "burned out" after a few years...so, don't think it's a sensible line for me to go!
Like I mentioned the OT line, and the job discription does look spot on, I must admit...but I do worry how I would cope with Family commitments and studying and I would also feel that I have wasted my time when doing my Nursing training....
any ideas, tips, hints....

have no idea sorry but bump........

ty for bumping

Hi,I am also thinking about returning to nursing.A friend of mine has just done it and is working on the bank of her local hospital.She does 12 hr shifts though as her dc's are older.
I also think working in the community can be good rgarding the hrs.I know someone who pootles around during school hrs visiting in the community,I think she funded herself and did a practice nurse course so that may have helped .
Anyway I have no advice but will watch this thread.
How long have you been out of nursing?I've been out since 1992

The obvious one that springs to mind is outpatient clinics. Or you could work as a nurse assistant in X-ray. Or in a day surgery unit- loads of options. All of those are 9-5 with no weekends.

by nurse assistant, I mean a nurse assisting the radiologists with interventions.

theres loads of things you could do
practice nurse
community nurse
day surgery
day theatre
out patients

wards these days tend to have 12 hr shifts - this means you only work 3 days and thats full time hours - so part time can only be 1 or 2 days

yes and radiology as tissy says

private sector
agency

or go back to college and do HV, OH etc

I have been out of it since December 1995...have never worked over here as a "proper" nurse 9am german), but used to be registred when I first came over but for many reasons I never worked in that time as a registered nurse...since then I have worked as a Nurse auxiliary and Care assisntent at times, but that isn't quite the same.
what is OH?
Like I said, if I go back into Nursing then HV would be something I definately would like to do....but, I assume that my experience I have had so far, worked for almost 4 years after I had completed my training , before taking the break, won't count towards the 1 year or is it 2 before you can even attemtp the HV course...I think you do have to have a few years of experience, right?
I suppose 3x12 h shifts don't sound that bad...but I must admit the routine on a ward just doesn't appeal to me very much....can live ratehr well without all thsoe static shocks I get everytime I touch a bed, lol...(shallow, I know, but those static shocks every time you make a bed really do get to me)!
Anotehr thing is, that obviously so much has changed...when I was registered before , my qualifications from germany translated into RN not RGN, will that be a problem?

what about clinics or day theatres, places like endoscopy only have daytime hours, as do day theatres

good luck

Oh another thing...if I selffund the course for me, then I assume I am not obliged to stay with teh NHS? Is that correct?
Also, does teh retunr to Nurtsing course really give you the confidence and knowledge to work as a Nurse again...I have such serious selfdoubts

Also, would I be stupid throwing a perfectly good Qualification out of the window to do something new like Occupational Therapist....hm...I suppose, in the end, I could always do that if it wouldn't work out...oh the decisions.
I have been thinking also about maybe changing the field completely, but an office job just doesn't appeal to me at all....but then I wonder if I just want to stay on "safe ground"...

oh is occupational health

and i fyou do the return to nursing course you are not obliged to stay with the nhs

not at all

they would be well miffed but tough!

and dont worry about RN/RGN

nailpolish, ty....!
have to selfund myself anyway, though, lol...as Northamptonshire and Leicestershire isn't funding the courses anymore.

a private agency may help you with funding - you would have to do some work with them tho

Hello, just been reading the thread with interest, I work part time nights on a medical ward, Knackering but I do enjoy it at the same time.

I would approach your local nhs trust to ask about back to nursing courses, They may have places available in a variety of different settings, and how suitable they are for you will depend on this. Are you definately not up for working on the wards? We have had return to nursing nurses doing regular shifts 9-3, each week, part time in some instances. Although that was a while back now. One nurse i knew, did the return to nursing course on the wards, got some experience for a few months and then got a job in the community.

Oh, I don't mind where I work whilest doing teh course...i.e. for that ward will be perfectly fine...I jsut can't see me do that year in and out...also, am I wrong then in my assumption that it all goes over the Uni that runs the course..I didn't realise you had to go through a Hospital?
I thought the Uni would take you and then you have a choice opf roughly where you would like to work, i.e. Hospital which is nearest, and then they sort out a "placement" so to say whilest you do the course?
I remember looking into it all whielst working as a Auxiliary Nurse and approaching them about doing return to Nursing, but was told I had to apply for a course with Uni direct.
I must say, as much as I agree all this regulation stuff is important and there should be a regulatory body, it does make things awfully confusing, lol!
I mean, I called nmc, before it became nmc, and they has no idea whatsoever, which I found shocking...!
I shall find out more about private agency and if they would fund me.

Dont know too much about it tbh. The nurses who I have seen doing the back to nursing course had direct contracts with the ward and then stayed on permenantly, just not for too long iykwim. I would definately look into it though, you'll have many more options for getting into other areas once you've done it, and its a relatively short period of time . I quite fancy health visiting myself when the dc are older, I think its a years course on top of nursing.

Kath...tis rather confusing all this, lol...I mean, I find it all very confusing anyway...seems to be from county to county different...
I am almost sure that I will do my return to Nursing course, see what it's all like and what sort of Job I can land myself and go from there...if I find I don't find my niche, then I can always then study towards Occupational Therapist...it is probably the more straightforward way really....but I am sure I am gonna change my mind another million times, lol....

I'd opt to doing the return to nursing - you will have to apply through a uni though, so it's best to identify which uni provides students to your nearest hospital and apply there. regards getting this information I would contact the health and social care dept at the uni and ask to speak to a lecturer practitioner in your chosen field.

regards OT's - there is limited posts available now, even at basic grade. there are OT's applying for OT assistant posts and support worker posts as stop gaps. our recent recruitment drive for one OT post had 60 applicants.

lexie, ty, I believe Northampton Uni is the one that is for my area...annoying thing is, if you this side, then you got to pay if you Milton Keynes you don't...same course...so, I suppose it depends just how much they need nurses!
Must say, looked the otehr day for OT posts and there seemed to be more then Nursing ones...but...it probably depends on the area, etc....too...
I suppose Nursing would give me the wider range, and I could always change after, I suppose....

got another question now...if I selffund the course...when would I have to pay it, as it starts or before it when you get taken on?