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I would love to work in a hospital...

42 replies

BoredMouse · 04/09/2019 21:42

...but I can't find a job that would at least pay 26k. I would nurse or work in admin, or anything really. I just really like the atmosphere. Any suggestions?? I'm 53

OP posts:
SnuggyBuggy · 05/09/2019 07:16

NHS admin isn't the best paid. It depends what experience you have as to whether you'd start at a supervisory/manager level really.

In my experience it can be a lot of stress for the money. I'd recommend doing all the sleuthing you can as to what any department is really like. I definitely wouldn't have taken my last job in hindsight.

PotteringAlong · 05/09/2019 07:17

Are you a nurse?

bluebluezoo · 05/09/2019 07:20

Do you have any qualifications? Are you a registered nurse?

If not you are looking at entry level jobs. The nhs won’t pay 26k for admin staff.

If you have supervisory/management experience, you may be able to apply for roles higher up the scale. I’m assuming you don’t have clinical qualifications or you’d know about working in hospitals.

LittleLongDog · 05/09/2019 07:21

Tricky.

If the money is a real sticking point then would part time work help? Part time in hospital and part time and something else that is better paid to make up the shortfall.

Very much depends on whether you can find both those jobs though!

BoredMouse · 05/09/2019 07:29

N0, not a nurse but would train. I like helping people, and would enjoy maternity or similar. I am good with figures or numbers, excellent at Microsoft Office etc

OP posts:
Rapidmama · 05/09/2019 07:31

26k you’d need a Band 5 admin post.

You aren’t likely to walk into one of those without significant experience. If you can swing it I’d go for a band 4 and then start looking at secondments pretty quickly

PotteringAlong · 05/09/2019 07:31

Training as a nurse will mean you need to go to university for 3 years to get your nursing degree.

If you’re actually serious and it’s actually something you want to do then you need to think carefully about it - you need to apply for next sept so you will be 57 before you qualify.

sleepyhead · 05/09/2019 07:32

£26k is about a third of the way up pay band 5 so even if you got a job at that level you wouldn't be earning 26k to start.

NHS job ads will give you the pay bands so you can see what sort if jobs are on offer at band 5 or 6 - you're likely to need considerable transferable skills from another area but I know of people who've gone in at 6 for e.g. from teaching into patient partnership/experience roles (had extremely strong communication, management skills).

EleanorReally · 05/09/2019 07:32

do you have any qualifications?
can you go into the finance side of things?

are you sure you want to work for NHS? it is frustrating.

sleepyhead · 05/09/2019 07:34

Ps, be aware that a lot of admin roles are in office blocks so you wouldn't be involved in the day to day bustle of the hospital if that's what interests you.

Littlechocola · 05/09/2019 07:34

How about volunteering while working elsewhere?
What is it that you would like about that environment?

Ffsnosexallowed · 05/09/2019 07:35

Unless you have project management experience, or public sector experience your not going to walk into a band 5 admin post. Your motivation re liking the atmosphere is a bit odd - most admin is very much behind the scenes and a v different atmosphere from the wards.

RHTawneyonabus · 05/09/2019 07:37

You might like ward clerk type work. I did this straight out of uni and I loved it. That was 18k about 15 years ago. Surely wages would have gone up by now?

EleanorReally · 05/09/2019 07:37

ward clerk is the lowest paid

sleepyhead · 05/09/2019 07:40

Ward clerk is usually band 2 (17.6-19k)

Ellapaella · 05/09/2019 07:40

Have you any experience in research? There are non clinical roles in research which go up to Band 5 such as clinical trials officer, but it would very much depend on your previous experience.

Boobiliboobiliboo · 05/09/2019 07:41

Surely wages would have gone up by now?

😂

littlemeitslyn · 05/09/2019 07:46

Joke right!

SnuggyBuggy · 05/09/2019 07:47

Also 🤣

Egghead68 · 05/09/2019 07:51

I think try volunteering in a hospital for a while to see if you like it.

I can’t think of any unqualified frontline roles that would pay the sort of salary you want though.

EleanorReally · 05/09/2019 07:55

have you looked on NHS jobs website op?

CherryPavlova · 05/09/2019 07:58

I think we’d need to know what you’ve done thus far and your skill set.There are lots of jobs in hospitals you wouldn’t know existed. Without knowing what you have to offer,as opposed to what you want, it’s impossible to say.

£26k is going to be a band 5 and most roles would require you to be a graduate or professionally qualified for that.

Have you spent much time in hospitals? What about volunteering in your free time?

Veterinari · 05/09/2019 08:03

Your motivation is quite strange - nursing is very different to admin, the roles and responsibilities are varied and the working environments differ. Surely you should be considering what work you actually want to do rather than ‘anything’ in a hospital?

coffeeforone · 05/09/2019 08:09

Sounds like you might like something like maternity support/healthcare assistant. This seems to be very hard work but is front line and rewarding. Are you able to drop your salary expectations though? I can't imagine they pay well.

bubs80 · 05/09/2019 08:11

You can't just " nurse " it involves a 3 year professional degree. Saying you'd just " nurse " makes it seem like it's easy and something you can just drop on .