Leaving the NHS lack of promotion

[WafflingDreamer]

I've been a qualified children's nurse for over 20 years I've spent the last 11/12 years as a Band 6, I work in a specialist area that requires extra training. In the past 6 months I've applied for 5 band 7 jobs and keep getting told I have just been beaten in interview by the narrowest margin. I've worked on the feedback each time and tried to make my answers more detailed and in depth.

I'm getting a bit disillusioned now, I'm bored of my current job and desperately need a new challenge. I work 30hrs a week and take home about £2300 a month. I'm thinking about leaving the NHS completely but I have absolutely no idea what I could do for similar pay

Its awful when a job you love becomes like this. Without knowing the specialist area you work it, its a bit difficult to advise, but some ideas:

-school nurse either in a mainstream or special needs school
-private hospital which has childrens wards
-join an agency
-Health visitor
-children's hospice
-Child protection
-Childrens home or young offenders
-Help new mums in their home. I'm not sure what the modern term is, but in Victorian times it was called a monthly nurse and they would help a new mum with feeding, bathing baby, latching etc for a month after birth.
-Nanny, especially if the family had a special needs child

Could you work part time and re-train in an allied field- OT, physio, osteopath?

Look at NHS 111. They take on Clinicians, and you get enhanced pay for weekends, overnight/early mornings, evenings, bank holidays and overtime. I work for them as a health advisor.

Ae they clinical band 7 posts or management? Are there any leadership courses the Trust is offering that you can do to support your application?

It’s a real shame you are thinking about leaving, I don’t think the NHS values experience enough at all! They miss us when we are gone!

I’m the opposite, I’ve done band 7 for the last 2.5 years and I am looking to go back to band 6. Management has chewed me up and spat me out!

Are they all similar roles you’ve applied for or different?
I know when I’ve been part of interview panels, it’s been considered a red flag if someone keeps applying for a wide variety of b7 roles. It’s seen that you’re chasing the pay, rather than being passionate about the job itself