What is it like to be a nurse these days?

[Itsmitneymitch]

I'm thinking of going back and retraining as it is something I've wanted to do.

Thanks!

I have a part time, term time contract. I'm a school vaccination nurse. It's a great job, not too stressful and I don't deal with ill people.
Choose a specialist role, there's loads!

Following with interest as I'm considering retraining be a midwife at 38....

Wards and band 5 hospital nursing is horrendous. Too much responsibility, not enough time, and not enough pay to make the crushing stress worth it.

If you manage to get a job in a more specialised area or a more senior role eventually, things would be better.

I would never encourage my children to go into the profession, unless things drastically improved.

@Calypso321 do you have to go on to the wards for a couple of years first, to earn your stripes so to speak? Or can you try and get in to specialist areas right out of uni?

@Itsmitneymitch I'm an anxious person too, and it's stopped me from retraining in to something I want to do (midwifery). I'm terrified of making a mistake and ruining someone's life, but I am seriously considering doing it. How old are you?

Usually you start on the wards, as that is where the most jobs are for newly qualified nurses. But you can look for jobs in community too, which I’ve heard from friends are a bit better.

Of my 8 friends who I trained with, only 4 are still nursing after 7 years. I was pregnant during the pandemic and was treated so poorly by management that I quit. It was toxic.

I’ve moved to academia and now teach at a university. It pays more with half the stress, and I can sleep at night knowing I haven’t accidentally harmed someone! I’ll never go back to the NHS.

My dh is medical and says the nurses earn the same as the staff in Costa coffee making the coffees. Awful considering all the responsibilities they have, there is no way I'd do that much for that Little

@bakewellbride The starting salary for a NQN qualifying this academic year will be £31000 (outside of London) plus unsocial hours and overtime (NHSP) if on a ward. Don’t get me wrong, it is badly paid for the amount of responsibility but nurses do get paid a reasonable professional salary.

So I’m an ICU nurse and we do 3 weeks of 3 shifts, one of 4. 6 nights a month. However, we have as many staff on a night shift as day so we have to work more nights. On the ward you would probably work less nights. We also do 2 weekends a month. It’s not ideal but it works around my husbands job and childcare.

I’m a mental health nurse on an acute psychiatric ward. We work 2.5 shifts 3 days a week and one week of 3, but our shifts are 14.5 hours (6:45-21:15 with one hour unpaid break). We also get assigned blocks of nights. We do 4 nights in a week as night shifts are only 10.5 hours, again with an hour unpaid break. The shifts are long but I like having lots of time off-I’m off more than I’m in a lot of the time. There’s also lots of scope to pick up extra shifts if we want to.

My experience with PICU was the opposite. I hated the lack of autonomy. Not being able to make any decisions without running it past a doctor first. I much prefer the wards.

We have a limited range of oral medication we can single check. Everything else is double check. If you make a mistake, the main thing is too own up, reflect and learn from it.

@Itsmitneymitch of course you are expected to be a competent practitioner at the start!

I felt exactly the same as you. I'm the anxious type too! I put off training for years, thinking I couldn't do it, then finally took the leap when I was 45! I am so glad I did. It's been an incredible experience! Both highs and lows and no two days the same. I was nervous at first but with experience became much more confident. When you first qualify you'll have a preceptor, who's like a mentor, who'll support you. At least that's what happened at my Trust. You are accountable for your actions but if you've passed your course then you will have been deemed "safe". Mistakes are made, we are only human, I've made them...but I'm still here! Now I'm older I find the wards too much, so I've specialised in a certain area and do outpatient clinics and a lot of office work...I even work from home when I want to! And regular hours too, with no nights or weekends. Why not give it a try. Otherwise you'll always be wondering! You sound lovely and caring and just what's needed! If it doesn't work out at least you'll have given it a go.