London nurses - do you know anything about nursing at St Bartholomew's?

[Janni]

Does anyone know if it's easy enough to get work at Barts, post registration?

Is it still threatened with closure or is it now going strong?

What do you think of its current specialities?

I want to do the two year postgrad. training in adult nursing, starting next September (Barts and City Uni.) I trained as a mental health nurse there in the 90s but have been out for a long time raising three children.

After much deliberation I've decided to go into adult nursing and as I live within walking distance of Barts it would be great if I could work there, given the nature of shift work.

Any feedback gratefully received.

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. One more bump just in case

Not heard that's it's threatened with closure atm. Interested to know why you want to do adult nursing when you are MH trained - quite unusual to do it in that order IME (I did the opposite, though do wonder if it was the right decision!).

Thanks, Pippi. Mental health suited me pre-children but I just don't feel drawn back to it any more. I've really changed!

What field do you work in, Pippi and why do you think I'm mad to want to do adult? I never really felt like a 'proper' nurse when I was only MH trained. I was in the first intake of Project 2000 and it really was a pretty poor course until the branch programme started. I feel I had a reasonably good MH training, but that I know NOTHING about general.

Sorry - been away doing bath times etc etc. I don't think you're mad wanting to go into general - I'm just interested. I did my general in 1984 and then RMN in 1990. When I was doing general, I was really interested in head and neck cancer and becoming a head and neck counsellor, then I started working in casualty and convinced myself that I wanted to work in SMU - was advised to do my RMN to pursue this, but rapidly realised that SMU was the last thing I wanted to do! My interest since qualifying as an RMN has been in liaison mental health (bridging the general / psych gap) and for the past 12 years I have been working in A&E liaison and more recently also crisis resolution. I curently manage services and miss the clinical contact so am intending to try and get back into a more clinical role - hopefully in liaison (nurse consultant if possible because can't afford a pay drop, though finding or creating such a post will be a huge challenge!). I do feel more confident being dual trained and know what you mean about not feeling like a "proper nurse" an RMN. However, I think there has been a huge downward turn in the standard of nurses over the past 10 years - general and psych - and I am appalled by the standard of a lot of nurses working today, to the point that I feel embarrassed to be a nurse! If you are genuinely interested in physical health care (more than mental health), then go for general, but if it is just because you feel that it will make you feel like a "proper nurse", I'm not sure that these days, that doing your general will do this. If you wish to gain more knowledge about physical health care, then there are a lot of short courses for MH nurses, since physical health care of MH patients is now big on the agenda. MH nursing is now a very broad profession, and you could branch out into many things. One idea I have considered is doing a degree in CBT (Kings run a good course). Once you have this, you are UKCBP / UXCP approved and can practice independently as a CBT therapist - private rates are good, and great if you need flexibility around the children. Any way, just a few thoughts - HTH

You live within walking distance of Barts? Lucky you!

I know, it's great

Thanks for that post, Pippi, it's really interesting. I might come back with more questions when I've woken up properly - had a very disturbed night with DD, couldn't get back to sleep and ended up getting hooked on Grey's Anatomy. Sadly, nurses do not feature at all in it and when they do you would think they were numbskulls

I don't know about nursing there, but I do know a few people at Barts, and they are currently spending many many millions on a spanking new cancer centre there, so there can't be any threat of closure.

Thanks cmotdibbler - that's really good news.

Pippi - I understand what you are saying about the declining quality of nurses, but that actually makes me more rather than less determined to go back! I've thought and thought all day about going back to mental health and I just don't want to. I guess if I did the adult training then changed my mind, it would simply increase the options open to me so I think I am going to go for it!

Sounds like you're sure so go for it!

Worked there a few years ago.I loved it. Gorgeous old building. It is in the same trust as the Royal London so I imagine some training placements would be there. Barts specialises in cancer cardiac and immunology ie mainly hiv. A&E was shut but rest of hospital isn't under threat. The govt tried a few years ago but it transpired under some old mediaeval charter that the gov't don't own the land the hospital is on so couldn't sell it for millions therefore no point in shutting the place. They have a lot of work on the bank, I know someone who does just that so there must be posts.

Thankyou, gaia. It's looking more and more positive. I'm definitely going to apply for the course. Whether they'll want my old bones is anyone's guess, but I'll give it a go!

I've been in contact with City Uni./Barts and it looks like I might be able to do the 18 month branch programme, even though I've been out of nursing for a long time. It's possible that I would start as early as April, so I'm swotting up as of now.

Thanks for all the advice - I feel quite excited about it all!

One more question, Pippi, if you're still around: I've just reread your first post and realise I don't know what SMU stands for. Can you clarify?

I am going to do some voluntary work at Barts whilst I await the results of my application...