Any qualified nurses out ther...would you work extra hours as a carer/home carer to supplement your income?

[notflorencenightingale]

I work three days a week as a nurse (which is quite stressful!) the three days is the most economically sensible option balanced against childcare and I would not want DS to go to nursery for any extra hours at present.

I need to supplement my income to pay off a rather large overdraft, but feel really apprehensive about agency nursing, had a few bad experiences in thr past which really put me off.

Another option occured to me to do some work as a carer or homecarer, therer are several agencies and care homes in my area which advertise quite a bit and offer reasonable rates of pay.

I thinlk I would prefer this to actual agency nursing but am wondering if this is the 'done thing'. Would I be seen as a good or a bad prospect, would there be a conflict between what I should be doing as a nurse and what I would be able to do as a carer? Anyone done this?
Hope I am making sense lol!

Bumping unanswered threads

Ta and apologies for previous typos....am shattered!

I looked into this aswell and I am sure it may conflict with your duty as a nurse. I was always told that I would have to drop my nursing reg to become a health care assistant.

Could be totally wrong. I would check with NMC or your union. They should know ins and outs. I know what you mean about agency/bank. I get cold feet about working in areas/wards I don;t know due to responsibility and not knowing patients.

Good idea tink, will contact the NMC to check their standpoint.

Have you thought about joining a babysitting agency? They would snap you up. And you would not have half the stress.

I work as a Home Care manager for a charity providing home care for older people - we often employ nurses - no problem at all. You can't do nursing tasks, only caring ones i.e. no dressings, inserting catheters etc. There are all sorts of reasons for nurses doing care work - the right hours, newly trained nurses wanting to work whilst looking for the right job, people who want to be district nurses but who don't have any community experience. As long as you accept that the people you will be working with are competent and skilled and don't adopt a superior attitude you will be fine.
Lots of very well paid senior people in Social Services, lectureres in care and Managers of large care organisations have experience of nursing and care, so it might even be a really good career move. Hope this is helpful to you.

Hi Higgle

Thanks for your reply, its good to hear that others are indeed doing this already.

Prior to doing my training and whilst doing it I worked for about five years as a carer/hca and I can honestly say I probably enjoyed it more than my actual nursing because you realy were 'helping' people, as a nurse I know I am still 'helping' but there is so much admin now you have less and less time with the patients.

I think I will approach a few agencies and gauge their response!

let us know how you get on. I am thinking of asking if I can drop from nurse to hca at my local hospital. I will give up my registration

All that work tink! do you feel that strongly about it that you would give up your reg???

tink- I am a nurse working as an hca atm as waiting to start a return to nursing course.
It is lovely working as hca but pay is crap.
Could you not work as agency nurse in nursing home?

is it not frustrating though gg?
Are you not chomping at the bit to do stuff?

I do Agency work quite a bit,and the work seems very varied now. You can get work in most areas that you specialise in. I am a Practice Nurse,and have been doing Agency Practice Nursing at £24/hr. I've done nights in a Private Hospital and Nursing home at £28/hr. I am presently doing Agency District Nursing 5pm until 9pm, and doing Corporate and store Flu jab bookings through an Agency too.

I know what you mean about bad experiences..... but I have learnt the hard way to say "No" to shifts I don't want or would feel happy with.

I have also joined NHS Professionals,where you can work when and where you like.

This is all to supplement my contract practice Nurse job.I'd be wary of taking a Care Job as the rate of pay wouldn't cover my Childminder fees etc.

deanychip-well I have been out of nursing for ages...last worked in 1993 so I needed to get a job so I can do the course.
It is quite an eye opener being an hca,but yes I am eager to get back my registration.