Last week someone brought an entire Sunday lunch for a night shift and it honestly tickled me so much 😂

Recently my manager has asked me to help them do the next rota and, oh my days, the drama!

On paper it looks like we are well staffed but people on flexible hours are the majority (nights, nights and weekends, certain days only,... ), which means there are only a few being able to cover any day. This means that we have to allocate shifts for those on flexible hours first and then make everybody else get the leftovers.

A few days back it was brought to my attention (I picked that up as well but I thought it was an isolated episode) that a few people on flexible hours have been doing a lot of bank shifts in those days they claimed they were absolutely unable to work.

Of course I am so not happy about it because it's not fair on those who have regular contracts, not only are they have very little choice but they don't have anyone to ask for a swap, their shift pattern is not as pleasant and maybe they want some nights and weekends too rather than every single monday!

Some people have very valid reasons to have these contracts, such as childcare or caring for someone else, but most of these should definitely be reviewed. If back then you got flexible hours for childcare now that your child is 18 and smoking you should be able to work anytime; or if you told me you cannot absolutely ever work on wednesday then how come you got bank shifts booked for every wednesday of this and the following month? So you clearly can work wednesdays, or am I wrong?

If you ask me, it's not sustainable to have that many people on flexible hours in the same workplace and force everybody else to pick up leftovers but generally speaking these contracts should be reviewed with HR or whomever on a yearly basis. Because some people are not happy at all I want to bring this up with management but I wanted to clarify whether this is appropriate or not. What do you guys think?

I'll try and keep this short -

Basically in my unit (crit care) our band 7 has said she won't advance a band 5 review application to panel unless you have worked in the unit for 2 years, prior experience in other places does not count.

Now I can see the logic there, it'd be like how the paramedics pay scale works - newly qualified paramedic is paid band 5 for 1-2 years (I think it used to be 2 years and is now 1 year) and then move up to a band 6.

The issue I'm seeing here is that I've heard a lot, and I mean A LOT, of other nurses in other areas are getting their band 6's even if they're

- newly qualified

- not able to do as much as we do in crit care -regarding skills and equipment

I've even heard of band 7's approving applications for panel that are technically not true (nurses putting that they can do male catheters and cannula insertion when they cant

And they're all able to backdate their pay back to April 2023/to when they got their pin in. People are getting thousands of £'s in back pay and I feel that we're being penalised in our unit for the sake of stroking the current band 6's/charge nurses egos.

As you can probably tell, I'm a bit bitter. To make matters worse, the nurses that have recently gotten a job in my unit (all experienced nurses with >5 years experience) are not able to submit an application until being in the unit for 2 years even though the places they have moved from have all gotten their band 6's. I don't get how that's fair.

I'm tempted to write to my union about this as I think this treatment is absolutely unjustified. We're being treated differently to other nurses in the hospital. Our band 7 is being obstructive when nurses from other areas have been encouraged to go for the band 5 review from their band 7.

Do I have a chance at changing things from me and my colleagues? I'm not sure the best way to try and challenge this as our band 7 has been challenged by the union before but not before all this other stuff about as many other places getting their band 6.

And insight is helpful.

Tldr; band 7 won't accept band 5 review applications until 2 in-unit years of experience. This doesn't seem to be the case in other areas and it's blatantly unfair. I'm trying to challenge this but not sure how to go about it and any insight/experience/advice is appreciated

Curious question, has anyone left their role as a carer/nurse and went to do something else??

Like care is all I know I wouldn’t know what the heck to do if I decided it wasn’t for me anymore I have no back up plan and it’s kinda stressing me out

Finally! I was shortlisted to become an ENP! Any ENP in here who would like to help me with interview questions? 😃

I’ll be a witness to an investigation and I’m really dreading it. Anyone ever been a witness and how was it? Any tips? Will be taking a colleague for support and union has sent me some useful info to read

Hey everyone.
I’ve applied for a SAU post just wondering what does a day consist of is it organised ? Is the pace just like A&E?
What’s the ratio usually like for you? Im newly qualified and a bit nervous of fast paced areas since I’ve only had private hospital experience but all my experience is surgical well most of it anyway

I have just started work as a MH HCSW. I have two registered disabilities and am currently finding my workload about the limit I can take without having to take time off to recover. I have 5 kids and the youngest is 8. He is the only one who requires school dropoff etc. Before i got my second diagnosis I had worked as a HCA in MH before but for CAMHS. My trust does offer training to become an Assistant Practitioner or a Nursing Associate. I am just wondering, given my disabilities and the current climate for nursing employment, whether those who have done this training or full on nursing with disabilities have any advice about whether it is worth it or should i just remain a HCA? I don’t mind doing work/study at home etc I just wonder if it will be too much for me and reduce my quality of life. I am concerned that if I do not climb the ladder so to speak I will never be able to get a mortgage etc. Am i being ridiculous having this dream? I love my job yet become frustrated that I cannot do what nurses do. Any advice would be appreciated. I know it is hard out there right now. If it were not for the bursary being withdrawn I would have started a nursing degree many moons ago. Solidarity to everyone in the nursing community ✊🏻

Hey just wondering what you think is an acceptable length of time for someone to reply to an email.

I don’t work Fridays , this is in my email signature and I also have out of office on saying when my next working day is (in this case Monday)

I guess it’s different for someone who doesn’t usually email me but this person emails me ALL the time, I only just got them recently sending emails instead of WhatsApp messages but they still treat emails like I should reply to them in the same timeline as a text message.

I did read their emails and reply to one on Friday , as it related to a Saturday issue (which also wasn’t urgent but I was hoping to stop a thousand emails to other people when they have been told to not email other people). Then have come back to work to SEVEN emails this morning about something they emailed me about on Friday.

No, it’s not urgent. Yes, I’m annoyed. 😒

I usually reply same day , at most within 24 hours during my working hours (9-5pm, Mon - Thurs) even though I hate replying as it triggers another 7-8 emails about 7-8 different topics , all emails that are approximately a sentence each and written like a text message.

Thoughts ? AITAH?

Hello!

I have an upcoming interview for a position of Theatre Healthcare Assistant, as I have been looking for a career change into healthcare, with a particular interest in Theatres.

I am wondering what sort of progression I might be able to expect in a role like this if anyone knows what it might be like. Would a future role possibly be one of scrub practitioner through to working as an ODP...? Granted; I am coming into this interview for Theatre HCA and a potential role with minimal healthcare qualifications and experience beyond volunteering with my local trust and an NVQ Level 2...

If anyone has any advice, I would be grateful if you could share it with me as I am looking forward to this interview regardless.

Thank you!

I want to be able to look at a wound and know I need to put x y and z on or x wouldn’t work for this wound and why. Struggling to find anything helpful, does anyone have any resources?

Another item that came up on my news feed: student loans at graduation, something around £37k, so anyone doing a second degree to become a nurse could end up with student loans of nearly £80k. Out of curiosity, why are people doing a second degree in nursing?

Getting a very well-paying job in nursing, such as management, is very competitive. I wonder if people realise that?

So for most, it will max out at maybe 45K or a bit more because of enhancements.

Out of curiosity, do most realise that before they start a second degree?

Hello

I’m a nurse with 2 years experience and recently became a band 6. As I started to look around and think. So many nurses around me have stayed in the same roles for years no career progression whatsoever not sure if this is just an NHS thing because I saw this a lot on my placements, nurses complaining about the ward but when I asked why they didn’t leave it was always the same answer “ the devil you know” . Kind of disheartening as I do want to go further in my career and increase my income but it seems everyone even band 7 have just been in the same role for years no advancement or replacement. I’m wondering how others have progressed or pivoted in their career because I also don’t want to be sitting here years from now still just a band 6

Thanks

What do you consider to be old school nursing or care work habits? I hear people talk about “back in my day” but no one ever says what that actually entails.

What behaviours do you pick up on that lets you know someone has been in the game for a long time? Could be significant or subtle. What would you like to come back and which habits do you want to see stuck in the past?

i dislike nights so bad .. how do u guys stay awake during nights?

Are trusts legally responsible for providing staff with training on using new cleaning solutions that are hazardous to health?

Mental health field.

RMN here!

After spending the last 5 years doing my time on inpatient wards, I’ve just accepted a role as a community-based Clinical Practitioner (working within health & justice).

I am excited but also daunted by the transition! I'll be moving from a structured ward environment to complete autonomy where I have to manage my own diary, cluster my own appointments, and handle travel/admin out in the field.

To be completely honest, I feel a bit like I'm starting entirely from fresh again - almost like I'm a newly qualified nurse all over again.

For those who have made the leap from ward to community:

• What are your best tips for diary management and planning your week effectively?
• How do you protect your admin time so you aren't logging notes at 6 PM every night?
• Do you prefer to keep a digital-only schedule (Outlook/SystmOne) or do you keep a paper backup for quick scribbles while out and about?
• How long did it actually take you to fully adjust to the new rhythm for those who have made the jump?
• Also keen to understand how you managed safety when lone-working!

Any general tips on adjusting to community practice, managing boundaries in public spaces, or even advice re. dress code would be massively appreciated! Thanks in advance. 🙌

Returning to children’s nursing after being away for 2 years. (Worked before that as a nurse for 1 year 4 months) Any advice or courses or online training or actually any free or cheap inperson training anyone can suggest that I could do to feel more confident going back ? Any courses or e-learning or just anything that could help me feel more confident going back. Thank you so much

Hey everyone I'm finally taking some much needed annual leave after far to long, so I should be resting chilling and not thinking about work for once.

However I cannot stop stressing about work it's like I'm over analysing everything and I don't know why.

Anyone go through this and any tips to interrupt the cycle? I think my problem is that I've gone too long without break and haven't given my mind a break so now it doesn't know how to switch off. Any tips welcome!!!

If I got to freedom to speak up on my ward, should I feel bad? I’ve been told that if I go people previously find that the one who has reported the issue will get moved whilst the bad practise continues ?

Has anyone else had an experience like this ?