The Top 5 Benefits of Working as a Nurse in the UK
The NHS is the largest employer in the UK, employing over 620,000 nurses. That being said, there are over 43,000 vacant nursing posts. So, we want to share the top 5 benefits of working as a nurse here in the UK!
1. Competitive Salary
A nursing career within the NHS provides excellent salaries and benefits. The ‘Agenda for Change’ guarantees each nurse a salary that matches their skills, abilities and work responsibilities. For example, Band 5 Staff Nurses can expect to make above the median income when working full-time at a salary range of £22,128 to £28,746.
Once a nurse has gained more experience and specialised in a particular area of nursing, they can earn up to £37,890 and if they want to go one step further and obtain a Master’s to become an Advanced Nurse Practitioner then they can earn up to £44,503, Head Nurses can see up to £51,668 and finally, Consultant Nurses up to £104,927.
2. A Range of Career Options
One key benefits of working as a nurse in the UK are the wealth of career options that are available. Being in a nursing career means you have the option to work in a variety of different healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and outpatient healthcare settings. This is advantageous because not only does it give you a chance to advance your learning and development but keeps your work varied and interesting to ensure job satisfaction.
Furthermore, there are endless options for nurses to specialise in their favourite area of healthcare. This includes but is not limited to emergency care, anaesthetics, midwifery, neonatology, orthopaedics, fertility to surgery. The choice is yours!
If you want to take it one step further, UK nursing careers offer the option of becoming management, advanced practitioners and consultant nurses where they have the option to prescribe medicine to patients – much similar to the role of a doctor!
3. Flexible Schedule
The NHS recognises that in order to attract and secure the best workforce, they must focus on their employee engagement strategies by offering a range of flexible employment policies and practices compatible with the competing responsibilities of their staff – which is why they offer: part-time work, flexi-time, job sharing, voluntary reduced working time and the option to work from home.
One of the great benefits of working as a nurse with the NHS is that hospitals are a 24/7 service is that depend on your area of specialty. You may have the option to work a regular 9-5 shift pattern, rotations, night shifts followed by days off – it’s completely up to you!
Having the option to work flexibly has various advantages from the ability to see your children more, increased leisure time and the scope to manage personal commitments. Depending on what scheme your hospital offers… credit hours may be turned into full days off work, travel to and from work may be easier and cheaper outside peak hours or the fact that you’re an early morning riser – your work can fit around these natural rhythms.
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4. A Relocation Package
Moving house is expensive, let alone moving countries! As an international nurse, if you partner with the right recruitment agency they can provide you with NHS interviews within trusts that will provide you with a big relocation package to support your move over to the UK. So, the right NHS trust will provide you with: free flights to the UK, paid accommodation for your first few weeks, refunded visa costs, refunded English language exam fees, refunded Tier 2 visa costs, payment of your OSCE and a free OSCE training course to help you successfully pass!
5. Job Security
Last but certainly not least, a nursing career within the NHS will provide you with 100% job security. Nurses are wheels of the NHS and hospitals are unable to function without them. Covid 19 has taught us that nothing is permanent and to be grateful for what we have, however, as a nurse within the NHS you will always have a job for you.
As the UK population continues to age, the need for nurses also increases. As people live longer, their need for healthcare services increases. More nurses retire each year than there are new nurses to replace them, which is why the NHS heavily relies on international recruitment – providing you with the job security that you need.
A Final Word
The benefits of working as a nurse are much more than quantifiable; but in fact, nursing is a privileged profession as those who choose to practice nursing are given the unique opportunity to comfort people: whether their distress is physical, emotional, mental or spiritual.
Yes, the work of a nurse is challenging, emotional and hard. However, each and every single nurse across the globe knows that their work and presence is not only essential but life changing as they empower patients every day.
So for that, we thank you.
