Any RN's out there?

I am so excited!!!  

I am hoping to move to the UK midSeptember.  A nursing agency is looking for placement for me in either Cambridge or London(South Kensington).  

I am looking for information regarding the working ocnditions in the UK hospitals.  Anyone working in one of the hospitals that could give me any information?

I sure would appreciate it!

thanks

I don't konw efe, but all I can say is Cambridge is Awesome. I'm moving to Ely in 18 days, which is 10 miles North of Cambridge, and I can't wait to have such easy access to taht city. It's wonderful! So you'll be coming over with your emplpyer then right? And are bringing your kids over?

Wow!  I might already know someone when I move!!  

I told the recruiting agency my first choice is Cambridge.  I currently live in a small town in LA (lower Alabama)!!  Maybe 20,00 people.  I wanted a smaller area to live in, not quite so big as London.  Although I am flexible.  

I have a 10 year old daughter who will be coming with me.  5th grade.  

Tell me all about Cambridge.  How do you like it?  What do you do?  Are you working?  

If you want, my email address is efeyre@hotmail.com.

Thank you so  much for responding to my post!
Lalie (my real name)

Ely is a great town too. A little tine home-town kind of place with a MASSIVE cathedral plopped right in the center. I love it - and the river Ouse that runs through it. Cambridge is just gorgeous, and really artsy which I love. Beautiful river, great little winding cobblestone streets.... sigh.

I used to live in Alabama, Huntsville to be precise - and ItsBCoz ( another memebr here) was born & raised in Huntville... where are you from exactly?

I am from Daphne.  Cambridge sounds like Fairhope, although Fairhope doesn't have the Cathedral!!  

I am a bit overwhlemed with not only the move but trying to decide how to even start my list.  As I think of things, I just jot them down.  But  I am afraid I will forget something.  

My daughter is so excited about coming.  I won't get there until mid September, and she will arrive in December.  Kind of a  compromise, she does half the school year here and half there.   We may decide to stay forever, but for now the contract is for one year.

I was an exchange student in spain.  so i have lived in europe before and am adapatable to the culture differences.  she is very fleixble as well.


Do you know anything about Papsworth Hospital?  Where is it close to?  What schools are close?  I have been on the education website and there are many schools in the Cambridge area.  

I have so many questions!!  I could fill up a whole 5 pages!

Lalie

Do you know anything about Papsworth Hospital?

No...but I can think of all sorts of jokes about it!

Ah, but don't refer to a "pap" smear. They'll look at you like you have two heads. I phoned up once to make a Pap appointment and they kept putting me on to all sorts of people until someone finally asked "What is that?". Not that they don't do it, just that they don't call it that!

By all means... ask as many questions as you can!!! It helped me to write everything down - but as many know here I'm copmletely anal and have my life in a spreadsheet - so I made an Excel worksheet to put everything in. It's helped a TON though.

Don't know anything about the hospital though.  

How did you even begin to start your list of things to pack? :-/  We are expecting to be there one year, but if we like it we may stay.


how long have you been there?  do you like it?  i am reading a lot of books and looking at websites trying to get it all together!  

Hiya Efe - I'm actually not there yet - 15 days! I'm only there for 5 months to begin with, and we'll take it from there. Don't know if I'll be going back or he'll be coming to America, we're just sort of taking it step by step. As for how I decided what to bring: it was hard. But luggage space dictated it. I picked which suitcases I was bringing and stuffed them with everything I wanted to bring, then slowly took things out that I didn't *really* want... I'm bringing clothes and VERY little else. Just a few things that have been with me for years, that have been in every home I've had - to make me feel more at home in England. Namely - one set of thin curtains my sister-in-law made me. Mostly everything else is jsut in boxes. Don't have much choice, and once the moving date gets nearer you start realizing - oh, I don't *really* need that... good luck hon. I suppose you can start a BIG list of things you want to take, then slowly check things off that you don't need - like things you can buy just as easily in the UK, or things that don't hold any real sentimental value etc... there are several other posts here for more info - like the Things I Wish I had Brought To England list. As a matter of fact, aI'm gonna go start another list of things I shouldn't have brought. Help you narrow it down.

Hey Efe,
 My soon to be wife is an RN in England and has been for 10 years.If you are interested in speaking with her send me a PM with your e-mail and I'll pass it on,I'm sure she wouldn't mind talking to you about it.
                                       Chris

Hi,
My name is terry. I am in my junior year of nursing school. My husband has two years left for his BSN. We are both wanting to move to london or near to the city when we complete school. We live in knoxville tennessee now. I am very excited about moving to the UK. I have always wanted to live in europe and my career choice has made this a possibility. I am so excited for you. I wish I had made the choice to  move much sooner. I really want to get to know some people via the internet prior to moving , which won't be for about two years. I do plan on visiting the country several times prior to our move though. I am also planning on using a recruitment company. I would like to know who you are using and what your ultimate experience is with them. What type of nursing do you specialize in. I have been in pediatrics for five years, but am looking at geriatrics or hospice. I haven't really decided. I also am possibly going to continue school in the UK to become a midwife. My husband wants to do trauma or mental health/criminal justice nursing. He already has a BS in criminal justice/juvenile justice. Congratulations on your new adventure and I wish you all the best in the future. I really would like to get to know you and any other nurses who are in the UK before I come over so please email me if you would like. My email is : twantlan@utk.edu. Good luck again, and if your worried read the second post on the expat life forum site. It lists 8 pages of the good things about the UK. It makes me wish I could leave today. Happy holidays to all of you on this forum.
Terry

HI, Efe and Terry!  I am an RN who lives in Essex.  We moved here a month ago for my husband's job.  I just registered with the NMC, so I will not be working as an RN for about 6 months.  I am volunteering at the local hospital in the ER (that's my specialty) and I am applying to work as a nurse tech, so I get paid instead of volunteering. 

I have only gone twice and only to the ER, but the pace of work is much SLOWER and nicer and less stressful here!  The nurses can go to the bathroom and they eat lunch and everything!  (how many 12 hour shifts have I worked without going to the bathroom!!)   The uniforms are antiquated and ugly, very few units use scrubs here.  The head/charge/director nurses are called 'sisters' - but they are not nuns.  A lot of meds have different names, and they don't seem to know the generic names, so we will have some learning to do there.  The most interesting thing I saw was this:  The waiting room of the ER (called accident & emergency here) was full with quiet, patient, non-complaining, non-yelling, non-over-dramatic-I-am-going-to-die-and-then-call-my-lawyer-on-you, patients. 

Although the 3 hospitals I have visited look old,  the medicine here seems to be very up to date and the nurses are well educated. 

What is your specialty/area you plan on working in?  Were are you coming from in the US?  I am from the DC area.
I have been wanting to talk with other nurse expats, so stay in touch, feel free to pm me, good luck in your move, Efe and in your studies, Terry!

OH yes, one good piece of news.  There was an article in the paper last week about raising ALL nhs salaries, but especially that of RN's!  Some RN's will be able to make up to double what they were making before.  I think it will be implemented in the next year.

ok, sorry if I wrote too much, bye!
KRISSIE

Hi,

I'm an RN who's been working over here for the past 4 years.  I was in London for the first 2 and now in the Scottish highlands.  I have done both private and NHS work, so if I can help at all let me know.