Pittsburgh to ??

New to the site - Pittsburgh, PA girl looking to make the big move. I work in healthcare here - nursing, nuclear medicine tech, phlebotomy, those sort of things. IS there a pretty good job market in healthcare?

For those of you who have already done this - is there almost a "checklist" of things to do and consider before making the jump?

Thanks ahead of time,
J~

Welcome! 

You need a visa to come and live / work in the UK if you are not an EU / EEA citizen.

First, I'd check the Visas Board. Options could be Tier 1 or a Tier 2 visa if you are wanting to work. Things like your age, education levels, work experience and citizenship are useful to know to suggest options. I think if you have less than an undergraduate degree, you will find securing a work permit pretty difficult.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier1/general/
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier2/

You could look at doing a student visa if you are interested in study.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/quickguideforstudent/adultstudents/applyingforanadultstudentvisa/

If you are a nurse, you'd have to register with the Nursing & Midwifery Council to practice (a degree is likely the minimum):

http://www.nmc-uk.org/Registration/Joining-the-register/Trained-outside-the-EU--EEA/

Nursing job options in the UK:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_nursing_job_options.htm
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nursing.shtml

Regarding Phlebotomists:
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=252
See also National Association of Phlebotomists
http://www.phlebotomy.org/

It seems being a phlebotomist may not have enough education to secure a work permit. 

If you decide the student route:

To find an undergrad course:
http://www.ucas.ac.uk/

To find a postgrad course (Masters and PhD) and also learn about UK job fields:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/

Lastly, if you are eligible for citizenship of an EU country, then it will be easier to move to the UK.

http://europa.eu/

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/eea/

You might also want to post in the Job Board to get advice about your particular work area if you provide more details.

The National Health Service, the principal health care employer in the UK, like all areas of the public sector, is experiencing financial constraints right now with the economy.

Happy researching. 

Wow - thanks for all the info. I'll get started right away.

I'm 27, I have a RN associates degree, a phlebotomy certificate and I'm 5 classes away from a BSN in nursing science, but I'm also double-majoring with nuclear medicine, which would be a diploma degree.  All in all, I have about 10 yrs of school - but I've switched subjects so many times - not all of it counts for something.

I'm honest enough to admit the number one reason for my interest in moving is the "romance" it holds for me. I don't expect anything to be easier - but there is the excitement of starting completely over.  I just want to be as prepared as possible. I'm considering possibly just committing to a one year visit - to see if I can really handle it on my own.

I'll keep cruising the boards - this site is like a god send.
Thanks everyone.
J~

No advice, but welcome!

I have no advice either, but welcome to UKY! I moved from the Burgh to London a year and a few months ago.

Welcome to UKY - MLG has sent you on the right track with her links -

I can understand the sentiment and romance of it all for moving to the UK, as I'm a worker bee myself. 

Good luck with your journey 

Oh, and there's BUNAC:

http://www.bunac.org/usa/interninbritain/

Providing you meet their eligibility requirements:

Be aged 18 or over
Currently be studying in the USA or be a US citizen studying overseas
Currently be a full-time degree level student, or a graduate intending to begin the internship no more than 12 months beyond the end of study
Hold an acceptable internship offer in the UK for up to 6 months
Have sufficient support funds

Unfortunately, there's no 'one year visit' visa, I'm afraid. You could apply for a visitor visa. As a general visitor, you must:
1. intend to visit the UK for no more than six months;
2. intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit, and
3. have enough money to support yourself and live in the UK without working or needing any help from public funds.

See http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf2visitors#21460086
 
If you want more details, post your queries in the applicable board - happy researching!