Agency Nurse

How To Become A Pedriatic Nurse In The UK

People have always turned to Google to ask about the most paging nursing field in the UK. Google has always responded by answering that Pediatric nurses earn as much as £64000+ a year and I’m certain a lot of you are intrigued. If Pediatric nursing pays that much then how does one become a pediatric nurse in the UK? Here is your answer.

What Is a pediatric nurse? 
According to the Nursing Journal, a pediatric nurse is a nurse who looks after children from birth till they turn 18 

What do pediatric nurses do? 
The specialist nurses work with children battling various diseases at different developmental stages (infancy to 18 years. They make use of soft skills like patience, empathy, and effective communication to serve and treat their patients. Pediatric nurses are usually the ones that explain to their patient’s parents the diagnosis and treatment process of their young patients. 

How does one become a pediatric nurse in the UK?
According to the NHS:

You’ll need to do a degree level qualification to be a nurse so will usually need a minimum of five GCSEs (typically including maths, English language or literature and a science subject) at grades 5/4 (C) or above or equivalent level 2 qualification, then go on to take at least two A levels (eg including a subject like human biology, psychology or sociology) or equivalent level 3 qualification such as a BTEC or apprenticeship

NHS

After that, you need to look for a job and get your NMC pin and work to build experience as you advance in your career. Alternatively, you can as a qualified nurse take a postgraduate course like a master’s in children’s nursing and start working towards gaining experience in the field.

If you are a pediatric nurse looking for agency shifts in the West Midlands, contact us at 03300300031 or send us an email at info@myshifts.work. Meanwhile, check out our other blogs on how to become an agency nurse in the UK.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!! 3 Things To Do To Make Sure The New Year is Enjoyable

Happy New Year, 2023 is here. Following the old tradition of reinventing or planning to reinvent ourselves in the new year, many of us have promised ourselves many things in 2023. Well social media is awash with messages of encouragement and hope, telling us that in the new year, we should remain true to ourselves but try to better ourselves debunking the famous “new year new me mantra”

For some people like this writer, I really need to be a new person in 2023 as I take on more responsibility, enter new fields, and start new things (something I have labelled unchartered territories). So in as much as I don’t want to put pressure on myself and not chant the famous “new year, new me” slogan. Circumstances are just screaming that in the new year I become a new person. I know some professionals like me are also supposed to grow into new roles, shed some habits, adopt better habits, and become different people from the people they were in 2022.

This sometimes puts pressure on professionals, especially the ones trying to make some more quid during an economic recession. If you are one person, burdened with the expectations of the new year here are some free tips on how to make the new year enjoyable.

  1. Set realistic goals – telling yourself you will lose 3 stone in 2 months might be a motivating factor towards reaching your goals initially, however when after a few days your efforts don’t tally your results you will be frustrated and this will probably demotivate you, you will probably quit or start a vicious cycle of starting afresh, failing and quitting which might continue for the entire year. This goes for all other plans and goals you are setting up for yourself as a nurse or healthcare professional. Set a realistic goal at first, and when you have achieved it, scale up and double your efforts till you are happy with your progress.
  2. Have an absolute routine – so I know it’s sort of oxymoronic of me to suggest that you have a routine that is set in stone because life happens right? Well, if you set up a routine and follow it to a tee, you make life for yourself and those around you easy as they can predict or tell what you will do next among other things. This means you will probably lead a seamless day-to-day life as people around you have to plan their lives and their schedules around your routine. This means no pressure for you and yours right?
  3. Take a break – Of course, given the ongoing recession, part of us as professionals will be faced with many reasons to try and work harder. Yes, we need to work harder for our goals but not all money is good money. Take a break and enjoy your family, separate your professional life and your personal life and try to strike a balance between the two at all costs.

If you are in the West Midlands Looking for extra shifts as a band 5 nurse, get in touch with us at 03300300031 or send us an email at info@myshifts.work

Strep A

All You Need To Know About RSV And Strep A As A Healthcare Professional

As the world tries to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Britain has been engulfed by yet another problem, affecting children. RSV and Strep A have so far killed sixteen children, since  September 2022.

What are these 2 demons that are a cause for concern this winter?  According to the NHS, Strep A, Streptococcus A is bacteria commonly found in the throat or the skin which can cause disease in some cases. While according to BBC,

RSV, respiratory syncytial virus is a winter virus, that can feel like a common cold in adults, but which can be dangerous for some young children.   

BBC

These are some of the things that you need to know as a healthcare professional about RSV and Strep A: 

  • RSV typically hits young children of school-going age between 3 and 4  the hardest, 
  • RSV presents symptoms like a regular cold, characterised by a cough and a runny nose. 
  • Epidemiologists suspect that there is a possibility that catching Covid-19 might have worsened children’s susceptibility to diseases by somehow weakening their immune systems. 
  • Strep A is not life-threatening and it poses symptoms like tonsilitis and sore throat, however, it can cause invasive, potentially deadly infections like meningitis.
  • To manage and prevent Strep A, preventative antibiotics can be used and they will also help to reduce the likelihood of infection.
  • Health authorities have recommended that people should wash their hands with soap and water to stop the spreading of bacteria and viruses 
  • It is also recommended to not share utensils and items like cups plates, towels etc which can easily be contaminated.   

In case you are interested in taking last-minute agency shifts, do not hesitate to contact us at 03300300031 or send an email to info@myshifts.work. check out our other blogs on employment tips.

Nurses' Strike

3 Things To Note On Impending Nurses’ Strike

The impending UK Nurses’ strike has dominated internet searches for weeks on end. As unions try to get the government to grant them double digits pay rise to curtail inflation which has reached its 4-decade all-time high, the highest pay rise given by the UK government in a long time according to Reuters

The nurses’ strike which will start this week amid a harsh winter characterised by walk-outs the first-ever industrial action of this kind in the NHS, will see nurses walking out of their jobs on Thursday the 15th of December and on 20 December 2022. 

Here are some statistics listed by Reuters about the strike: 

  • Union estimates forecast more than 1 million working days will be lost in December
  • 1 million working days expected to be lost to strikes this December compares to the 12 million lost in September 1979

Here are a few things you probably should keep in mind about the impending Nurses’ Strike:

  1. The unions are refusing the government’s pay rise offer citing the fact that many have gone for close to a decade without their wages being increased. They said the 4% increment offered by the government is too little in contrast to inflation which rose to about 11% after the onset of the pandemic. 
  2. The strike has caused non-urgent surgeries to be cancelled and in some cases, ambulances are now waiting longer than before. This might cause the government to shift from its previous position and offer as pressure mounts from the public over the strike. 
  3. The government has refused to move from its position and 4% pay rise and they are looking for ways to tighten laws to prevent strikes like these to disrupt healthcare, especially during winter. 

What are your thoughts about the nurses’ strike? While at it, check out our other blogs on various topics. If you need agency shifts in Birmingham call 03300300031 or send an email to info@myshifts.work

Agency Nurse

5 Things To Note If You Are Considering Agency Nursing

Over the last few months, we have extensively discussed agency nursing. We have shared tips on how to become one, and we have shared tips on what to expect and where to get agency jobs.

Some have reached out to us looking for more information about becoming agency nurses. Some have taken the leap of faith and they are already working for agencies full-time and reaping all the rewards we discussed earlier which include, a flexible schedule, a better rate and more nursing experience.

For some, taking that leap might be a stretch because of many reasons. However, for others, agency nursing is the only way to go as they yearn for a better schedule and more quid in their pockets. In case you have made up your mind and you want to become a full-time agency nurse, here are 5 things you should be aware of:

  1. Work on improving your clinical skills. – agency nurses are required to do a lot of skilled nursing tasks like blood culture collection, urinary catheterisation just to name a few. Agencies would prefer a competent worker, and if you are a competent nurse, your agency nursing journey will be long and enjoyable.
  2. When in doubt ask others – starting out as an agency nurse might be overwhelming. If you don’t know much about the tasks assigned to you, ask, if you are not sure about anything from clinical tasks to paying taxes, ask. The agency world is too small and one mistake might affect you tremendously.
  3. Be open to learning more about new procedures – because there will probably not be fixed tasks, its always good to understudy or learn about new procedures, this will help you on too many levels including helping you fit well with others and making you marketable to multiple agencies sometimes with better rates.
  4. Learn each and every shift’s dos and don’ts – this will minimize mistakes and maximize productivity at work.
  5. Ask more about prescriptions you are not sure about – if you are not sure about something on the prescription, query them. If you have any reservations bout the dosage or anything at all, do not take the prescription as gospel, ask questions.

In case you want to join our other agency nurses, contact us by sending an email with the subject agency nursing to info@myshifts.work and we will respond to your questions or call us on 03300300031

Giving

It’s Giving Week, Here Are 3 NHS Charities You May Want To Donate To

After the American Thanksgiving Holiday comes giving day. On this day which is celebrated a few days after thanksgiving day, people chose to give others resources they have or resources they need to make them feel good and have a happy festive season.

A lot of us give to our families, to our friends to our communities and to our churches. A lot of us give to different causes. Given the problems bedevilling the entire world, there are a million plus causes and they are mostly looking for resources to further their causes.

While a lot of us are already making sacrifices and counting our coins in this pandemic-induced recession, the world still needs a helping hand in more ways than one. As health workers, we know some of the causes that need our help. In case we want to lend a helping hand, you may want to donate to these three NHS Charities, because, just like all 230 NHS Charities, they are helping communities in more ways than one:

  1. Musgrove Leukaemic Group Somerset (MLGS) – This charity raises funds for leukaemia and lymphoma patients and their families in Somerset. According to the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, MLGS was formed in the late 1970s to help the local children who had to travel to get treatment.
  2. The Neurosciences Research Foundation – This charity helps fund research on the diseases of the brain and spinal cord that are still untreatable and any progress in finding an effective treatment.
  3. Limbless Association – This charity helps the limp-loss community from all walks of life with support through existing services.

If you need agency shifts this December, get in touch with us, at 03303300031 or send us an email at info@myshifts.work. Meanwhile, check out our other blogs on various employment and health topics.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

3 Things Nurses Should Know About Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

According to Google, the search for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has increased over the last few weeks. This probably means multiple people are genuinely interested in knowing about this therapy. As trained caregivers, nurses are supposed to educate themselves about subjects that might help their patients to better serve them whenever possible.

Since multiple people in the UK are asking about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, we have taken the liberty to make a few basic things known about the therapy. According to Healthline:

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a treatment approach that helps you recognize negative or unhelpful thoughts and behaviour patterns. CBT aims to help you identify and explore the ways your emotions and thoughts can affect your actions. Once you notice these patterns, you can begin learning how to change your behaviours and develop new coping strategies.

Healthline

In case you are asked about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as a caregiver, here are three basic things you should know about the therapy:

  1. CBT can help mental disorders that include but are not limited to PTSD, OCD, panic disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, substance abuse and depression.
  2. CBT is not a cure, it will help address the issues you are facing but it will not probably eliminate them completely and they could still persist after you stop the therapy. Also bear in mind, it is not a quick fix, results will take time.
  3. CBT can also be used to help overcome grief, loss, insomnia, chronic pain, serious health diagnosis, relationship issues, divorce or breakups and general stress.

Remember to take care of yourself first at all times. If you are looking for part-time nurses to staff your establishment call us on 03300300031 or send us an email at infor@myshifts.work

Self Care

5 Self Care Tips For Nurses

Over the years, nurses who by virtue of their jobs are trained caregivers, have effortlessly taken care of generations. Nurses have taken care of societies, communities, generations and families, and they continue to do so to this day. However, nursing in 1939 where the district nurse would ride a bicycle to do community visits is now different from nursing in the 21st century.

Nurses nowadays have a lot to juggle since today’s life demands more from us with very little help coming from any direction. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation and many nurses have put aside self-care in order to carry out their duties faithfully. Self-care by definition as defined by the Global Self-Care Federation is:

Self-care is the practice of individuals looking after their own health using the knowledge and information available to them…. It involves making healthy lifestyle choices, avoiding unhealthy lifestyle habits, making responsible use of prescription and non-prescription medicines, self-recognition of symptoms, self-monitoring and self-management 

Global Self-Care Federation

it is imperative for nurses to prioritise self-care because a lack of adequate self-care will lead to outcomes like burnouts which will lead to mistakes, and in the nursing field, a mistake can result in a fatality. These 5 tips will help nurses in our communities take care of themselves so that they prolong their lives and other services to humankind in need of them:

  1. Try to avoid mental strain. If you feel you have mental fatigue rest for a while.
  2. Do not compare your capabilities and abilities to those of your neighbour, if your neighbour can manage 5 long days and 2 short days in a row, do not compare their strength to yours. Pick a schedule you can manage.
  3. Prioritise your mental health, if anything has the ability to temper with your sanity even by a small fraction, find a way to cut it off.
  4. Try by all means to avoid an unhealthy lifestyle.
  5. Rest, whenever possible take some time off and rest your mind and body.

If you are based in the West Midlands and looking for extra shifts, call us at 03300300031 or send us an email at info@myshifts.works

3 Things Nurses Can Do To Raise Cancer Awareness

Cancer has over the past century wreaked havoc in our communities and families. Nurses are at the epicentre of fighting this disease because we treat cancer patients daily. We have seen families torn apart, and children orphaned, and we interact with heartbroken spouses and partners every day because of cancer.

While our duty is to treat patients that come to the various medical facilities we provide our services to, we cannot overlook the fact that we live in communities and we probably have seen neighbours and people we care about battling this deadly disease. This means we have seen first-hand how deadly cancer is, and if it were up to us, the onus would be on us to raise awareness against cancer.

Some if not most cancers according to the National Library of Medicine are diagnosed at an advanced stage, this usually limits the chances of a patient surviving. The progression of some cancers can be slowed down by changing a patient’s lifestyle. Most patients do not know this. As a nurse, if you are willing to raise awareness against cancer here are some of the things you can do in your society.

  1. Encourage peers, friends, neighbours and relatives to go for cancer screening.
  2. Research more about the different types of cancers and how to slow down disease progression, this will help you whenever you are helping people in your circle who are battling cancer.
  3. Do awareness campaigns or encourage people in your community, family, and friends to participate in those awareness campaigns as they will learn more and more about that dreadful disease.

In case you want to become an agency nurse and you are based in the West Midlands please get in touch with us at 03300300031 or send us an email at info@myshifts.work

Agency Nurse

What Are The Advantages Of Agency Nursing: Hear It From An Agency Nurse

Week 3 and we are still emphasizing why all nurses should by all means be in charge of their schedules.

Over the years here are some ways nurses in the UK have been augmenting their income:

  1. Have a full-time job elsewhere, when you get a chance pick an extra shift assigned or found at the agency.
  2. Work overtime, i.e long days and double shifts etc to make sure the salary is higher when the calender hits the last day of the month.

This week we had an opportunity to speak to one nurse who is transitioning to become a full-time agency nurse and she had this to say

… I work 4 nights a week, from Sunday to Wednesday and the other 3 nights and days, I’m with my family. I went to a church outing for the first in a decade last week and I didn’t have to work the Sunday I got back because there was no pressure for me to unlike last time.

I have managed to pay back my small loan I’m working towards building my second home in another country I really can’t complain. And to think three months ago I was depressed after our family holiday when things were not going well for me financially……

This lady was advised by her friend an agency nurse, to do agency nursing full time and she was forced by circumstances to do it. She is the happiest person around because she is seeing the benefits.

She has more time with her family, her finances are not in a quandary and she has more time for social events because she can manage her schedule.

When I asked her if she misses the security of her old job she said she doesn’t, especially the double shifts.

Just like her, sometimes there is absolutely no reason for you to pick those double shifts when you can have a flexible schedule. To get started on your agency nursing journey call us on 03300300031 or email us at info@myshifts.works alternatively fill in this form and we will contact you.