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.

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 Shift

How To Leverage Social Media To Get More Agency Shifts

A few weeks ago, we were telling you about agency shifts and how to become an agency nurse. Agency nursing has helped a lot of healthcare professionals be in control of their time, their schedule and their finances.

Over the last few years, agency nursing has gained popularity. 54.53% of the nurses in the NMC register do not work in the NHS. There is a huge possibility that a huge chunk of the registered nurses outside the NHS is in Agency Nursing while the rest are employed in private facilities.

The availability of agency shifts at one’s fingertips has exacerbated the need for some to switch from working in an institution permanently to being an agency nurse.

We have received enquiries about agency nursing and the availability of agency shifts should one decide to take on agency nursing full-time. In case you are wondering how to find shifts on social media here are a few tips on how to leverage social media to find agency shifts.

  1. Open a LinkedIn account and list your qualifications and most importantly your location. Also indicate that you are open to work and be specific that you are interested in temporary or part-time placements only. Make sure you are active on LinkedIn and check your messages regularly. Find agencies in your area that are hiring and apply. Be sure to keep your updated CV handy so you can easily apply for any job.
  2. Search for jobs hashtags on Twitter and Instagram for example use the following hashtags #birminghamjob, #extrashiftsdudley #agencynursing #agencynurse.
  3. Join Nurses’ recruitment groups on LinkedIn and Facebook and regularly check if agencies are not posting part-time vacancies and shifts.

We can help you get started on your agency nursing journey. If you need more information about becoming an agency nurse, call us on 03300300031 or email us info@myshifts.work

Technology In Nursing: Dos And Donts

Must Have Technoloy In Healthcare

It’s high time we talk about technology in nursing, for the simple reason that, tech has taken over the world. The world has evolved immensely from the era when community nurses used bicycles to make home visits to this day of smart medical devices and remote patient monitoring.

In the early 30s, nurses never thought it would be possible to have pacemakers let alone think intelligent devices would become an integral part of their jobs, they took pride in their work as community health officers and ensured the community’s health needs were well taken care of.

In some African countries, a visit to the clinic would see you and other patients combined, singing a jingle about health, cleanliness and anti-littering among other topics before the clinic opened for that particular day.

Enter technology in nursing, and smart medical devices are now being used to monitor patients. Remote patient monitoring has even been exacerbated by the availability of the internet in most parts of the world. Patient management has also been made easy by different software that can take and process appointments. Not forgetting that sometimes nurses have to access some medical databases when they need help managing a patient exuding certain symptoms, helping them to efficiently carry out their duties.

Technology has become an epicentre of what we do as nurses as it had enabled us in more ways than one to carry out our nursing duties be it administrative or actual nursing duties efficiently and productively. However, technology comes with its own drawbacks and we cannot ignore them. Whenever you as a nurse decide to use technology in its infinite vastness in your field, remember the following:

Dos.

  1. Get as much information as you can on the piece of tech you are going to use be it software or a medical device. Remembering a small error can have fatal results.
  2. Remember to educate your patients about some of the benefits of using the technology you are trying to get them to adopt. (i.e if a patient is supposed to have a heart rate monitor or any other wearable medical device, take your time to explain it fully to the patient so they will understand its benefits and how to take care of it.)
  3. Remember that technology can have glitches that can interfere with or interrupt a patient’s results, thereby increasing the chances of them being misdiagnosed or having any other adverse effects. As a nurse do not leave remote monitoring (and other duties) entirely to technology. Set up a checkup routine to check on your patients physically or by calling them.

Donts.

  1. Don’t over-rely on technology sometimes conduct a psychical check.
  2. Don’t use systems or devices you do not fully understand to manage or treat patients.
  3. Don’t rule out the powerful technology in favour of human intelligence, technology in some cases can complete tasks we can’t.

If you want to be an agency nurse, call us on 03300300031 or send us an email with the subject “I want to be an agency nurse” and we will contact you.

How To Become An Agency Nurse In The UK

Agency Nurse Pause +`5\6-\
Confident nurse having crossed arms and looking at camera.

How To Become An Agency Nurse In The UK? Some nurses found themselves in considerable difficulty in 2022 when they discovered there is so much month at the end of money and their paycheques were not going to change anytime soon. Given the ongoing economic downturn, a lot of nurses are considering shifting entirely to agency nursing because they need to rearrange one or two things in their lives to make ends meet.

The video below details some of the reasons why it will be beneficial for you to become an agency nurse:

According to Randstad, There are many pros than cons to being an agency nurse which include but are not limited to:

  1. Greater diversity of patients and co-workers
  2. There is less management in agency nursing
  3. You don’t have to deal with office politics.
  4. You will be doing actual nursing work (not spend some time embroiled in admin work)

Others have often wondered how they can become agency nurses and if it is advisable to flip to agency nursing full-time. The short answer to both these questions is, it’s easy and worthwhile.

To become an agency nurse you first have to meet the following criterion:

  1. Have Professional Nursing Qualifications
  2. Be eligible to work in the UK
  3. You have to be registered with the NMC
  4. You should have proof of vaccinations and immunisation.

If you have these then you can start looking for agency work from different agencies in your area. You can be paid in three different ways.

  1. The agencies can pay you after deducting National Insurance(NI) and income tax
  2. You can open a limited company and the agencies can pay the proceeds into the company account and you will pay NI and other taxes on your own. (This is usually considered the best option)
  3. The agencies may pay an umbrella company which then does admin work for you and make payments directly to you.

If you ever want to become an agency nurse, we can help you get started. In case you have any questions, about becoming an agency nurse, reach out to us by calling us at 03300300031 or sending us an email at info@myshifts.work. Check out our other blogs on staffing and placement here.