Are you a nurse? Wondering if you should give a shot at applying for nursing jobs in the UK for Indian nurses? Not sure, if it’s the right choice for you professionally and personally? Finding it hard to make a decision? Worry not, we’re here to help. Moving overseas is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life, and you need to be 100% sure before making the move. Here, in this post, we list out some of the top reasons why becoming a nurse in the UK is one of the best decisions you’ll make for your career and personal life.
Finding and qualifying for nursing jobs in the UK is easier than you think. England is currently facing one of the worst nursing shortages. Official figures show that 1 in 11 nursing posts in the NHS is vacant, and there is a shortage of nearly 42,000 nurses in the UK, and the demand for nurses is increasing all over the country.
What does this mean to you? It means you have an excellent chance of finding a nursing role that fits you. Nursing applicants can choose where they want to live. Depending on your personal preferences, you can opt for nursing jobs in urban townships or rural settings as well.
Contrary to Indian conditions, nursing jobs in the UK are highly flexible. All nurses in the NHS have a standard working week of just 37.5 hours. You can opt to work full-time or part-time, based on your family responsibilities. Additionally, you can choose different shifts – day shifts, evening shifts, or night shifts as per your preferences, thus enjoying a healthy work-life balance.
You can choose to work extra hours to meet your family’s income needs if you so desire. The best part is your extra hours earn you extra pay, higher than your regular pay. For example, nurses who work on Saturdays are usually paid 30% more, while nurses who work on Sundays and bank holidays get paid 60% more.
When you get selected to work in the NHS as an overseas nurse, you initially are provided with a three-year contract. This gives you job security, helping you take the essential steps to live in the UK with confidence. The best part – contracts of a vast majority of overseas nurses in the NHS are renewed after this three-year period.
The UK is one of the top countries in the world that takes care of its work force with the best perks. Nursing jobs in the UK for Indian nurses come with paid holidays – 27 paid days every year and an additional 8 bank paid holidays to vacation and spend time with your family.
Once you have completed five years as a nurse in the UK, the number of paid holiday increased to 29 days. This number increases to 33 paid holidays once you have completed a decade as a nurse in the UK.
The NHS offers the best pension scheme in the UK for its workforce. When you join the NHS as an overseas nurse, you automatically qualify for pension benefits. The pension benefits will help you build a significant retirement corpus that protects you from inflation, helping you enjoy a stress-free lifestyle, even after you retire.
It’s always scary to start a new job. Add in the anxieties of moving into a new country – the nervousness doubles or triples. This is why the NHS provides each of its new employee with a comprehensive induction programme that will help you start your life in a new country with confidence.
As an overseas nurse in the UK, you have several choices to choose from. You can work at a regular hospital, a multi-specialty hospital, at a doctor’s office or a school, etc. Additionally, you can choose whether you want to work with seniors, children, adults, and more. Do you prefer working in a hospital setting, or do you prefer providing patients with one-on-one care at their homes?
The nursing sector in the UK has plenty of opportunities and a variety of choices based on your specific interests.
The UK is renowned the world over for its world-class hospital system. When you apply for nurse jobs in the UK, you are assured of a world-class work environment that provides ample opportunities to learn. You will be part of cutting-edge technology in the medical sector, thereby improving your skills vastly.
As an overseas nurse in the NHS, you qualify for Band 5 Staff Nurse salary. It usually starts from £24,556. This is just the starting salary, and as you gain experience, you can expect your pay cheque to increase significantly.
Above all, the UK is home to a vast Indian diaspora, meaning you will feel at home, even though you are miles away from your hometown. With a great lifestyle and plenty of amenities and benefits, you are sure to love your time as a nurse in the UK.
If you are interested in working as a nurse in the UK or need help with the requirements and eligibility criteria, get in touch with our expert career consultants here at Stanford Review to get help with your relocation to the Uk.
In association with high profile recruitment agencies , we provide A to Z assistance for nurses who want to settle abroad.
We provide coaching for all the tests required to be a registered Nurse abroad.