Sidney

Hi.Could any of you Brit nurses tell me if you prefer working in the UK or USA?And apart from NHS patient waiting list,could you comment on the level of treatment a patient receives in the USA compared to that of the UK.Thankyou.Sid

geordiegirl2

Hi the difference is huge, my preference is the UK, certainly where i work, the staffing ratios are better but much of the actual care is given by techs(support worker),as i spend my time chasing docs,labs and giving meds.
There is little autonomy here which is frustrating.Obviously from a pt's point of view they recieve treatment sooner here but the length of their stay and sometimes treatment plans is dictated by their insurance company not a clinician.

owen

Less holiday days!!

immunise

WAYYY less holidays, earlier starts, longer working week, less autonomy, more egotistical doctors, much much much less job satisfaction....

three times what I got paid in the UK! (the ONLY plus)

I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone and if I'd known I would have stayed with the NHS.

Englishmum

Here are some very interesting observations on this thread started by a nurse who relocated to the USA earlier this year....and comments by British expats who have experienced NHS and US healthcare:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=255401

Lots to read, but well worth it.

DnThomts

Hi Sidney. Couldn't tell you the difference since I have only worked in the US. (yes I'm a dirty American) But what I can say is this. Don't be discouraged from everyone telling you how bad the hospital system is in the US. I have traveled all over the US and there are good hospitals and there are bad hospitals. I'm betting it's that way no matter what country you are in. My advice to you is to find and talk to US traveling nurses who have been all over to guide you toward the better hospitals. In general (not in every case) you want to stay out of the South & East Coast. Better conditions exists more so on the West coast ( California ) and other US states where nursing has become unionized.
As for the level of care a patient recieves, what I've learned is that it has less to do with the system and more to do with the nurse who does have a voice and in my opinion is the pt's voice when we see that things could be better. It's easy to blame a system we don't agree with. It's much harder to take on the responsibility ourselves and see that a pt is treated with equality & humanity no matter who they are. But it is much more rewarding to fight for that (even if you lose) than to sit on the sidelines and simply complain.
No system is perfect nor will there ever be a perfect system. Ultimately it will be your attitude that determines how you like it or not. Granted some of what I've been reading in this thread is true. Doctors can be pricks at times. But that comes from the old days when doctors were considered gods and nurses were required to stand up when a doctor entered the room. But slowly (very slowly) the attitudes are changing. Nurses over the last couple of decades have had to become significantly more advanced in knowledge, technical expertised in new equipment, etc. and the doctors are learning they can't do this job without us. And yes the system of care can seem fragmented with so many departments providing care. However there is a reason. There is a huge push in the US for evidence based practice (across all fileds) and what is known as "Scope of Practice." In other words, you practice only for what you have been technically trained. It is patient saftey issue. I know how to run a ventilator too. But if I start making changes to vents, and other equipment set up by other departments, and I make a mistake and harm comes to the pt, it's my ass. And I have seen several situations in which nurses have done things (thinking they were doing the right thing for the pt.) and bad things came about for the pt. We practice in a DO NO HARM mentality. But harm does come and in almost every case someone was practicing outside their Scope of Practice. And the patient is the one who ultimitaley suffered. I could go on and on about this but it I think you may get the idea. Also you work more here. I am looking into moving to London in the next year or two and began inquiring about nursing jobs in the UK. I was told you get 6 weeks paid vacation!!!!!!! I wouldn't know how to act. The down side. You only make like 35-45,000 US dollars per year. That's about a 50% paycut for me plus in the US if you are a traveler like me, all your travel expenses & housing are paid for. Anyway, hope this helps a little. Don't be afraid to come to this side of the pond.
Good Luck!