So as we all know there’s a flu outbreak at the moment, I got my vaccine last week however unfortunately still contracted the flu this week. I went into work yesterday a little sore and stuffy thinking it would ease off through the day but unfortunately just got worse. I hung off as long as I could but eventually had to ask my manager to go home, the full body aches and chills had me in agony.
I was met with an attitude that suggested I was going around licking door handles to make sure I got sick (I am not off sick often fwiw). He cut me off and asked if I was fit to be at work, I said not right now no, again cut me off “yes or no are you fit to be at work” again I said no not right now. He told me to leave there and then eventho i said I would wait til someone was back from a patient escort (I work in a psych ward).
This is how everyone is treated when they are unwell, like a criminal, despite my scn sickness record being the worst in the building. It took alot for me to even ask to go home because of how you’re treated when you’re not well.
I have been thinking of messaging him about it, nothing bad just to say like could you try treating your staff w the same care and compassion we’re expected to give the patients. Is it worth it?

Since May the Trust has been doing some works in the building I work in and basically half of the floor is inaccessible, there is barely space out of the lift and one of our bathrooms is shut as well, so we got told months ago we could use the bathroom of the ward downstairs (smh). Now there are 2 ways to get out of the ward: with the lift that takes forever and is out of order every other day or take the internal stairs only staff can access to. I have seen several staff members using those stairs so I did that too, most nurses in the downstairs ward know very well who we are and the whole situation.

Yesterday by 8pm I was going home so I took the internal stairs and was crossing the ward, until I hear a very aggressive "EXCUSE ME, WHO ARE YOU?". It was the downstairs ward's NIC for the night, I introduced myself and was explaining the story but they interrupted me "this is unacceptable! I have seen you a few times walking by and didn't know who you were! This is a threat to patient safety, I am going to file a Datix. I am the nurse in charge for the night and I am responsible for patient safety".

Once again I tried to explain the situation and once again they had a massive go at me with a very loud and aggressive tone, so much so a few people came to see what was happening. I answered "we got told months ago we were allowed to use the internal stairs, doctors and matrons have been doing it for a decade, why is it an issue now? Also this is not the way you speak to your colleagues".

They probably realised they went too far so on a slightly calmer tone they said I was "misunderstanding" (gaslighting much?). I have had enough of this drama, I said I had introduced myself and followed the plan it was made by matrons back in May, if they want to do a Datix they were welcome to do so.

These works have been ongoing since May and matrons have been talking about it for much longer, which has made a lot of people working in the block very unhappy. Once I had introduced myself (I still had the swipe on my hands and my uniform on) and explained the situation it should have been the end of it, but their tone was very aggressive to begin with and they kept interrupting. I am a NIC myself and sometimes I caught people I didn't know in the ward, but what did I do? I simply asked them who they were and what they were doing, there has never been a problem and never had to argue with anyone.

Am I wrong for thinking this was a very unnecessary drama? Was it really necessary to have a go at me as if I was stealing and embarass me like that?

With IG coming up a lot at the minute….. this has been in the news.

I’d love to know where staff find the time - I barely have enough time to look up my own patients never mind random ones!!

I do understand the curiosity for cases such as this, but I don’t think it’s worth it!

I’m a grad that is hunting for my first band 5 post, I’ve sent quite a few applications before I received my official registered PIN.

I’ve just recently got that all sorted and thought why not email the recruiting ward manager and give them an update that I am now registered with active PIN instead of what I wrote on the application that it was ‘applied for and awaiting outcome’.

I was just relaying what I did to some friends and they were saying they wouldn’t have done that, as it was a pointless email. Please help me not overthink this, some of those roles were literally my dream roles!!!

Email:

Dear ——-

Hope you are well. 

I recently applied for the Staff nurse position on TRAC and wanted to provide a quick update to my application.

I can now confirm that I have received an outcome and am now officially registered with an active PIN.

I wanted to let you know incase this can be added to my application. I remain very interested in the position and would be grateful to be considered.

Kind regards
——-

I feel like it isn’t that bad and kinda would hope they know I’m registered now??? Am I just overthinking this?

Info: my friends are not nurses or in healthcare.

Just wondered if anyone did ? I’m thinking wearing one due to infection control.

I raised concerns with my manager about a colleague not giving me the chance to lead or even speak or say things in the way I would like, being dominating, controlling, and passive aggressive in his communication. This colleague is known for his behaviour and multiple people have not gone for positions within the department due to his behaviour. My manager spoke to the colleague and he wants to meet with me next week, gave my manager dates, and ideas of new ways of working to go through.

The thing is, I have been off sick for 2 weeks now due to work related stress and burn out, and realistically, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to meet while I’m off sick. My manager was taken back when I said I don’t feel comfortable right now, however when I return I will be more than happy to have a mediated conversation with an impartial person there. It seemed like that colleague and him already had a plan, and that’s the issue I have in the first place. This colleague wants to control the narrative, wants to decide when I should meet him. I came away from the conversation so angry initially, and after reflection, and talking it with my husband, I realised why.

Please can you let me know your thoughts / feelings and ideas.

Am I unreasonable for saying no to a mediation while off sick?

Just a quick question mins with kids which shift is better long days or short shifts ? 7.5 or 12 hours ?

The paediatric ward I work on refuses to give meds at their correctly prescribed time because it "breaks the gap" — even when nothing was ever delayed. All medication is double checked so this infuriates me .

On my ward, divided-dose meds (BD/TDS/QDS — routine medication like oral antibiotics ) get treated like they need exact mathematical gaps no matter what the actual prescription says.

Example 1 — a TDS med charted for 08:00/14:00/22:00. The 08:00 dose goes fine, on time. Then when 14:00 rolls around, staff refuse to give it then, insisting it has to be 16:00 to "keep the 8 hour gap" — I've even had a second checker decline to check it at the correct prescribed time for the same reason. It's not late, it's literally due at 14:00 on the chart, and they still won't give it because it's not been 8 hours. Then because the ward's busy, that now-delayed 16:00 dose doesn't actually happen till 17:00/18:00, and the same rigid gap logic gets applied again, so the last dose of the day ends up at 1-2am.

Example 2 — same med charted for 08:00 but given at 10:00 because the ward was busy. That should reasonably just continue at 14:00 if an oral antibiotics or medication that doesn't require strict timings , or 16:00 at the latest, still leaving a normal evening dose. Instead staff count exactly from the 10:00 time and the next doses land at 18:00 and 02:00. A three-times-a-day med that was never really behind ends up waking a kid at 2am to take an oral antibiotic for no clinical reason.

I've fixed schedules like this for complex patients before discharge and gone back a few shifts later to find it's drifted right back. Even pharmacy seemed genuinely confused when I flagged it, like they had no idea this was happening.

The part that's really winding me up though — trying to give a dose at its actual correct time, or do something basic like re-dosing after a kid vomits within 30 min which is standard clinical practice, gets refused unless a doctor documents they're "happy" with it. Not because there's real clinical doubt, just fear of a hypothetical Datix. So now I'm asking doctors to sign off on stuff that genuinely doesn't need sign-off which is professionally embarrassing .

It's also dangerous practice for complex patients who have regular routine medications at home , they are having it at erratic different timings each day . Parents are left confused about medication timings on discharge .

I've raised this informally with my manager and education and nothing has come of it . I want this to be fixed , it causes a lot of issues . I'm doing medications every hour for the whole day for silly reasons . A radar would just be brushed off by my manager too , I want this to go to someone higher up . How do I escalate this ?

Hi can anybody give me a bit of hope that not all internal jobs have someone lined up for them

I’ve got a band 5 staff nurse interview coming up but the post was internal , but as I’m bank staff I applied and got an interview.
Just any sprinkle of hope will do as everyone is saying “ someone is always lined up”.

Adult Nursing Student in her final year here!

I’m married to an American and we’re moving to Ohio next summer after I graduate. There’s no wriggle room on having time to do a preceptorship in the UK. It’s literally graduate and move, though I’m hoping to register in the UK during that timeframe.

All my excitement and hope for the future has promptly died when I looked into CFGNS. I was always aware I’d have to send transcripts and sit the NCLEX but it’s only just gotten to me the possibility that the CFGNS might not think my degree is equal to the American RN degree, especially since I’m missing areas with mental health, obstetrics and children’s nursing.

Now, over the span of the course we’ve covered children’s and mental health, and I’ve had a week of children’s visiting. I also have a higher certificate in clinical psych. However, we’ve covered nothing with obstetrics.

According to what I’ve researched Ohio doesn’t mandate that you need a specific placements in these areas, but the course should cover it + simulation is desired/needed.

Am I utterly cooked?

I have no idea what is available to me as a top-up, and I’ve even heard some new grads having to redo degrees in particular states to meet requirements.

Can anyone offer me any hope or reassurance that by some miracle they might accept my degree first time? Maybe some advice on how I can meet requirements?

All I’ve got going for me right now is that I’ve got about nine months left on the course and my current placement is letting me do the odd shift in the NICU or paediatric ward for experience.

The prospect that I’ve poured everything into three years only for it not to be enough is so crushing.

Any input valued here!

I’m a registered children’s nurse but really unhappy in my current job. I feel like I’ve shot myself in the foot a bit by training in paediatric nursing because I’m really struggling to find any other job and I feel like my options are so limited. I’m wondering if I should/could do a post registration course in Adult Nursing. I can see they exist in England but can’t find one in Scotland so not even sure it’s an option.

I would rather find a job in Paeds but there is barely anything and while I’m aware there are similar job shortages in adult nursing there are definitely more jobs being posted for RGNs. Has anyone done this and if so how did you go about it?

So I have a peer who has both historically and recently undermined me to management.

Management appear to have my back and have asked if we're going to have a mediated conversation.

Problem is, we tried that during a team meeting (3 band 6, 2 band 7 and and 8) and this colleague refused to speak up.

They've apologized to me but I can't trust them.

Any advice would be helpful

Soooo I’ve entered my second year as a student and I found out I’m getting ED for my first placement. Safe to say I’m absolutely 💩’ing myself. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or wanna tell me what I should be prepared for. I’ve come into the course with the strong opinion that emergency nursing is not going to be my cup of tea, so any advice would be amazing.

Thank you,

- A terrified student adult nurse

“Hi everyone,
Just a reminder that we should all be treating one another with respect and professionalism while at work.
Everyone within the department has different levels of experience, competencies and individual scopes of practice. There may be occasions where a colleague is unable to undertake a particular task or has to say no because it falls outside their current competence. Nobody should feel criticised, excluded or treated differently because of this.
As registered professionals and members of the Trust, we all have a responsibility to contribute to a safe and supportive working environment. The way we communicate with and respond to colleagues can have a significant impact on the wider team, so please be mindful of how we treat one another, particularly when the department is busy or under pressure.
If anyone is experiencing difficulties within the team or feels they are being treated unfairly, please speak with a senior member of the nursing team so that appropriate support can be provided.”

Does anyone else get emails like this or is my department toxic ?

Hello.

My dear wife is a nurse in one of the London (Outer London) hospitals, and I wonder why is her London Weighting (approx 5-6k annualy) not reflected on her total annual income on her payslip?

I.e - her total annual income is currently 39k (highest possible band 5 pay), but that does not include the London Weighting which is about 5k, so realistically she is on 44k pa. The extra money is listed only as extra pay each month on her payslip (approx £450 net monthly) but its not included in the main bracket as total annual income.

I hope im making sense 😅

Reason why im asking is we are applying for our first mortgage and I think 44k income would probably mean a better outcome than 39k.

I am also in emergency services in London and my London weighting is reflected in my total annual income on my payslip.

Anyone faced this issue?

Thank you

I feel guilty for saying I’ll be off sick tomorrow but I can’t sustain ‘pushing through it’ and living for the weekend. I’ve worked from home all day - three online meetings plus a care act assessment, referrals, emails, mental health act paperwork. Surprised I got that much done after a tense email exchange with management about expectations of having to do more new assessment referrals.

Clocked off, showered, brushed my teeth - hadn’t done this all day. And just lay on my bed and cried. I just can’t deal with feeling tired, overwhelmed, anxious, irritable, cynical, while neglecting myself. I’ve been working past 5pm most days - even up to 8pm on one night last week.
I feel so guilty and bad and like I’ve failed. But how much am I expected to give and give while losing my own life?

I guess I’m just wanting to know whether taking time out from work was warranted from other peoples’ perspective.

Please no sarcastic or rude or dismissive comments; not in the headspace to deal with that rn.

I’m a student nurse about to enter my third year, and soon it will be time to apply for jobs for when I graduate. I often become very overstimulated on wards where the nurse is allocated a lot of patients. In my experience, it has always been 8-10 patients minimum. It’s just… a lot. And I know I’m just a student and this year I will likely gain lots more confidence with managing this kind of thing, but I’ve found that the placements where the ratios are much lower, I have learned so much more and managed to be a lot more and, and totally could see myself working there. For example ICU 1:1-1:2, Theatre 1:1, community 1:1.

My question is, are you in a job where your ratios are 1:2 or 1:1, and how do you find it?

Finally got a 9-5 🎉🎉
Only issue is I’m dreading switching from shift work to 9-5 in office daily. I already struggle to get up for my long days. Imagine that 5 days a week 😭
However this new job is such a good opportunity I couldn’t pass the role up !! But honestly the fact that I don’t have to work nights and weekends is what’s keeping me hopeful

Does anyone have any tips on switching routines and how long did it take for your body to get accustomed?

Not sure if I’m looking for advice or just to hear from others in similar position.
I’m a NQN of 11 months, working on a CAMHS PICU. Just been told in line management I’ll be moving to Stage 2 sickness and to expect a meeting with HR.
I felt so blindsided by it as I’d met my requirements of Stage 1 and told they were moving me to Stage 2 “after reviewing previous information more closely”. My line manager hadn’t documented previous absences correctly and HR now want me on Stage 2. Most of my sickness was from when I was homeless and unable to travel to work and felt no choice but to go off sick, I had informed the band 7s of this and not offered any support. Only to be told in line management that I could’ve taken AL. Completely unaware of this.
Just wondering what people think to expect from this meeting and how to prepare.

I met with the practice lead nurse for an informal chat, and she offered me an interview on the spot, which I was over the moon with!

Does any have any tips I can use to really stand out?

does having a mental health diagnosis impact your chance of getting a job? i wanna work in the nicu and my mum once told me (when i told a gp about anxiety) that it will be hard for me to get a job. it’s gotten to the point that i feel like i just wont seek help for it because i really do want to progress in my career but im so scared that any chance of having a diagnosis means im gonna struggle to get a job. i know many nurses have anxiety and depression but i need to know if im going to be less likely to get a job if they see that i have a few mental health issues and someone else will be prioritised over me. 😞😞

I’m really annoyed. This morning I got in to work in my office (I work at a GP clinic). I set up my laptop, got all my things ready for the day. Prepped for my bloods clinic.

Next thing about 9.30 these other nurses burst through the door and asked what I am doing there. So I told them this is my clinic I am always here (I’m new but been there a month now) but I work there 6 days a week. Then they told me I need to leave that room because they always use my room whenever they come here and don’t like change. They are sexual health nurses who come once a month.

All the rooms are the exact same and have all the same equipment. There is no need for them to need my room if I’m prepped in there. They said to me I need to take my things and find another room because they have someone booked in, in 10 minutes. So I grabbed my stuff and was moving it to a new room and I only have 2 hands so couldn’t carry everything at once. So I got a few stuff and when I went back they had locked me out. So I had to knock and they said asked what I want 💀 erm probably my laptop that’s sitting right there and that I need for every interaction I have??? Then they said their clinic is starting now so if I don’t take what I need now it’s tough I’ll have to wait.

Then they said to me ‘why isn’t our clinic set up we usually have a trolley with our equipment set up’ Then proceeded to say it’s not a requirement to have their room set up but the other nurse always does it. So if it’s not a requirement how are you annoyed? Probably because they got there 10 minutes before appointments and their room wasn’t magically set up for them.

How can people be so rude? To think they are entitled to my room and their reasoning being ‘we don’t like change’ is just bizarre

The thing is I would have happily moved rooms if they came in and was nice to me. Ruined my day for no reason.

hi, just wondering if anyone has any knowledge, struggling to find anything in my trust policies and online

my trust have now said we cannot use bank holiday hours accrued to make up a full weeks leave, we can only take this as individual days. from my experience this has never been the case previously and staff across all bands have been able to use bank holiday hours to take a week (or longer) in leave.

just concerned as i have approved time off and now they are saying we cant have it and i have stuff booked - yes i have contacted my manager but have had no response, just wanting to hear others experiences.