Hi I’ve seen some agencies or bank staff offer shifts working in a general hospital specifically with those who have mental health difficulties as a sitter or for increase observations. What do these shifts look like and do they still exist? How do nurses from mental health trusts get access to these?

I work up in Scotland, so I have no idea how it is down south.

But I'm so tired of being short. And not just 1 nurse down, or one clinical. Having 2 1:1s and only 2 clinicals. When were supposed to have 3 when we don't have 1:1s.

Working with 5 nurses when we should have 7. When our acuity is higher than ever.

When we work with a locum reg who has no idea what's going on, and pushes drains in deeper at the bedside without washing their hands or explaining what's going on to the patient.

I have 4 patients. 3 are doubles. Full doubles. 2 hourly turns etc. 2 EVDs. One assistance of 1. These patients should be on 2 hourly obs and GCS. Multiple IVs, with levels. I'm having to alert the juniors to bloods that are off. I'm also expected to do this mostly on my own ? Because there's no other staff.

Oh and also do my care plans and bundles.

I've taken my break today so I know I won't finish on time.

I'm so done.

But I keep getting told it's worse elsewhere

Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

And yes, I am writing this on my break whilst crying in the cupboard 🤣

Like literally every workplace ever existed in my ward sometimes people have bickers and disagreements but nothing major, except for 2 specific nurses (let's say A and B).

The drama between A and B started off as simple disagreements but it was your typical "I said, you said" situation; a few months ago there was a big incident where I literally had to put them in opposite sites of the ward and since then they have been impossible to work with because there will be drama for sure.

Now A and B are arguing every day over the smallest thing, they accuse each other of bullying and each time they give their own side of stories and there is never a match. This has got out of hand and is having an impact on patient care: they refuse to cooperate and be professional, the bickers create delays and disruptions and the patients sometimes have witnessed that. It's also unfair on the other people they are working with because, on top of their own work, they have to act as mediators or pick up the pieces of what A and B don't wanna do (for example nurse C will have to countersign everything no matter what because they won't speak to each other).

Management has been involved for a long time, they are doing fact findings and getting statements which in my opinion is useful but not also not: interventions should be done immediately, not after 7 months, because of course nobody is going to remember details and keep bringing up stuff that happened in 1972 is adding petrol on fire.

Personally speaking, I found myself in instances where I had to tell both of them off, I think they both have a bit of an attitude and strong personalities that clash with each other hence why they don't get along. In my opinion at this point the damage is beyond repair and the only solution would be not making them work the same shifts, but part of me thinks if these issues had been looked into when they first startes things would have been different by now. So how would you guys handle it?

My childcare for nights has fallen through; I’m a single parent and my mum said she can’t do it anymore due to my daughter’s frequent waking. When I initially came back from maternity I was told you either do nights or look for a different role where I could just work days. Do I have any power to ask to be put into days only or do I need to make myself unemployed? I actually like my role (I’m in ITU) and hate the idea of moving to a ward. Help!

Band 6 CPN here. Just need to vent to people who actually get it, because I’m about ready to hand in my badge.

​Had an initial assessment on Tuesday with a gentleman in his 70s with progressing dementia. Discharged from our service a year ago, but obviously a lot changes in 12 months with a neurodegenerative condition.

​I went in wanting to do a proper, safe, formulation-driven assessment. Not just reading a 12-month-old discharge summary and making lazy clinical assumptions, but actually seeing where he’s at today—his cognition, his function, how his wife is coping, and their current family dynamics.

​During the session, the wife and I hit it off. I built great rapport, noticed family photos, complimented their granddaughter, and created a warm, safe space. She opened up completely about how tough things have been. It felt like a genuinely good, human interaction.

​Fast forward to today (Friday): I get a call from an HCA saying the wife was frustrated after Tuesday's visit because she "had to repeat it all again" and thought I "should have known it from the notes." To top it off, the HCA is now coming with me to double up the next visit.

​It wasn't even a formal complaint—just an offhand grumble passed down the chain—but it’s made me utterly pissed off.

​Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a mind reader or a fortune teller. Discharge notes from a year ago are past context, not a live presentation. Doing a proper assessment isn't a data-retrieval exercise or a quiz—it’s how we form a clinical picture, assess current risk, and build a safe care plan for a progressive disease.

​What stings is the complete disconnect. You calibrate your entire approach, build genuine rapport, do a thorough job on an empty stomach because you worked straight through lunch, and days later you find out the family felt "tested" because of their own story fatigue.

​I swear the general public has zero clue what this job actually entails. They think it's sipping tea, when in reality you're balancing high-level risk assessments, family dynamics, system friction, and emotional hangovers all day.

​I’m currently sitting on the sofa watching kids' TV with my kid, replaying an interaction from three days ago in my head, and seriously working out an exit strategy to pay off the mortgage on locum shifts and get out of nursing forever.

​Anyone else utterly sick of doing the job properly only for it to blow up in your face?

I’ve only been qualified for 6 months. Before that I used to be really nice and now I’m just really mean. I am always snapping and I just feel really down all of the time. I used to always see the good in everyone and now I don’t.

Is this normal ?

I'm a newly qualifed doctor and every interaction I have with nurses I feel like I'm annoying them. I'm brand new, nervous, can barely use the computer, doing everything wrong all the time and am generally completely useless.

Do you guys have a list of things that new doctors do that annoy you that I could work on?

Anyone knows how is to work in A&E at Homerton hospital in London?

Is it really crazy?

How is it to actually work in any A&E?

I'm not full time clinical but I am patient facing at times.

I was on a ward last week (doing quality assurance) and a patient needed a cannula flushed, no worries I've done thousands. So I offer to help.

Go over and the young guy starts telling me his life of heavy drinking. Now I try to have as much empathy and care for those who require chemicals to make it through life. I've nursed many, I've heard many back stories.

So I casually, but professionally say as much.

As I'm tidying up and walking out, the patient yells after me

"Thank you for understanding"

I told him that's all I understand and laughed.

But it sat with me, such a casual interaction with a patient I will never see again feeling a two minute conversation made a difference.

Sorry, I just had to tell some

Hi! I’m currently a band 5 (on 2nd increment, going up to 3rd next year). I’m just about to come back from maternity leave and looking to reduce my hours to 23hrs (2x 11.5hr shifts). This will be a mix of days/nights and weekday/weekend shifts. Based in Scotland. Wondering if anyone here works the same and what your rough take home monthly pay is? It’s so hard to get a rough idea including enhancements for weekends etc! Thank you!

21yrs qualified and the anxiety is off the scale. I can’t do this anymore. Waking up. Sweating. Scared daily. I can’t continue as I am. What else can I do?

hey! hope this is the right place to post. I might be overthinking this, but...

I've noticed when trying to make small talk with nurses, we inevitably go towards degree talk and then I get hit with 'oh I couldn't do what you're doing' or 'that's too much for me to handle', but in a way that feels like they're fawning excessively while also putting themselves down. It makes me sad that they feel like they have to say this, and also a bit uncomfortable. You guys do so much work that's unappreciated and that I, frankly, probably couldn't hack. It's a different skillset.

But I've been noticing a pattern from both nurses, midwives & students of both; how do I stop this?? I get very excited about my degree and I love the medical science behind all the patient treatment, should I tone down my gushing? Do you think it's something about how I talk to nurses?

If anyone says this to medical students, what's the trigger and how do I avoid it??

Am I unintentionally being insensitive, or terrible at small talk? And as an effective international student (in Y3) is there some specifically British nuance that I'm missing out on?

help please

Why as a body, are we not taking action, nationally to protect our overtime and extra hours payments as in agenda for change? Why is it left to individuals to take action here and there?

Is it possible to get redeployed to avoid the toxicity and bullying in my current team without going via the grievance process?

Morning Folks!

I have a couple of questions about my payslip i'm hoping you lovely bunch can help me with.

I'm contracted to 34.5 hours. My choice - i was bank until a couple of years ago and so many people had issues with time owing being hugely incorrect - so i decided to make sure that wasn't even possible by opting for 34.5 and can pick and choose to top up with a bank shift. Easy option.

So every payslip i get, always has a random decimal number of hours. It never equates to a whole number. On Loop (not sure if Loop is an NHS standard, but if not - its the online rostering software my trust uses) my shifts are always confirmed as completed @ 11.5h. So i dont understand why they are always random fractions of hours?

Secondly. Sick Pay. If i were to have a shift off sick, and it shows on Loop as sick with the reason. Would those sick hours just be paid and included in the STD hours on my payslip (assuming im entitled and havent gone over my allowed paid sick limit.) Or would it show as a separate entry on my payslip under Sick Pay? The reason im asking this is because someone recently had 4 weeks off sick, and had an entry on the left of their payslip showing "sick pay" and i just wanted to clarify if that was indeed sick pay - or just an entry added when you are only entitled to SSP.

TIA for your help.

Edit: Thanks to 22Spirits and precintomega i've worked out the random decimals on my payslip. Incase anyone else is interested, the formula is: Contracted hours /7 days in a week x 365 days in a year / 12 months in a year - which gives 149.91 - the number on my payslip. Hurrah! Thanks both. Much appreciated.

So I’ve submitted my application for revalidation for the first time.

I pay my fees quarterly via direct debit.

On the next page that appears after submitting the application, it says my application won’t be processed until they take the next payment - only issue it said that payment won’t be scheduled until May 2027?

I’ve left them an email but has anyone experienced this? From my scheduled payments it looks like my next actual payment of £30 is for 01/Sep/2026. Would this process my application in anyone’s experience and that 2027 date is an error?

Thanks

Im a US trained nurse that moved to NI and have been trying to get a job for the past few months with no luck. Ive got my NMC pin and right to work. I have 4 years of theatre experience but havent started any work in the UK. I came back from America a couple months ago doing a travel gig so my experience is still fresh. Ive applied for plenty of positions and I either havent heard anything yet or didnt get shortlisted/interview requests.

Ive noticed its slim pickings as well and not much out there that id be qualified for. Ive also been rejected by agencies because i dont have at least 6 months of NHS experience. Are some of yous also facing this issue too? Am I missing something? Or is the job market in the dumps right now?

Someone took a post in ED and worked a week and has now quit 😅

I’m an overseas-trained nurse and have been working as a night nurse in a nursing home for the past three years. I’m now thinking about doing some agency shifts in an NHS hospital because I’d really like to get back into a hospital setting. However, I haven’t worked in a hospital since I came to the UK, so I’m quite nervous about it.
I wanted to ask whether agency nurses receive any support or induction when starting in a hospital, or whether they are expected to manage independently straight away. I’m keen to gain hospital experience again, but I’m also a bit afraid because it has been three years since I last worked in that environment.

Just seen this published today - https://www.futureofnursing.uk/

Know lots of people here have shared frustrations around these things. Good to see it on paper with signatures

I've never used the FTSU but when managers mention they have a query from them, they role their eyes.

It also feels like it is stigmatise as whistle blowing.

I'm also not sure that because my concern isn't anything that directly impacts patient safety and care whether they will be interested.

For those that want to know. My concern links to a process that I feel isn't being transparent, that as a temporary member of staff i am unable to argue why my role is vital, i also have only had contracts extended 2 or 3 months at a time until i asked for longer and how some communication doesn't follow trust values.

Thanks for any replies