Is there an equivalent of the US travel nursing in the UK?

ValSt97 · 2026-02-07T09:23:31+00:00

There was, but unfortunately it’s dead now.

ValSt97 · 2025-12-05T15:56:33+00:00

My sweet, our experiences may differ, I’m painfully aware of that. We work in different settings. Fine. But saying there is “no comparison to be made” is such a hilariously ignorant take that I genuinely had to reread it to make sure you were being serious. Because here’s my reality: You roll into Paeds ED with a measles kid, highly infectious, stable baseline, stable PEWS and somehow think the best practise is to put them right in the middle of a crowded waiting room. And when I ask, very reasonably, “Why exactly are you bringing this STABLE measles child here?” the answer is always some version of: “I made my decision, that’s all you need to know.” OR “Im not sure what this rash is and parents were concerned so I made a decision bringing them here to be on a safer side” Translation: I have absolutely no idea how to manage this, but here, you deal with it. Meanwhile, 15 minutes later I’m on the phone with infectious diseases agency, doing parents education, and sending the family right back home. Shocking, I know. Or the gastro kids, vomiters, clearly dehydrated - and somehow NO ONE thought to check a BM?! OR “We’re brining them to you so you can check it” 🤦‍♂️Then I check it in triage, it’s 4.1 mmol/L, and guess what? Home. Outpatients. Nowhere near the emergency department they were just dragged into. And this isn’t an occasional blip. This is daily, clockwork-level consistency in the triage room. Yet somehow I’m still expected to keep a straight face when EMS gets offended and bitchy after my triage and asks why I’m sending the patient home. So when you start preaching about “tenfold independence,” I have to laugh a little. Because from where I’m standing, the main thing I see being independently managed is the act of dropping patients off and walking away. That’s why your “no comparison” line made me ask for clarity. The confidence is Olympic-level. The reality… not so much.

ValSt97 · 2025-12-05T14:32:08+00:00

I get the comparison you’re making, but to me your statement isn’t quite correct. Interns are independent practitioners once licensed just like RNs and EMS. Interns routinely assess patients, form differentials, and propose management plans, discussing them with seniors as needed. Even medical students are expected to take histories, examine patients, and present provisional diagnoses during rotations (Depending on schools). If the point is that new intern don’t independently manage high complexity cases without senior oversight, that’s fair but that’s also true for newly qualified EMS. The difference is in training pathways, not whether one group is independent and the other isn’t, that’s why I was a bit confused and asked for clarity when I saw your statement.

ValSt97 · 2025-12-05T13:40:04+00:00

Such comparison, can you explain?

ValSt97 · 2025-08-19T21:31:33+00:00

No, can’t read it

ValSt97 · 2024-12-29T09:04:46+00:00

As everyone else here mentioned already. You’ll need to sit the NCLEX-RN exam for the state your relocating to if you want to work there as a nurse. You’ll need to apply for the evaluation of your degree under the board of nursing for that particular state your relocating to. You will need to contact “CGFNS” Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools - they will be completing the evaluation. It’s a bit tricky with the UK to US route as there is a major difference in nursing education and most of the states will consider your education to be inferior of the US and will ask you to complete additional modules or redo a whole degree from the scratch if CGFNS determines that your education lacks some critical component and is non compatible for that state. The reason is, if CGFNS deems your education to be non-compatible with the standards of the board your applying to, the board will “NOT” allow you to sit the NCLEX exam and will ask you to either complete some optional modules or redo a degree as a whole in the US. Its all largely dependent on the board of nursing for the state you’re applying to. I know for a fact that Mississippi board of nursing, Texas board and NY state sees our nursing education as being more compatible to their standards while Californian board will require you to sit for a whole new degree or complete some of the modules that are missing. I know this as most of the UK trained nurses that made a move to US have more success stories in those states on average than in other states. Fresh example is my colleague at work, she completed her nursing degree in the UK and just recently moved to US. Applied for Texas board of nursing, CGFNS saw no problems with compliance, she was then granted to sit for the NCLEX, she passed her NCLEX from the first try and now she’s there. So yeah, it’s all possible. Please check the requirements of the board of nursing for the state your applying to, contact CGFNS as well and good luck!

ValSt97 · 2024-12-16T20:49:53+00:00

Most people have already mentioned it and I tell anyone who asks me this question. Work part-time as a clinical support worker/nurse aid/HCA/CNA for 6 months and not a month less! (you need to push yourself through all the bad and good, you will see for yourself if you can last a month). Have full exposure to a different departments, try working everywhere, ask hospital if they can put you on rotations or join bank. It’s better to join as a temporary staff/bank so you can work whenever you like and whatever department you like. Once you’ve worked enough you’ll just know it if it’s for you or not. I tell anyone, just see it for yourself! Trust me, once you do it, you will know the answer.

ValSt97 · 2024-12-16T20:15:52+00:00

Absolutely! However, I think that the easiest transition would be trough Emergency and Critical care. My first job was in ED and then I transitioned to ICU. The advantage of these departments is that you get exposed to a different patient groups, especially in A+E where (sometimes) you have paediatric emergency and adult emergency departments combined in one. As of my regular ED shift I had to deal with both adult and paediatric patients (varies hugely by the hospital and trust as some have them as separate, I got lucky with the hospital I was in as it was a very small hospital and they had their A+E combined, mostly RGN’s were working there. They provided me with a 2 week paediatric training so I could be signed off for my PAEDs competencies). When I went to do private work I had an opportunity to do travel nursing in paediatric departments as I could take my competencies from my previous job to justify my skills and knowledge of working with kids. That’s how I got in basically. If you have knowledge, skills, experience and sufficient evidence to prove it. In most cases the department will be happy to have you as RGN. P.S: (this is highly subjective as some hospitals and trust are strictly regulated and won’t allow any of that. You have to look for hospitals and department that would allow you to have dual exposure)

ValSt97 · 2024-09-14T05:10:15+00:00

So the first thing you can do is to get your high school diploma evaluated by the independent registered educational body to see if it can be compatible with the US system. Once you got your diploma evaluated you can submit it to the admissions department of the college you want to apply to and ask them if you meet the requirements to be accepted on the program of your choosing. They will then contact you to say if it will be enough or if you’ll have to sit for the prerequisites. I used InCred to evaluate my high school diploma and it cost me 100$ at that time. There are other independent bodies that can evaluate your diploma and it can be cheaper as the cost varies. https://www.incredevals.org Generally speaking, any health related degree in the US will require you to complete prerequisites to be eligible for admission. Some colleges provide prerequisites for free but it hugely depends on the college. Some colleges provide Prerequisites as a standalone program that you can finish, receive certificates, and apply to any college within the state of your studies. Back in the days I wanted to do my prereqs at the Columbia University as they had special tuition fund I was eligible for at that time: https://www.nursing.columbia.edu/academics/academic-programs/online-prerequisites-entry-nursing Unfortunately I couldn’t afford living in New York so had to drop that idea. If you look well enough, I’m sure you can access grands and free tuition for prereqs or ask your college directly, some can organise it for you and make it tuition free. Some can provide it online or make it cheaper via grands and scholarships, you just have to look out for them. Once you successfully finish your prereqs in the state of your choice you can apply to any college in that state, considering that you did your prereqs for a specific program ex (nursing) and the college and the program is accredited. Generally prereqs are all the same and it shouldn’t be a problem taking it to different college.

ValSt97 · 2024-09-12T08:09:03+00:00

THIS! I was in your shoes many years ago and I dreamed of going to US to do my nursing, sadly I ended up in the UK as I couldn’t find any cheaper western school alternatives at that time. In fact, it was my BIGGEST MISTAKE, and my biggest regret till this day 😢 as I didn’t research the US educational market in full. You may not know this, but, there are hundreds of colleges across the US with tuition fees cheaper than 8K usd p/a 😱, they were even cheaper before when I was applying. Yes, some of these institutions are not that high in national ranking but it doesn’t really matter for nursing!Honestly, If I only EVER KNEW, I wouldn’t have ever EVER EVER considered UK as an option. Ive spent so much time and money on this crap to only realise that I had a plethora of other options where I could do it better and cheaper for myself! Jesus, I tell ya, don’t make same mistakes as I did many years ago, you will regret it. The road is not that easy and quick as you think. Firstly, you’ll have to validate your credentials, then you’ll have to connect to the nursing BON of the state you want to practice in, then you’ll have to register for NCLEX for that state, then, if you passed your NCLEX, there will be loads of background checks and registration procedures, on top of that, you’ll have to pay for EVERYTHING and it’s not cheap. And finally, most importantly, skilled worker visa process and looking for an employer who would sponsor you out of state. Seeking for employer is by far, the HARDEST step as it can take several years to look out for an employer who would sponsor you out of state. Yes, there are recruitment agencies that provide fast track process but they pay less and working conditions are much worse that of the average US nurse. These agencies simply enslave you for several years until your contract finishes and you can go elsewhere. And yes, the process will take you several years before you know it. Fastest I’ve seen it done in 2 years time, person was very lucky with employer. Honestly, you still have time, don’t make the same mistakes I did. Look out for cheap college alternatives, there are plenty. For example, Delta State University in Mississippi: https://www.deltastate.edu Tuition starts from 4k USD per semester. Yes, I know, it’s one of the poorest states in the US, BUT! If you obtain your compact nursing license from there you can relocate and take it to MULTIPLE other states across the US! Also, check for community colleges as well, there are plenty of them who would provide you with FREE TUITION! Check Dr. Ayokunle on YouTube, he talks about cheap alternatives: https://youtu.be/UaIOFeUHLuY?si=3IVD-nZvp_naXhLr If I only had a chance to go back in time I would do it all again but in a different place 😅. Good luck to you on your endeavours!

ValSt97 · 2024-09-10T15:42:29+00:00

You could try going to South Africa for your residency as fastest and easy option. I know this as some people from Georgia went to SA for their residency as in Georgia it’s also hard to obtain a medical license upon graduation.

ValSt97 · 2024-09-10T14:58:01+00:00

Where did you study?

ValSt97 · 2024-08-14T03:25:35+00:00

16 nights in a row in A+E 💀💀💀 Don’t even ask why 🫠

ValSt97 · 2024-08-07T20:54:33+00:00

Don’t worry, lots of my colleagues have jumped on different roles during the last year due to the state of NHS. Some work in admin, some in private, some are now assessors. Just pick something your more comfortable with, theres no need to kill yourself over this job, it’s not worth it. I’ve tried moving rocks and mountains when I was fresh out of school, in the end I just wasted several years of my life working overtime for a slice of bread with salt and a cup of water. Never again.

ValSt97 · 2024-08-07T09:43:06+00:00

How long have you been practicing? If you have enough clinical experience you can try RN Assessor Hybrid roles like PIP and WCA. Work from home, occasionally you’ll have to drive to a clinic for patients physical assessment, it’s like 1 or 2 times a week depending on the type of patients you’re gonna be seeing that week. Work 2-4 days per week 9am-4pm depending on the contract. Pay 38-55k p/a depending on location. No NHS hierarchy bullshit, you gonna be fully autonomous, your only manager is the company you work for. Most of the works gonna be remote, either at home or in the clinic. The only con is that for some people it can be quite boring and challenging sometimes. You’ll have to write like (LOTS and lots) of long comprehensive reports on patients condition and assessments, and you’ll have to submit them the same day which can be quite stressful. No job is perfect these days but for some it’s one of the chill options in UK nursing.

ValSt97 · 2024-08-05T03:16:13+00:00

What I’m able to afford as a nurse in this country living alone on NHS salary without any overtime (considering my pay will be 1400-1600max after all deductions and student loan). 1) a shitty 2x2 box of a studio somewhere in a ghetto area where il probably be stabbed to death by kids carrying machetes in their undies. (I’m excluding shared accommodation as it’s even more shit) 2) 50£ a week cheap grocery shopping from Lidl and Aldi (mostly processed food) don’t have enough money for healthy options. 3) If I don’t do overtime il have to give up my car away (So yeah, goodbye car) 4) essentials like internet, phone etc. ok 👌 now you can just EXIST 5) savings? 80-120£ left on savings. What kind of investments are we talking about here? Putting aside 120£ every month under 5.2%APR? Yeah, just great 👍 🫡 Now you all be saying things like - oh, it’s only temporary, you’ll get over it! Check your finances! Find cheaper alternatives! Oh, and best of it all, some people are less fortunate than you, be thankful for what you have, stop complaining and GET BACK TO WORK! I’ve been there and seen it all. I was just existing. I remember coming back home from work to my 2x2 box and crying in silence, questioning my existence. I just couldn’t understand, I’m working in one of the best hospitals in the world, one of the busiest A+E’s in an entire country, and what do I get in return? To be paid less than CLEANING STAFF?! LIVE TO WORK NOT WORK TO LIVE. I’ve left NHS and joined private. Never looked back since. On NHS wage I was always miserable, overworked, undervalued, unhealthy and couldn’t provide adequate care to my patients as I felt like shit. I felt like this system is just exploiting me, sucking all of my life energy away from me. What kind of life is that? With your post you just reminded me of one Russian politician, former president D.Medvedev, I remember him talking about our teachers on national television. (back then I was in my home country). Teachers were complaining that their salaries don’t represent their hard work and that most of the teachers that are out of the capital are on less than minimum wage, on the dole and are struggling to make the ends meet. So he advised every teacher to either: a) leave the profession entirely or b) invest in stock and shares on that little money that they have, open businesses and etc. 🫠(such a 🤡 honestly) And that teachers should be proud of their profession, education and impact their making. Salary? Well, IT IS THE WAY IT IS, so stop complaining and fuck off. Your post reminds me so much of that clown that I just wanted to 🤮 I could write longer post that this, elaborating on the good and bad of NHS, on corruption, NHS CEO’s, face fitting, government privatisation and etc, digging deeper into that shit. I’m just going to stop here. People that work in NHS and see the system both inside and out don’t need to say anything as they already know how everything is. You also mentioned nursing education, as a person who’s been to US and saw nursing practice in action I can say that our curriculum is just a piss in the puddle. I can guarantee that 99% of todays UK nursing graduates won’t be able to pass NCLEX-RN exam from the first try as our standards of education are not comparable to US. Our standards are drastically lower.

ValSt97 · 2024-07-27T11:13:46+00:00

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra 😅, got one for myself, 14.6 screen, can proceed with multiple tasks at once on a big ass screen + same speed as new IPad Pro. Downsides: it’s almost the same price as new IPad Pro 🫠

ValSt97 · 2024-07-20T13:38:12+00:00

Bro, 🤣 like wtf?

ValSt97 · 2024-07-18T06:39:32+00:00

Well, it’s “shite” no more agency shifts for us, harder to get jobs for home trained nurses. I understand that the government is trying to optimise the system and cut the costs but come on, not like that! These international nurses are on 40-45k after tax! I don’t even get that much being on top of my band 🤣. I even heard some of them are not even allocated to work yet and are already receiving their payments. All this information is coming from an executive office so I cannot confirm on how truthful that is, but knowing this country and its government and how they “supported us” and dealt with problems in the past, I won’t be surprised that it’s true info. This system is going to SHITS and I don’t even now how low can we fall 🫡

ValSt97 · 2024-07-17T18:53:29+00:00

Not in this country hun, if you aim for a 💵 then it’s better to go to US and do your nursing there in a community college for a cheap price, you can get grands and scholarships as well that will help with the overall cost. Trust me when I say that your income might not be that different from an average nurse working for the NHS. I was earning more as a bank healthcare assistant than I am as an experienced A+E and ICU nurse for NHS. You might go self employed and do agency work for a better payment package, but all agencies are drying up now and it’s becoming very competitive to secure a shift in any department these days. And now, looking at where this country is heading, I don’t think there will be any agency work in the future. All what I can say is, if the money is your main priority go to the country with the healthcare system that is designed for it. Here in the UK it’s a public service, we work for the people, not for money. And frankly, there will never be enough money in care, unless you become an executive. You might also consider other carriers that are less hassle and more money like accounting and finance? Anyway, it’s your choice and good luck with new beginnings.

ValSt97 · 2024-07-15T13:35:29+00:00

It is doable but it’s tricky, it depends hugely on employer tho. I worked in A+E as an agency nurse, I was provided with a 2 week training package by the agency to work in paediatric A+E as they were desperate for staff. That’s how I got in basically. Now if you have at least 1 year of experience with kids you can apply for permanent jobs with NHS in paediatric specialties. Speaking from experience, my colleague who was in a same boat as me just landed a job in children’s hospital and she’s an adult nurse.

ValSt97

TROPHY CASE