pros and cons of being an American nurse in the UK part 1

Pros and Cons of being an American nurse in the UK

Living in the United Kingdom has undoubtedly been one of the best experiences of my life, but it’s not been perfect. There are loads of pros and cons associated with being an American nurse in the UK. I have had to make sacrifices both personally and professionally to be able to live and work in England. For some people it’s worth it and for others it’s not a feasible way to live.

To help you decide if being an American nurse in the UK is the right decision for you, I’ve put together a list of pros and cons. In the end, the list grew to be so long, that I had to split it into two posts. This is Part 1: The Pros soon to be followed by Part 2: The Cons. The lists aren’t exhaustive, but I think they include most of the responses I’ve heard from nurses over the years.

Each nurse moving to the UK will share some experiences. But we each are carving our own path, we have different motivations and nursing experience. Most of us work in different specialties and each Trust has their own quirks. Your perspective could be extremely valuable to others seeking answers to their questions. If you’re a nurse who’s moved to the UK, please contribute your thoughts in the comments. I always love to hear from other “overseas nurses” finding their way in the UK!

Though this is written from my perspective as an American nurse, it could potentially help others from around the world. If that’s you and you’re trying to decide between moving to the US or the UK, welcome!

This list covers what I find to be the most influential personal and professional aspects to consider when comparing life as a nurse in the US and UK.

Part 1: The Pros of being an American nurse in the UK

The Visa

One of the more practical pros to being a nurse in the UK from any country is the 5 year route to permanent residency, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). In most cases, one year after receiving ILR, you would be eligible for UK citizenship. If you have no other connections to the UK, such as a spouse, then this is the immigration pathway you would be on should you decide to come to the UK.

A tier 2 working visa is one of the more straightforward immigration paths available in the UK. Nursing is considered a shortage occupation along with quite a few other professions. Recently the UK made more changes to make the immigration process easier and cheaper for nurses through the new Health and Care Visa.

For any advice on visas consult a professional. A good place to start UK visa research is the government website.

Work life balance

One of the first major differences I noticed when I began working as an American nurse in the UK was the way people honored work life balance. Work life balance in America is usually something we feel we should consider important, but never really have time to prioritize. Often we are too busy getting the next thing done.

The value of one’s day in America tends to be measured by its productivity, whereas balance is prioritized in the UK. It took me a while to accept that a day spent watching reruns and going for a long walk outside could be just as valuable as a productive day ticking off the to do list. This does mean some things get done more slowly, especially around the holidays. But it also means people have more realistic expectations of what they can comfortably accomplish.

I am a human being, not a human doing.

Kurt Vonnegut

I’ll be honest, I found it very frustrating and difficult when I was trying to get paperwork done for my job and visa. For any official process, really. It always takes at least twice as long as it would have done in the States. Now that I’m here, though, I find it less stressful. At least when I can silence the American voice within which keeps telling me I should be getting something done.

A good reminder is the quote by Kurt Vonnegut, “I am a human being, not a human doing.”

At work you’ll probably find that tea breaks are sacred as is ending one’s shift on time. There is a mutual acknowledgment that everyone has a life outside of work which just might be more important. It’s nice to have my time respected. And nice that no one assumes my time is free for the taking.

More vacation time

My job in America allowed me approximately 4.5 weeks of vacation time (“annual leave” or “holiday” in the UK). To use that time, I had to find a colleague willing to cover the days I would be gone. It took a lot of effort just to get some time away. Asking others to take on more work always made me feel guilty for wanting a break.

In the UK I receive just over 7 weeks of annual leave. Though I was wary at first, my British colleagues helped me understand how annual leave is viewed. It’s considered time that belongs to the employee, almost time which is owed to them by the employer. Each employee has the right, perhaps obligation, to take their allotted amount of annual leave. In my trust, they make every effort to grant leave requests. The best bit is that no one ever has to find cover for the dates they’ll be gone.

It’s such a relief! Finally after 3 years, I don’t feel guilty for requesting annual leave. I’ve taken 3 weeks off in a row to go home for a visit with no issues. Many in my department have even taken an entire month off to go back home to the Philippines. No one batted an eye.

Everyone here uses their annual leave. Why not take it? No one considers it a sign of weakness. Everyone accepts that there is far less sickness when we all take our full amount of annual leave throughout the year. Remember the healthy cultivation of work life balance I mentioned before?

Budget travel to Europe

Though there is no recreational travel right now, it is still an important consideration for the future (I hope). To visit Europe while living and working in the States I had to get at least 2 weeks off and spend a pretty penny on a transatlantic flight. I had to expend a lot of effort just to have 12 days of vacation time. Realistically, I probably could have made this happen once a year.

Living in the UK means I could theoretically take short weekend trips to cities across Europe. I could get a cheap flight, find a reasonable hotel and be back at work on Monday without having to take any annual leave. If I wanted to take a longer trip, then it would be easy to do so. In the end, I could probably take 4 long trips a year. Logistically, depending on my stamina and motivation, I could probably also take a dozen weekend city-breaks throughout the year.

It’s easy to see the appeal if you’re a keen traveler like myself. This, combined with more vacation time, was my main motivation for moving to the UK. I wanted to put myself in a position to see more of this world than I would have otherwise been able to. Hopefully this pandemic will be over soon and I’ll be able to continue my travels with even more appreciation for it than before.

Sick leave

As a nurse in the US, I always felt like I was unable to call in sick because that would leave the unit one nurse down. I felt guilty for going to work sick and I felt guilty for calling in sick. It was a lose-lose situation. The amount of time our employer gave us to cover sickness was limited. Not to mention the trouble one causes for oneself after calling in – disciplinary action always felt likely.

As a nurse in the NHS, the attitude to sickness is much different. If you’re sick, you’re expected to stay home. You are able to “self-certify” your sickness which means you don’t need a doctor’s note unless you will need more than one week off.

Each time I’ve been sick, I’ve had a “return to work” meeting with my manager upon my return to ensure that I am well enough to be at work. These meetings had more of an air of care and worry for my wellbeing instead of being disciplinary. Having multiple episodes of sickness can trigger disciplinary action, but nothing tends to happens unless you’re abusing the system.

NHS pension

There are plenty of things which could be improved in the NHS, but I must say, the pension is fabulous. With the salary of a new nurse in the UK (Band 5), you would contribute a minimum of 7.1% and your employer would contribute 20%.

That is 5 times the maximum contribution of my previous employer in the US. Granted, my salary is lower in the UK so it ends of being a higher percentage of a smaller amount. But, in the end, my salary isn’t 5 times less here, so it’s still a great pension scheme.

Healthcare

One of the greatest things about living in the UK is knowing I have healthcare. I haven’t had to worry about any health insurance coverage because I know that I have the NHS. As with every healthcare system, there are flaws. But I can’t complain. The NHS has provided me with all the treatment I’ve needed since living here.

One of the benefits I receive is getting all my prescriptions for free due to hypothyroidism. Even without that, all prescriptions are just 9.15. I have also had some investigations done and I’ve seen the GP a couple of times without any issues.

I’ve heard of some who’ve had nightmare experiences, but many say it depends on who your GP is. So I suppose the best piece of advice with this is to try to get as much information about your local GPs before you choose and find a new one if you feel you’re not getting the care you need.

I can’t exaggerate the peace of mind it provides me, but it also opens up a lot of possibilities. I know my healthcare isn’t tied to my job. In the future, I may want to do something besides nursing. I can rest easy knowing I’ll have the ability to try new things without worrying about coverage. I could have multiple streams of income without needing an employer to pay for health insurance. That kind of flexibility so freeing.

Continue Reading the Next Post Part 2: The Cons

I could probably go on and on about the pros of being an American nurse in the UK. Many positive changes in my life have come about since living here. If you couldn’t tell, I love living here! All the pros listed here have helped me find balance in life which was so elusive in America.

Though the lifestyle in the UK is one which works well for me, being a nurse in the UK is definitely different. As I mentioned in the beginning, being an American nurse in the UK is not all rainbows and butterflies. Anyone moving abroad has to make certain sacrifices.

To find out what some of those sacrifices are, read Part 2 where I reveal the cons of being an American Nurse in the UK.

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