Hello again everyone! My my, I let these posts go much longer than I should! What can I say? London life is a busy one! Your comments keep me going because it feels great to know others are interested to do this same thing! I have just returned from a little 6 day get-a-way to Prague and Budapest and wow is all I have to say. Before I embark on my next advenure I'll update things for y'all......
Despite what the title suggests, I don't actually live on the Beach but I do work on Beach ward (what they call floors or units here)...I know it's very old school. I first came to this lovely yellow ward covered in seashells for my very first interview with the ward sister (manager), Ellen. This was my very first assignment with Continental Travelnurse and Ellen wanted to see if I'd be a good fit for her area. I was so incredibly nervous but over a year later I am still kickin back on Beach ward. I am still with Continental but keep sigining 3 month contracts with this ward.
I mostly work on the peds day surgery side where we do surgeries like cleft palate repairs, tonsils, smashed fingers, tympanoplasties, etc, etc. Occasionally (like my past 4 night shifts) I work on the renal side. I am proud to say my peds ward kicks butt in kidney transplants, bladder augmentations, dialysis, nephrectomies, etc. The entire ward is so different from where I worked in Austin, Texas which was a respiratory/infectious disease unit. But hey, I am now comfortable in a whole new field of nursing.
Although I do find this job much less challenging than my previous one from the states, it did still have it's various challenges.
The hard part:
*Losing some power/respect when coming over to England: Although nursing is trying to become more autonomous here and slightly succeeding, it is still more a traditional role. The whole "yes doctor, you are right." Don't come to nurse in England to enhance your skills....if anything you will lose skills. But really, aren't you coming mainly to travel, galavant through an amazing city (while getting paid), and meet great new people?!!
*Alternating day and night shifts: If you don't work in a clinic here and have a standard ward job with 12 hour shifts, you will have to work day and night shifts. I found this hard at first and even though I still hate night shifts, it is getting better.
*Relearning drug names and getting use to new ones. I still look up everything.
*No computer charting. All paper, sometimes disorganized and somewhat unsafe but that's the way it is...ancient. It is england after all.
*Watching the doctor insert a peripheral IV. Seriously, in pediatrics we cannot insert cannulas...it is the jr doctor's job. If you work adults you may get the priviledge to cannulate.
*Mixing my own antibiotics, NCA's. PCA's, etc and getting ALL IV administered meds co-signed. It's the policy here. If anything this has made me even safer in med administration.
*Wearing a dress to work with stockings underneath. I mean really....who am I? Florence Nightingale? You can opt for the trouser and top but it's just as uncomfortable and stiff.
And now for the GOOD:
*Being the one with the accent. Families love you, the nurses are curious, and you get your America fans who willl ask you loads of questions.
*Walking across Westminster Bridge to work and have Big Ben, the houses of Parliament, and the Thames as my work view.
*Easier workload (in my opinion). I am lucky to work on a very well staffed and well run ward. If you get a bad one, it can be hell. Adult nurses here have a higher workload my friends tell me.
*2 hour sleep break when working night shifts. This is pretty universal. How did I ever work straight nights in the states without this?!!
*The amazing staff. If you are social and easy to get along with, you'll find that the staff adopt you to their ward and look after you. I have made the most amazing friends here on Beach which is why I find it hard to leave. I am even traveling with my new English friends, Jen and Lois, across Australia for 3 months in January 2014.
There are so many pro's to living and working here as a nurse. I have heard the good and bad. Even when my friends and I find something to complain about, we always agree that we would never change this experience for the world. This is my city now and I love it. Even when I get stuck in the rain and miss my bus or train. Living in London is not for everyone and if you are a diehard control freak and stuck in the ways that America does things then this is probably not the right move for you. You have to know why you are coming here and be ready for the challenges a new country and culture will throw your way. You also have to understand that we do things in nursing very differently in the states and bringing up how much better America is will NOT make you easy or enjoyable to work with (I have seen this happen to a nurse from Pennsylvania...she lasted 3 months here and went back).
I will not be posting for another 8 weeks as I am going off on my 6 week holiday! I am going on a 2 week cruise across the Greek Isles, then off to Tanzania to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, then safari, down to Zambia to discover Victoria Falls, and lastly spending a week in Cape Town, South Africa. All that travelling alone should motivate any wandering soul to hop over to England!
And Thank You for making this blog worthwhile!
